The Algorithms Have Figured Out I Live in Montana

I take personal pride in my ability to thwart "the algorithms."

Spending a lot of time online for work means that when I see ads on social media, they usually don't represent something I want to buy.

If you created a persona for me based on the products that show up, I would be:

• In my 20s
• Interested in cars
• In need of insurance

None of which are true.

I'm always creeped out if I'm talking about something and then 10 minutes later I see a related ad on my phone. All of the random things I talk about on the radio lead to some specific and unusual ads (that I'm not interested in).

Lately, one ad makes me think the internet robots have at least figured out that I live in Montana.

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Repeatedly now when I'm on Facebook, I see this:

Have you ever heard of a Freshette?

It's a pee funnel for women sold by REI. Typically, they are used when hiking so you don't have to "pop a squat" over a log or in some tall grass. They're popular enough that both Outside Magazine and Backpacker Magazine published guides to the best pee funnels.

READ MORE: Montana is Mediocre for Women According to New Study

Robots, I admit I'm flattered. My occasional walks in the woods and appreciation for plants have triggered the algorithm to "think" that I'm "adventurous." In reality, I try not to hike far enough to need such a tool. Marketing a Freshette to me gives the illusion that I'm "outdoorsy"  when I am just "nature-y."

I'm guessing the parameters for this ad were broad: woman, age 25-54, lives in a mountain state.

'A' for effort, algorithm.