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You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

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Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#431

Post by throwawayboise »

Nextgrid wrote: post #146
qybaz wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given that the sites wouldn't exist at all if it wasn't for the ad networks they use to feed their editors, it seems justifiable to me!

I have zero problems with ad-supported shit going out of business and making space for good, paid content. Imagine a world where content has to be so good as to convince people to take out their wallet. No more clickbait, "this video is sponsored by ShitVPN", chumboxes, etc.

Outside of email (which I do pay for), I can't think of an online service I'd pay for. HN is about as close as it gets, but I wouldn't pay for what it is today.

Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#432

Post by aesthesia »

tekromancr wrote: post #411
blackhaz wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But they do. You have to mentally process the incoming data first, then discard it. It's a waste of attention, especially with mind-catching ads you can't figure out immediately. Sometimes they are as blocking as browser pop-ups, e.g.: logotypes (or even full ads) displayed before a responsive UI is shown to you, duty-free zones in the airports, and so on. I am pretty sure we will soon have real-life targeted billboa…

We do have real life targeted ads. The NYC Link terminals, for example, can detect tons of data about the devices people carry, and the comings and goings of the owners, and sometimes link them to their ad profiles. ads for display can then be selected accordingly. This isn't even particularly new tech, they prototyped roadside billboards thay could infer what radio stations the cars driving by were listening to, and…

> they prototyped roadside billboards thay could infer what radio stations the cars driving by were listening to

Any idea how this was supposed to work? I don't know how that information would leak out unless it was just listening for the audio from a car with windows rolled down.

Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#433

Post by GekkePrutser »

Yeah the garage in front of my house often leaves their sign on after 8pm (when it's supposed to be off) and it's super bright. Really annoying in summer when I have the windows open.

It would be nice once AR glasses come. Although they probably won't be able to black things out (unless they also have an LCD layer to darken certain pixels) as well as a colour layer. Life online has improved so much with adblockers. I literally rarely see ads anymore online or on TV.

Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#434

Post by nullc »

Marin County CA has banned outdoor advertising billboards since the 1930s[1]. This results in a noticeable reduction in night time light pollution compared to surrounding areas, and -- of course-- a lack of obnoxious outdoor adds.

[1] https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=HTES19380414.2.41&e=-------en--2...

Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#435

Post by GekkePrutser »

leppr wrote: post #39
smarx007 wrote: post #7

But ads in real life do not prevent me from going on about my day. There is no analogy to interstitial pages with ads like in Forbes some time ago with the button Continue to your article: it would be infuriating if you had to view an ad before being able to use the subway ticketing system. You also don’t have ads on at the airport timetable screen. You don’t have pinkertons following you to learn your habits and sho…

Some new forms of IRL ads do interrupt your flow. Examples I've encountered: * In a mall touchscreen navigation kiosk, an ad is shown when you first wake up the device by touching it. * At multiple points in the McDonald's self-order touchscreen kiosk flow. * On Starbucks screen menus, the whole menu is periodically replaced with a video ad, forcing you to wait until its end to finish making your choice. > You also d…

> * At multiple points in the McDonald's self-order touchscreen kiosk flow.

Yeah lately this is really bad. Are you sure you don't want to order another side? And then you have to scroll to the "nope" button which is obviously off-screen. Am I sure I don't want to give 50 cents to the Ronald McDonald stuff? Piss off. I don't trust them to keep most of it themselves for 'overhead'.

> In the biggest international airport in my country, there are now periodical Covid-19 "info spots" interrupting the display of timetables, check-in desk and gate information screens.

Yeah this is really annoying in shops here too. Every minute or so they remind people to use the sanitiser or wear the mask. Yet some of the staff don't even do this. It just serves no purpose, other than virtue signalling. It becomes background noise. If someone doesn't know they have to wear the mask by now they have been living in a cave or something.

Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#437

Post by MichaelBurge »

throwawayboise wrote: post #422
pessimizer wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> * At multiple points in the McDonald's self-order touchscreen kiosk flow. And they've only added (most of) these recently. What they've done for me is is increased the time it takes to check out by at least a third. They're paying for the ads with lengthened lines, which is a little shocking when talking about the automated option, because customers choose the automated option to save time. It might be a bad expect…

Who uses those ridiculous kiosks? Most people I see still just go to the counter, order, and pay. It's much faster.

The McDonald's nearby doesn't allow counter orders anymore. You can only order through the kiosk, or using the phone app.

Both of them have numerous problems, and it's more time-efficient to order Uber Eats. But that has massive added fees.

I considered signing up to be an Uber Eats driver and filtering for anyone within 1 meter of me so I could pick up my own orders and save time(Uber's app is better), but there's not enough precision to do that.

So I ditched McDonald's and mostly drink Soylent nowadays.

Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#438

Post by tarkin2 »

jeroenhd wrote: post #139
tarkin2 wrote: post #95

When physical ads track me, and harass me in a shop, then I'll consider it.

Physical ads do actually track you in a lot of cases. Street level ad screens with cameras are widely available, though the ad companies promise they they only use those to profile you, not to track you. Traffic billboards have even begun reading license plates for personalised ads. The days where a billboard was just a billboard are over, ended by the ever scummier advertising industry and their lust for data.

Aye. If someone offers me a way to block them, I'll happily use it.

Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#439

Post by egeozcan »

throwawayboise wrote: post #419
egeozcan wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It changes a lot if you have ADHD. IMHO, it's an accessibility problem for people like me.

Flower gardens cause problems for people with allergies, but we don't ban them. We cannot make the entire world ideal for everyone.

Most cities do limit the sorts of flowers they plant.

> We cannot make the entire world ideal for everyone.

Huh? So just f** accessibility and leave everyone on their own? I'd understand if you'd argued that it wouldn't be feasible to do a particular thing, but such general statements leave a very bad taste.

Re: You block ads in your browser, why not in your city?

#440

Post by shukantpal »

Fnoord wrote: post #415
blackhaz wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But they do. You have to mentally process the incoming data first, then discard it. It's a waste of attention, especially with mind-catching ads you can't figure out immediately. Sometimes they are as blocking as browser pop-ups, e.g.: logotypes (or even full ads) displayed before a responsive UI is shown to you, duty-free zones in the airports, and so on. I am pretty sure we will soon have real-life targeted billboa…

What annoys me most is advertising on highway and in traffic. I am not allowed to use a smartphone because it distracts me; fair enough. What about safety on the road though? All these signals are pure noise, irrelevant to traffic.

Should we cut down all trees next to road? They’re a beautiful distraction.
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