Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#1

Post by deworms » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:02 PM UTC

Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product
odysee.com

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#2

Post by yur3i__ » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:18 PM UTC

I think the only analogy that works now is "if you aren't in control, you're the product", ala free software and self hosting

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#3

Post by agloeregrets » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:18 PM UTC

While entirely true, I cant help but think that the overall title effectively equates what happens on Facebook to what happens on a paid service of sorts when that is a bit unfair.

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#4

Post by ZeroGravitas » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:23 PM UTC

yur3i__ wrote: post #2

I think the only analogy that works now is "if you aren't in control, you're the product", ala free software and self hosting

Or in theory at least, well regulated small businesses in a competitive market.

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#5

Post by moron4hire » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:23 PM UTC

> I'm shocked that it's as high as 25%. Why would anyone say yes to this prompt? What do you have to gain?

There have been plenty of studies and I've even done my own studies. Most people don't read prompts. Most people don't even register consciously that a prompt even appeared. They have gotten so used to clicking through prompts that they have become blind to them.

Prompts are the wrong way to do almost anything, unless the user is expecting the prompt to appear.

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#6

Post by School-Cotton » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:24 PM UTC

ZeroGravitas wrote: post #4

yur3i__ wrote: post #2

I think the only analogy that works now is "if you aren't in control, you're the product", ala free software and self hosting

Or in theory at least, well regulated small businesses in a competitive market.

That’s only assuming a large enough fraction of possible customers care.

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#7

Post by vegetablepotpie » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:26 PM UTC

In theory, if you’re paying, it means that you’re a stakeholder, and can have some influence over the companies revenue, and therefore have some leverage.

In practice, the fact that you are paying for a service makes you much more attractive to advertisers because it says you’re willing to spend money online.

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#8

Post by mlang23 » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:26 PM UTC

Spon on. And that is why I will not pay for a YouTube abo. The day I can not stand the ads anymore, I will quit the cold turkey.

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#9

Post by pdpi » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:27 PM UTC

The next to last paragraph bothers me:

    On Hackernews, they think it's "entitlement" to think that you can use free email
    and search engines and expect not to be tracked. The main problem with this line
    of thinking is that even if you had the option to pay for your email and for your
    search engine, some G**gle executive somewhere would mention during a meeting that
    they could add an extra $X million of revenue if they started using data from it
    from targeted advertising.

Expecting a valuable service with absolutely no consideration in return absolutely is a case of entitlement. If that consideration isn't cash, it has to be something else. If you're paying cash for the service, though, you're well within your right to set expectations on the terms the service is provided on.

Re: Even if you’re paying, you’re still the product

#10

Post by tonyedgecombe » Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 1:28 PM UTC

yur3i__ wrote: post #2

I think the only analogy that works now is "if you aren't in control, you're the product", ala free software and self hosting

>free software

Well maybe, if this whole sorry ediface wasn't built on top of free software.