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Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk

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Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#21

Post by Tenoke »

float_laugh wrote: post #20

I have a degree in marketing, took a vow never to work in it, and use these words to describe advertisements - Motivated deception, manipulation, mind control, inauthentic, inorganic, insincere, a betrayal by your peers. They're using your own mind against you with psycological techniques you're blind to. Behind every advertisement is a group of real life people working hard to find new ways to control and manipulate…

> Why on Earth wouldn't you do everything in your power to block these people?

I block ads myself, but if I didn't it'd be because it's the only wildly prevalent, fairly minimal hassle way to make micro-payments to a service/content I'm benefiting from.

Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#22

Post by phoe-krk »

robertlagrant wrote: post #14
robertlagrant wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, just the idea that you can close your eyes will lead to it, because advertisers want you to look at ads for commercial reasons. Doesn't require an ethical argument.

Just as blocking them as an ethical issue fundamentally commercial: you're accessing content paid for by adverts, but you aren't contributing to that payment. The quid pro quo of the site is you pay nothing to see this, but you look at the ads that pay for the site.

>The quid pro quo of the site is you pay nothing to see this, but you look at the ads that pay for the site.

Maybe unrelated, but I always think of this when I pay for a ticket and go to the cinema, so I can watch fifteen minutes of trailers and commercials before the actual movie begins.

Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#24

Post by paulcole »

I don’t block ads. If I hate the ads more than I like the site, I stop going to that site. It’s not that hard of a choice for me.

Personally, I don’t subscribe to the But-My-HTTP-Requests defense and understand that ads and tracking are the trade I make for reading/watching/enjoying content without getting my wallet out.

I also personally enjoy learning about new products and buying things I might like. Why do I earn money if not to buy things?

Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#25

Post by horsawlarway »

robertlagrant wrote: post #14
robertlagrant wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, just the idea that you can close your eyes will lead to it, because advertisers want you to look at ads for commercial reasons. Doesn't require an ethical argument.

Just as blocking them as an ethical issue fundamentally commercial: you're accessing content paid for by adverts, but you aren't contributing to that payment. The quid pro quo of the site is you pay nothing to see this, but you look at the ads that pay for the site.

> The quid pro quo of the site is you pay nothing to see this, but you look at the ads that pay for the site.

But this isn't the fucking model.

The model is: We created compelling content that draws lots of views, and companies will pay us to plaster their name/products on it.

There is literally zero contract with the person being shown the ads at all. They can do as they please.

If companies don't like that... move to a different model - stop showing your stuff for free.

Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#26

Post by harry8 »

robertlagrant wrote: post #14
robertlagrant wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, just the idea that you can close your eyes will lead to it, because advertisers want you to look at ads for commercial reasons. Doesn't require an ethical argument.

Just as blocking them as an ethical issue fundamentally commercial: you're accessing content paid for by adverts, but you aren't contributing to that payment. The quid pro quo of the site is you pay nothing to see this, but you look at the ads that pay for the site.

Oh to HELL with that garbage.

I don't get paid for 99.9% of the ads that infest my daily life. I get no say in it at all. There is no off switch. There is no block. There is no avoiding it. The logos are everywhere. The posters. The visual and audible noise. Advertising has infested my childhood memories FFS. I can recite more goddamn jingles from when I was under 10 than I can remember my friends and classmates names. I got no say in it then and none now.

The idea that it is unethical to block when having punches thrown at you as we are is just so incredibly ridiculous it's hard to see it other than facebrick google paid propaganda that you've taken to heart somehow. Bit tobacco sponsor your nation's culture so it's unethical not to smoke a pack a day at least.

But sure google and facebook are super-duper-ethical so doing an endrun around some part of their business plan (a tiny part of what they're selling of you) is so much worse than their endrun around the GPL license by distributing access to the software but not the actual binaries. Legally fine, ethically, well they don't have a problem with it, should we?

Meanwhile those writing, creating, and having their work infested with ads aren't getting rich like Larry, Sergei & Mark, are they? Stick up for those who have made more money screwing the public and the commons than their great grandchildren can possibly ever spend because if they don't get their money it's unethical due to argument they refute with ever fiber of their being and a bajillion bucks in PR.

I tend libertarian adjacent but this stuff makes as communist sympathetic as I'm ever likely to be.

Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#27

Post by hypertele-Xii »

Tenoke wrote: post #21
float_laugh wrote: post #20

I have a degree in marketing, took a vow never to work in it, and use these words to describe advertisements - Motivated deception, manipulation, mind control, inauthentic, inorganic, insincere, a betrayal by your peers. They're using your own mind against you with psycological techniques you're blind to. Behind every advertisement is a group of real life people working hard to find new ways to control and manipulate…

> Why on Earth wouldn't you do everything in your power to block these people? I block ads myself, but if I didn't it'd be because it's the only wildly prevalent, fairly minimal hassle way to make micro-payments to a service/content I'm benefiting from.

Taxes are another.

Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#28

Post by 8organicbits »

simion314 wrote: post #3

A women told in a comment that after around 13 years old she would get ads on Facebook to become a cam girl. So FB with all the data they have on their user still pushed such a fucking ad to a child. I am expecting an ashole to respond and tell me that FB can\t afford to validate the ads they put in front of children and my premtive response is "Don't fucking put ads in fron of children, or at least put only the ones…

I'll be watching some YouTube with kids, or some chill music to relax and then some trailer for a horror movie will have me scrambling for the mute button. Some basic ad standards would prevent jump scares. Especially on content for kids or relaxation...

Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#29

Post by simion314 »

concinds wrote: post #12
simion314 wrote: post #3

A women told in a comment that after around 13 years old she would get ads on Facebook to become a cam girl. So FB with all the data they have on their user still pushed such a fucking ad to a child. I am expecting an ashole to respond and tell me that FB can\t afford to validate the ads they put in front of children and my premtive response is "Don't fucking put ads in fron of children, or at least put only the ones…

I wonder if she lied about her age when signing up to FB. I know I did, and most people I know did too (back when we actually used FB). I don't believe FB ever allowed users younger than 13 due to COPPA (passed in 2000) and she clearly used it before turning 13. For context FB always asked for users' birthday during signup.

FB can determining the approximate age of the user by the content they posted

They give users tags like "rich, dumb, racist, likes watches, likes big cars".

The reason they might not tag you "possible minor" is to deny they knew in case of something bad happening.

Even if you lied that you are older then 13 years , did the Cam girls company paid FB to show that ad for ages between 13-18? Why? To prepare their minds for the future ?

I expect some other bullshit excuse, that clearly the children lied they are over 18 and as a company that buys ads on FB you should know that FB will probably show ads to those children and you will pay for it because those super genius developers are too busy with more important projects like some new framework, they don't give a shit they waste your ad money, what could you do? put your cam girl ads on the TV?

Re: Why It’s OK to Block Ads (2015)

#30

Post by silicon2401 »

float_laugh wrote: post #20

I have a degree in marketing, took a vow never to work in it, and use these words to describe advertisements - Motivated deception, manipulation, mind control, inauthentic, inorganic, insincere, a betrayal by your peers. They're using your own mind against you with psycological techniques you're blind to. Behind every advertisement is a group of real life people working hard to find new ways to control and manipulate…

The Century of the Self is a great introduction to this. Modern advertising literally uses techniques originally developed for wartime (WWII) propaganda. Commercial advertising is literally brainwashing applied for economic purposes rather than political (though often both, too).

p.s. if you like the Century of the Self, watch Hypernormalization as well. Amazing documentaries.

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