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Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

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Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#211

Post by thejazzman »

jstanley wrote: post #53
ericd wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most galling offer we saw on the mobile app side was something that would turn on the user's microphone, and listen for ads on tvs around them to track what they'd been exposed to offline. Adtech is such a thoroughly gross field.

But every time this comes up the threads are flooded with people saying it doesn't actually happen and the ad companies just work out what you're interested in by what you're browsing.

Nielsen has sent me about $30 so far begging me to wear a microphone that records me all day. They repeatedly call and have started fedexing me letters instead of USPS.

I open them to get my increasing amount of cash.

That data must be valuable???

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#212

Post by shadowgovt »

bensecure wrote: post #169
shadowgovt wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This would require vetting the code, rather than a fully automated check. Then it's a non-starter for the manifest format supported by the chrome web store. Because Google's goal is to automate as much as possible.

Naturally. Thus, it doesn't much matter whether code is shipped in the extension package, or downloaded off the internet, since nobody will be checking what it does regardless.

Of course it matters. One of them allows looping in data from arbitrary external sources, and the other one (Mv3) has a permissions model that disallows that. It's a completely different risk domain.

Don't forget, the mere act of requesting data from an external uncontrolled third-party source is leaking user information. Under Mv3, those leaks are fully documented.

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#213

Post by dylan604 »

scarface_74 wrote: post #204
sublinear wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You do realize all forms of media embed advertising directly into the content going right back to the beginning, right? There's nothing modern about it. Showing you a product when you actually want to see it is the most effective way to induce demand. All your favorite shows, movies, youtube personalities, etc. still do this.

Well, seeing that: - I use ad blockers for my browser on both mobile and PC - pay for the ad free version of all of my streaming providers - don’t use apps that have ads and don’t have a method to pay to get rid of them

If you think that the product that the lead actor in the series your marathoning through on your streaming provider isn't there on purpose, then you've just not been paying attention. There's a reason shows blur out logos on people's clothing or the crew covers them up with grip tape, or set dressers turn the cans/bottles/boxes of products around so the main logos are not visible. Even having copyrighted posters on the wall in frame can cause licensing issues.

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#214

Post by aopell »

pr0zac wrote: post #143
mfrisbie wrote: post #14

ChatGPT for Google was #1 on HN earlier this year. Check out the GitHub repo now: that person sold the extension. I had a small side project extension, ~25,000 installs & free to use. I got enough inbound interest trying to "help me monetize" that I thought it would be worth cataloguing all the different unsavory avenues: https://mattfrisbie.substack.com/p/the-ugly-business-of-mone...

I am not at all surprised to see one of the emails you got matches exactly (other than the extension name) one from the linked post. Definitely a lot of this crap is heavily automated. > I'm a fan of [extension name] and I really like how convenient and useful it is. > Have you considered offering promotional spots to those interested in promoting their products on your extension? I'm interested in promoting my own e…

Interesting, I've received this same exact message recently as well. I've maintained an extension with a few hundred thousand users for the last few years and I've received way more messages like this in the last year than ever before. Can't say I'm that surprised though.

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#215

Post by colinsane »

Buttons840 wrote: post #90
jstanley wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But every time this comes up the threads are flooded with people saying it doesn't actually happen and the ad companies just work out what you're interested in by what you're browsing.

> the ad companies just work out what you're interested in The word "just" doesn't belong in that sentence. The ad companies being able to know things about you without actually listening to you is even more scary. Evil-Ad-Company Neo: "You're telling me I can know things about my customers by secretly listening to them?" Evil-Ad-Company Morpheus: "No Neo, I'm telling you that with the right license agreements, data…

sorry, i don’t mean to be dense here but could you spell out the implications for me? why is what you’re suggesting more scary?

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#216

Post by blakeinate »

cal85 wrote: post #94

FWIW, and since a few of you probably use it… I own the JSON Formatter extension [0], which I created and open-sourced 12 years ago and have maintained [1] ever since, with 2 million users today. And I solemnly swear that I will never add any code that sends any data anywhere, nor let it fall into the hands of anyone else who would. I’ve been emailed several tempting cash offers from shady people who presumably want…

As someone who uses your extension daily, I truly appreciate your strong will. It seems every day strong ethics become harder to maintain in our field.

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#217

Post by karpierz »

colinsane wrote: post #215
Buttons840 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the ad companies just work out what you're interested in The word "just" doesn't belong in that sentence. The ad companies being able to know things about you without actually listening to you is even more scary. Evil-Ad-Company Neo: "You're telling me I can know things about my customers by secretly listening to them?" Evil-Ad-Company Morpheus: "No Neo, I'm telling you that with the right license agreements, data…

sorry, i don’t mean to be dense here but could you spell out the implications for me? why is what you’re suggesting more scary?

They're saying it's scarier that ad companies can figure out these things without the data because it means that you can't protect yourself by withholding your data.

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#218

Post by gremlinunderway »

sublinear wrote: post #180
munk-a wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am pretty convinced that modern advertising - from the most inane and innocent to tracking users 24/7 pretty clearly falls under evil. Gone are the days of advertising trying to raise product awareness and convert purchases - that field now exists to create demand. It induces desires in the recipients that play on psychological factors like FOMO to create customers out of thin air - and that process causes we the c…

You do realize all forms of media embed advertising directly into the content going right back to the beginning, right? There's nothing modern about it. Showing you a product when you actually want to see it is the most effective way to induce demand. All your favorite shows, movies, youtube personalities, etc. still do this.

This isn't true. Originally advertising was designed around the premise of explicitly highlighting utility and functionality of goods/content. It wasn't until Bernays came along and adapted his uncle Sigmund Freud's theories into practice by designing advertising to manipulate people into believing that they actually need the product.

Modern advertising is not just "showing a product to induce demand". Car adverts don't just highlight functionality, they use mass market analytics to play emotionally driven messaging and visuals so that you associate that feeling with the car ad.

Do you know what Bernays called what services he offered before the word got tarnished?

Propaganda.

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#219

Post by 1vuio0pswjnm7 »

ericd wrote: post #23
mfrisbie wrote: post #14

ChatGPT for Google was #1 on HN earlier this year. Check out the GitHub repo now: that person sold the extension. I had a small side project extension, ~25,000 installs & free to use. I got enough inbound interest trying to "help me monetize" that I thought it would be worth cataloguing all the different unsavory avenues: https://mattfrisbie.substack.com/p/the-ugly-business-of-mone...

The most galling offer we saw on the mobile app side was something that would turn on the user's microphone, and listen for ads on tvs around them to track what they'd been exposed to offline. Adtech is such a thoroughly gross field.

"Adtech is such a thoroughly gross field."

Someone else on HN called it "elegant" last week.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36975056

Re: Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

#220

Post by btown »

imoreno wrote: post #131
extesy wrote: post #76

Maintainer here. My extension is pretty much unmonetizable so any offer I receive would require some degree of a moral sacrifice. The least intrusive offer I've seen so far is to put a reciprocal link to somebody else's extension inside of mine, kind of like DarkReader is doing on their website. Even though it won't compromise any of my users data, the reason I'm not doing this is because it indirectly endorses that…

You're doing a very admirable thing, and this helps dispel the little voiced but commonly held perception that "everybody sells out" when they get big.

uBlock Origin is also an incredible success story here!
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