Newspaper Story on On-Line Coupon Secrets

Here's an interesting article from the Seattle Times about how merchants track info about you from the coupons you print. (Thanks Kathryn S) Actually, it's not as bad as it first sounds. The information is used to hone advertising methods so merchants know which key words work and which don't. This kind of  'spying' freaks out some people, but it doesn't phase me. If an advertiser knows I buy Nivea body wash because I did a google search for "Nivea coupons", big whoop. I guess the coupons I print say something about me, but really, what difference does it make. The same info is available if you have a brick and mortar shopper's card. That's how Kroger knows what special coupons to send me each quarter. They know I have cats, eat Cheerios, etc., and tailor my coupons to my shopping history. It's win/win. I choose not to be paranoid about this kind of stuff, and instead, enjoy the new world of on-line coupons.