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The correct amount of ads is zero

manuelmoreale.com

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Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#141

Post by BiteCode_dev »

alkonaut wrote: post #84

The correct amount of tracking ads at least. We always paid for magazines and newspapers and saw ads despite paying. But then the transaction was between the publisher and the advertiser, and MY information wasn't sold. They were dumb ads. If I pay for online content it's NOT for the content itself (obviously not, in the case of freemium), it's in order to not have to pay with my personal information. I want to pay w…

No, ads mean bad incentives, you have to please advertisers, not just your audience. It also encourages to ignore externalities.

Then it gives more power to those who already have the most of it.

It also normalizes lying, being intrusive, and manufacturing damaging social norms.

Tracking is worse, but all ads are toxic.

Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#142

Post by diffeomorphism »

nox101 wrote: post #11

Disagree. Would I like zero ads? Yes, do I think a company should be required to offer a zero ad service for money? No. If you don't like that they have ads even if you pay then don't use the service. People still subscribe to newspaper even though they are full of ads. They paid money, they got an ad full paper. People still subscribe to cable TV even though it's full of ads. People still buy magazines (paid for the…

> do I think a company should be required to offer a zero ad service for money? No.

Not the question. It was "if the company already offers a less ads for money service" then should "less" mean "zero"?

> People still subscribe to newspaper even though they are full of ads.

Is this supposed to prove anything? They don't have a choice. If they offered

a) Lots of ads for $X

b) Many ads for $Y

c) No ads for $Z

How do you see that working out? I would expect (a) and (c) to be massively more popular than (b).

Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#143

Post by refulgentis »

HeatrayEnjoyer wrote: post #121

Advertising is fundamentally corrosive to society and should be outlawed with few and carefully tailored exceptions. Any business models that consequently fail, fail because their externalities to collective society are now priced in.

> Advertising is fundamentally corrosive to society

Interesting, why?

Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#144

Post by Mindwipe »

teh_infallible wrote: post #18
akoboldfrying wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hard agree (with you, that is). It's just another case of people confusing "What I personally want" with "What actually leads to a sustainable business/ecosystem". I honestly think people get confused about this because we are so accustomed to getting what we want.

The customer is always right.

"The customer" as a broad concept is perfectly fine with advertising, which would make you wrong.

Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#145

Post by BiteCode_dev »

altairprime wrote: post #83

I don’t get why advertisers still advertise. I select brands either by nearest retail box store or by dedicated research into comparative qualities. I don’t watch or listen to any advertising-supported video or audio media. I don’t use personalized or targeted promotion codes. I don’t ever knowingly click on banner/interstitial ads of any kind. Am I still in the minority or has my behavior become more prevalent? (Not…

Because it works. Even on you.

Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#146

Post by akira2501 »

altairprime wrote: post #83

I don’t get why advertisers still advertise. I select brands either by nearest retail box store or by dedicated research into comparative qualities. I don’t watch or listen to any advertising-supported video or audio media. I don’t use personalized or targeted promotion codes. I don’t ever knowingly click on banner/interstitial ads of any kind. Am I still in the minority or has my behavior become more prevalent? (Not…

Half of what they're paying for is the analytics. Look up "cost of customer acquisition." Those numbers can get pretty high depending on the segment and showing you an ad costs fractions of a penny.

Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#147

Post by thinkingemote »

altairprime wrote: post #83

I don’t get why advertisers still advertise. I select brands either by nearest retail box store or by dedicated research into comparative qualities. I don’t watch or listen to any advertising-supported video or audio media. I don’t use personalized or targeted promotion codes. I don’t ever knowingly click on banner/interstitial ads of any kind. Am I still in the minority or has my behavior become more prevalent? (Not…

Ads work whether we want them to work or not. It's why they are so bad. They work on our subconscious. Most people do not consciously connect watching an ad to purchasing the thing advertised.

One thing to consider is why do luxury watches advertise in newspapers? It's about building the hype around a brand. The value of a watch is not in telling the time it's about (except some in build value of materials and work) the value that society gives it.

It's why they are even more problematic than it seems on the surface.

Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#149

Post by [deleted] »

refulgentis wrote: post #143
HeatrayEnjoyer wrote: post #121

Advertising is fundamentally corrosive to society and should be outlawed with few and carefully tailored exceptions. Any business models that consequently fail, fail because their externalities to collective society are now priced in.

> Advertising is fundamentally corrosive to society Interesting, why?

[deleted]

Re: The correct amount of ads is zero

#150

Post by Timwi »

HeatrayEnjoyer wrote: post #121

Advertising is fundamentally corrosive to society and should be outlawed with few and carefully tailored exceptions. Any business models that consequently fail, fail because their externalities to collective society are now priced in.

There's only one “carefully tailored” exception that I approve of, and that's when it's solicited.

Ads should show if and only if the user asked for them. There are plenty of people who intentionally opt out of ad blockers to support their favorite websites, or who enjoy browsing ads and shopping. There's a reason ad-only TV channels (24-hour infomercial stuff) are viable despite being able to be turned off at will, and plenty of people subscribe to product-promotion magazines (catalogues). I'm sure there are websites for those interests, too.

What should be outlawed is mixing unsolicited content into solicited. If I solicit a video on black holes, or a blog article on Python, it should not be allowed to interrupt it with a dishonest, manipulative appraisal of some VPN service. That's immoral and disgusting.

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