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Instagram Has Become SkyMall

clivethompson.medium.com

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Re: Instagram Has Become SkyMall

#211

Post by b112 »

beardyw wrote: post #210
dunnevens wrote: post #183

I don't use Instagram much, but I am on Facebook too often. The limitations of the advertising algorithms are very interesting to me. For example: I participate in ex-evangelical groups because of my childhood experiences. Also follow pages which discuss American Christianity from a secular or journalistic perspective, and in Christian groups which interpret their beliefs from a left-ish ideology. "Liking" any post f…

Sorry to sound stupid, but I live in the UK and have literally never seen an ad from a church (except maybe on a board outside). What is the purpose of the ad? What is their motivation?

It seems somewhat shady, there is a profit motive?

Maybe it is about conversion, which at least has honorable intentions.

When I drove through the US South, I saw all sorts of anti-abortion church billboards, so maybe this?

Re: Instagram Has Become SkyMall

#212

Post by jazzyjackson »

baby wrote: post #208
avalys wrote: post #144

I get great ads on Instagram. Generally, they’re niche products related to my interests from small companies I’ve never heard of before. Yes, there’s a few misses, but it’s way better than the absolute scum-sucking garbage I see elsewhere on the internet from other ad networks. “Doctor shares one weird trick for emptying your bowels every morning”, “Alan Greenspan tells you what to buy instead of Litecoin”, and simil…

Same. I bought a bunch of stuff from instagram ads (unless they’re easy scams/dropshipping products which you can easily tell). These days I’m looking at modular floor couch (like roche bobois majhong, I recommend checking that if you don’t know about these couches because they look amazing) and I’m now getting a bunch of more affordable alternatives as ads.

I like the fabrics on those mahjongs, and maybe that’s what it’s all about, but is there anything that sets them apart from all the floor cushions you can buy on Etsy and elsewhere? Can also search “majlis”.

Re: Instagram Has Become SkyMall

#215

Post by mattbee »

beardyw wrote: post #210
dunnevens wrote: post #183

I don't use Instagram much, but I am on Facebook too often. The limitations of the advertising algorithms are very interesting to me. For example: I participate in ex-evangelical groups because of my childhood experiences. Also follow pages which discuss American Christianity from a secular or journalistic perspective, and in Christian groups which interpret their beliefs from a left-ish ideology. "Liking" any post f…

Sorry to sound stupid, but I live in the UK and have literally never seen an ad from a church (except maybe on a board outside). What is the purpose of the ad? What is their motivation?

I remember about 15 or 20 years ago when Alpha was new, they were advertising in newspapers and on buses. It seemed weirdly un-British and didn't last long. (The course is still going, I just only see the branding on actual churches now)

Re: Instagram Has Become SkyMall

#216

Post by forgotmypw17 »

B-Con wrote: post #178
forgotmypw17 wrote: post #150

My biggest problem with both Facebook and Instagram is that I feel completely out of control over what I see. There is neither a way to avoid what I don't want, nor a way to ensure I see my friends' posts. The timeline shows me the same handful of people in mystery sort order mixed with ads, and then I later find out I haven't seen months' worth of someone's content when I happen to visit their profile. The only half…

> All in all, it feels like Facebook thinks I'm an idiot and treats me accordingly. This is the way of social media algorithms. I suspect it makes sense be cause the majority of users are indeed "idiots", in the sense of doing a poor job managing their subscription feeds and such. I'm sure they have tons of data showing how they improve user retention in aggregate by treating them like idiots. But those of us willing…

When you say that people are doing a "poor job managing their subscription feeds and such", it almost sounds like you think that's possible using Facebook's interface?

Re: Instagram Has Become SkyMall

#217

Post by jazzyjackson »

morty_s wrote: post #79
novoblade wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i've never seen those ads before. aren't instagram ads tailored based on your browsing history? if anything, those ads may just be indicative of your recent interests.

Yeah, they’re tailored. I get ads for perf dev tools, compilers. I still get ads for vehicles months after buying one. I’ve only had one ad that was “eerie.” Coworkers were talking about a kind of beverage I’d never heard of (talking over zoom, on a work-only machine), got an ad for the product later that day. Could be that I just recognized the name from our convo which caused me to scroll back up...

I finally figured out the spookiness after talking to my mom on the phone about vacuum cleaners and then getting ads for vacuum cleaners:

My mom bought a vacuum online after our phone call, and one way advertisers choose an audience is “all the friends of someone who searched for the product”

My roommate and I confirmed this by getting ads for something the other just googled.

What I’m trying to say is, targeted ads ruin Christmas, but no one will hear me out :’(

Re: Instagram Has Become SkyMall

#218

Post by jazzyjackson »

neilv wrote: post #98
endisneigh wrote: post #17

Is there anyone else out there who refuses to buy something if they first learned about it from an ad?

Whenever someone tells me a video URL that I decide to invest time in looking at, Grammarly or Liberty Mutual will tend to barge in, and interrupt whatever flow that was. Sure, I remember the brand names. And I'm going to be sure to remember that those brands spent a lot of money wasting my time.

This one really ticks me off for two reasons:

I now understand that ads are purposefully nonsensical and annoying because they’re stickier that way. The ostrich in the insurance ads doesn’t have any damn thing to do with their product, but because it’s out of the ordinary my mind is left to absorb it, wondering, what was that ostrich doing there. It’s just straight mind manipulation and I resent it.

And 2, it hardly makes sense to advertise insurance (I’m never in the mood to cancel my current plan) but they have a gargantuan adspend because their profits are capped by a percentage (search 80/20 rule)- This is basically the same reason Coca Cola is famously ad-spendy - since they are locked into a low percentage of revenue, the only way to grow is “make it up on volume”

Re: Instagram Has Become SkyMall

#219

Post by baby »

heartbreak wrote: post #9
travoc wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you ever scrolled past the tiny “view older posts” link?

Yeah, that’s where I end up in a sea of wildlife photography.

I think that’s only when you have a new account and you don’t follow many people?

Re: Instagram Has Become SkyMall

#220

Post by mixmastamyk »

forgotmypw17 wrote: post #150

My biggest problem with both Facebook and Instagram is that I feel completely out of control over what I see. There is neither a way to avoid what I don't want, nor a way to ensure I see my friends' posts. The timeline shows me the same handful of people in mystery sort order mixed with ads, and then I later find out I haven't seen months' worth of someone's content when I happen to visit their profile. The only half…

During election season I went through and blocked every forward source that wasn't highbrow, ie 99% of them. Unfollowed a few OCD people as well. Cleared things up a lot.

After the latest revamp my favs no longer showed in the timeline. Went in and unlikd then liked again, and now they are listed prominently. Sheesh.

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