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_gac_
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Layers
Your poem captures the stress of social media very effectively.
Thank you Liz. It can be overwhelming, juggling both the real and the virtual world at once.
I recently heard someone refer to the “gamification” of social media, the idea that like a video game or gambling, social media contains its own built-in rewards, that keep you playing. The pressure to stay in the game, to protect your winnings, so to speak, is very high.
People of a certain age are probably more aware of their own predilections and vanities and can recognize, when a game has the effect of manipulating their actions.
But children and the young may not see any harm in it, since it is the very air they breathe.
I remember reading an article a few years ago that social media deliberately works on principles of operant conditioning to keep us seeking that reward (similar to the gamification concept). That really brought me up short! I’m not a pigeon. I’m a sentient human being.
Its a bit creepy for sure. The problem is, our use of media is taking the place of so many necessary human-to-human interactions, that it’s darn near impossible to escape it altogether.
And with the carrot comes the stick.
Love getting your feedback, Liz!
That pretty much sums it up! Twitter holds no appeal to me and I’ve resisted IG so far, although I’d probably enjoy it to some extent.
Thanks Brad! I think all social media has its plusses and minuses. Sometimes its hard to tell who’s running the show–we humans, or the algorithm. 😊
I pretty much don’t get Instagram. My meals are largely unphotogenic, and my dog is lazy.
Instagram is very visual and reminds me a lot of pinterest, although the images seem to be used more for communication or persuasion than for cataloguing.
I am partial to the stunning photography but turned off if the content turns too sentimental, like a card, trying to cheer you up.
For some uses, like keeping track of plants or other interests, visual media can be very informative and helpful as well as inspirational.
I could see that. I just don’t have anything to communicate visually on a regular basis.
I’ve been on Facebook almost 14 years. I used to find it soul-crushing; I’d often feel terrible about my life after spending time on it. Now I keep my use of it to a minimum, while trying to balance the pluses and minuses. I still feel some pernicious effects, but I also feel like I’m in control most of the time.
Thanks for sharing your experience Brad. These new modes of communication make connection possible over distance in ways we never imagined could be possible. But they also enable intrusion and threaten privacy in ways we never imagined. Like most tools, they can be used for good or evil. Sounds like you’ve managed to strike a healthy balance. 😊