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Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

wsj.com

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Re: Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

#381

Post by angry-hacker »

freehunter wrote: post #288
omginternets wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: "if you [Facebook] want me to consume ads, make ads I want to consume". The thing is, this already exists and it's called native advertising. The trick is to create advertisements that, while endorsing a product, have real value for me. A simple example: a tutorial on doing XYZ with Docker on Google Compute Engine might (A) be relevant to my interests and immediately useful,…

I actually run a local-interest blog for my small city, and whenever I talk to people about it they're amazed I don't have ads all over the place. "How do you make money", "why would you run this site without making money", "you should be getting something for it", etc. They don't immediately realize that 90% of the content on the site is advertising, and I actually am getting paid for it. I'll write an article about…

Well, that is deception unless you are honest with users. In many countries illegal, and as scummy, if not more, than your taboola ads.

Re: Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

#382

Post by 15charlimit »

paulddraper wrote: post #263
chiph wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you missed the point of the question - people install adblockers typically because they find the ads are intrusive (full-screen graphic overlays, etc), or their machine gets infected with ad network-delivered malware. If you presented ads that were respectful to the visitor (i.e. weren't offensive) I expect the blocker escalation war would cease.

How would your users know you had "respectful" ads?

I haven't once seen an attempt by any site to show me a "this is what our ads would look like - we're clean, honest!" element when they detect I'm blocking.

My adblock policy (the same one I use on all friend & family systems) is extremely strict. I'm not going to whitelist your site, or any site for that matter, just to see if your ads are "safe". Your options are to show me they are DESPITE my blocking for a chance at an unblock, or prevent me from viewing your site altogether.

Re: Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

#383

Post by angry-hacker »

pen2l wrote: post #373
fapjacks wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are ways around ads in apps.

Such as? I'm thinking any ways that do exist are extraordinarily difficult to do, at least for the common lay man.

Hosts file / adaway doesn't help with Facebook app? Can't tell myself, I don't have them installed on my own.

Re: Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

#384

Post by corobo »

angry-hacker wrote: post #379
corobo wrote: post #361

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't need to make them content-like. Have ad sections that are just text. I can't recall the name of the site but that one Mac-related site that does text ads seems to be doing pretty well at it. Please if someone does know the site I mean let me know it's on the tip of my tongue!

The inventor of markdown. Fireball something. But it's really an exception.

Daring Fireball, that's the one! Of course it's an exception - no other bugger tries, opting to instead chuck adsense all over the place.

Re: Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

#385

Post by bbradley406 »

chillydawg wrote: post #243
mayneack wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually created a custom adblock filter to block the whole news section. They already show "news" about stuff like prime day sales, so it might as well be advertising.

Care to share?

I'd like to mention News Feed Eradicator here - not only does what its name implies, but it adds a motivational quote in the empty space. The quotes are usually about goals, procrastination, etc and it's saved me a lot of (potentially) wasted time.

Re: Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

#388

Post by elmigranto »

blahi wrote: post #368
elmigranto wrote: post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Facebook does not provide a service, you said it yourself, it is "ad supported". What they provide is a platform that companies pay to show ads on. Kind of like billboards and ad agencies. Snickers bar drawn on the street is not a service, even if you happened to glance over it.

Chatting with your friends and looking at their pictures are not services? The lengths to which you guys will go to for justification of your sense of entitlement is staggering.

They are but not in a sense in which, for example, Netflix is, where terms are clear — pay and enjoy content. FB is also a service as an ad platform — pay and we will show your ads to people.

Anyone with FB profile is not "getting serviced", they are a commodity same as peanuts at the store, but it instead of storing boxes in a warehouse, FB hosts your photos. There is expectation that most of users won't block ads, just like most of peanuts get sold.

Re: Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

#389

Post by natrius »

eridius wrote: post #367
natrius wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you allow targeted ads into your life, you're putting changes in your behavior on the market each time you touch a device. Those behavior changes are intended to make you give the buyer more money than they paid. The market will find every flaw in your psychology that can be used to take money from your pocket. These flaws exist: Las Vegas is built on them. Targeted ads are the Las Vegas of the mind.

Re-reading your comment, it strikes me as extremely anti-capitalistic. > Those behavior changes are intended to make you give the buyer more money than they paid. That is literally the goal of every merchant everywhere. They need to sell stuff for more than they paid, otherwise they don't make money. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with this. They aren't forcing you to buy things, their buyers think that what th…

An ad that's relevant to your interests is fine, but that's the best case scenario. How many people's lives were improved by clicking on "one weird trick" ads? Those ads sucked money out of people's pockets for no reason. Running experiments to find out the most effective ways to get people to hand over their money is a valid business practice, but that strategy in no way depends on the product adding value to your life. Anything that can be invented to get you as an individual to click on a buy button will be invented, whether it's good for you or not.

Profit-seeking has led to lots of progress in this world, but its record is decidedly mixed. Keep your eyes open.

Re: Facebook will force advertising on ad-blocking users

#390

Post by elmigranto »

blahi wrote: post #368
elmigranto wrote: post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Facebook does not provide a service, you said it yourself, it is "ad supported". What they provide is a platform that companies pay to show ads on. Kind of like billboards and ad agencies. Snickers bar drawn on the street is not a service, even if you happened to glance over it.

Chatting with your friends and looking at their pictures are not services? The lengths to which you guys will go to for justification of your sense of entitlement is staggering.

No one ever asked me to pay for it. I never agreed to look at ads.

If anything, I might argue that I am providing FB with a service of sharing my personal info and typing messages to people, so others will be motivated to stay/join the website. But expecting to get compensation for that is as much nonsensical, as expecting me to "pay" for free website (which is exactly what is promoted and offered — free place to stay in touch with friends/etc, not picture hosting in exchange for looking at ads).

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