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Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

#101

Post by yreg »

null_object wrote: post #82
tfsh wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh forgive me, I've just checked are you're right. The new tab page is now frequently visited sites. Our family Mac we got in ~2011 did show Apple as the new tab page, or at least the start page when you opened Safari after booting. However this must have changed in the last few (read: >5-7) years.

> Our family Mac we got in ~2011 did show Apple as the new tab page, or at least the start page when you opened Safari after booting Pretty certain this is also incorrect. My recollection seems to accord with the Wikipedia page on the history of the Safari browser which (although it doesn’t itemize the default StartPage for each version) doesn’t cite any inclusion of an AppStore link, as far as I can see. [O] https:/…

Not the "Apple Store", but apple.com

I believe it is correct. It was back when we didn't call it a new tab page, but 'homepage' and it was set to an actual website.

Of course Safari defaulted to apple.com, what else was it supposed to default to?

Re: Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

#102

Post by tyingq »

okasaki wrote: post #92
LoganDark wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both in Chrome and Firefox, I always set my new tab page to `about:blank`, or in other words, absolutely nothing. Why? Because the address bar is all I need to get where I'm going. I type faster than I click.

There's no setting to set the new tab page in Chrome - not even in the policies json.

There is a setting for what the home icon does, and it defaults to new tab...but is settable. Maybe that's what was meant?

Edit: See https://imgur.com/a/wQhvFF9

Re: Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

#103

Post by londons_explore »

spoiler wrote: post #29
bertman wrote: post #23

This is not "unprecedented" at all, see e.g. here: https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/lf9egy/comment/iivz...

I am not sure why you're being downvoted. Both the newtab (at the bottom of the page) and the search page have had subtle "ads" for google's new product launches. I remember seeing it for Stadia, and I remember seeing it for "Google One"

They also use it for non-google products.

For example the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II had a hyperlink to "See todays events" on both places.

Re: Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

#105

Post by sp332 »

sensanaty wrote: post #88
sp332 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firefox has ads too. At least you can turn them off, until they add another category and you have to go figure out how to turn off the new ones.

I don't think I've ever seen a single ad on Firefox (including on any website thanks to uBlock working better on FF than anywhere else), what ads are you talking about?

I was mainly thinking of the ones on the new tab page. Years ago they had "tiles" or something and I turned those off, then they added "suggestions" and they're not different but the old setting doesn't apply to them.

Re: Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

#107

Post by Bootvis »

ceejayoz wrote: post #21
glcheetham wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If this harms their business then why would they keep doing it

Because it helps in the short term, and Wall Street doesn’t mind destroying companies over the long.

Why blame this on Wall Street?

This idea is the idea of someone at Google, it was implemented by someone at Google, the decision to go ahead was approved by someone at Google.

Re: Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

#108

Post by londons_explore »

senko wrote: post #16

Notably, this is not Google showing random search/display ads. Those look like ads for Google's own product. I don't think this is the first time. IIRC, Google used to show an ad for Chrome if you used the search from any other browser.

I'm surprised they advertise their own product in those places... It's such an obvious thing for the EU to go after. "Google has a monopoly position in Browsers/Search, and (ab)used their homepage to advertise their entry into a new field of business, immediately giving it free advertising the competitors could never access."

If I were Googles legal team, I would immediately put an end to such cross-product advertising (at least from Search/Chrome/Android).

Re: Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

#109

Post by LoganDark »

gilrain wrote: post #53
pas wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why? there's no standard or moral law that says this. there have been countless examples of watch-ads-get-X schemes. I remember back in the dialup era it was seen as a way to get online. (then fortunately technology and the market progressed and these died out.) also, let's not forget that the browser market was always fucked up.

The browser is traditionally the “user agent”. An agent operating in my interests does not advertise to me.

I personally believe that the goal of ads should not be to hook you on new products just because they can. They should not be to sell you on a problem that you don't have. They should not be to pile on tons of "marketing" and look professional and presentable and whatever.

Ads should show you things that you needed anyway; things you wouldn't have known to look for, or didn't find when you did. Things that actually solve problems that you actually have, where you see the utility as soon as you see them.

For example, 45drives has their ads down. They contain nothing more than a little joke, a product image, and a link to their website. You'll know if you need it; they're not trying to market to you or convince you of anything. They know you will come when you're ready.

Advertising culture is currently extremely hostile and I hate it.

Re: Google has added ads on both its search page and Chrome://newtab

#110

Post by thereddaikon »

rixthefox wrote: post #98
bombcar wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Harms it long term, makes money short term.

Long term, systemic damage to both product and company reputation. Google Stadia case in point. Nobody serious backed Stadia because almost everyone expected Google to kill it off so nobody jumped to it and then it was inevitably killed off because it didn't bring in the cash Google was expecting. Even when the stars had aligned for them with the pandemic and supply shortages that should have given them tons of playe…

Nobody cares though. Investors only care about short term. When it stops making money they will just move their money somewhere else. When you can get out of the game at any time there is no incentive to think long term for those at the top. The Executives are told to make money today. And why not? They will leave soon too. To run another company for a few years doing the same thing. The only people who are interested in long term viability are customers and low level employees. And their opinions don't matter.
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