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We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

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Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#401

Post by RulerOf »

nelblu wrote: post #15

> We’re introducing more helpful ads in AI Mode I always chuckle when ad companies say that. I have never seen a helpful ad in google search, but well I have been using adblockers forever so I would not know.I am honestly curious though, for those who don't use adblockers - what percentage of ads that you see are actually helpful?

I saw a helpful ad once.

The organic search results didn't offer what I needed at all, but the ad took me straight to an e-commerce site that sold what I wanted. I had it in my hands at a reasonable price about 5 days.

It was for a Nintendo Wii component video cable, back in 2007.

Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#402

Post by levkk »

roachman wrote: post #305
bastawhiz wrote: post #205

Your friendly reminder to check out a search engine that you pay for. I use Kagi and love it, and you might too!

Seconding for Kagi! It still falls short in some places, like unfortunately googles maps/business/reviews system is just the only of its kind. But I have come to love the search experience over all.

I'm getting to a point in my life (age) where I want to put my money into things I care about. Netflix? 25$/mo, 3 hours a day. Search 10$/mo? 8 hours a day. Easy.

Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#403

Post by dylan604 »

jodrellblank wrote: post #374
pasquinelli wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

seems like the ad was superfluous. the doctor treating your friend's condition would be aware of new drugs relevant to your friend's condition. i go to a doctor because i don't know about medicine, i don't want to be educated on medicine from snake oil salesmen.

Conspicuously absent from your scenario is the way the doctor becomes aware of the new drug. How does that happen?

By accepting SWAG from the pharma rep, or accepting free trips to conferences sponsored by pharma. If a doctor has not heard about a new drug the their reps just haven't made their way to them yet because they're in a smaller market. The yet is key, eventually a rep will make their way to them. More than likely much sooner than the TV ads run

Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#404

Post by jodrellblank »

pasquinelli wrote: post #396
jodrellblank wrote: post #374

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Conspicuously absent from your scenario is the way the doctor becomes aware of the new drug. How does that happen?

so in your mind "advertisement" covers any transmission of information?

so in your mind, a pharmaceutical company telling a patient that a drug exists is "advertisement" but a pharma company telling a doctor that a drug exists magically isn't?

Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#405

Post by ventana »

nelblu wrote: post #15

> We’re introducing more helpful ads in AI Mode I always chuckle when ad companies say that. I have never seen a helpful ad in google search, but well I have been using adblockers forever so I would not know.I am honestly curious though, for those who don't use adblockers - what percentage of ads that you see are actually helpful?

I find all ads — both search ads and website ads — very helpful in training the brain to ignore the noise. Isn't it amazing how we trained ourselves to immediately detect the 1pt hidden "Sponsored" mark and scroll the page down to the first real search result, or immediately locate the Close or X button on the pop-up ad making sure none of the actual ad content gets through our well-trained firewall in our brain. Amazing. Browsing the web is such a fun and dynamic experience these days!

Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#406

Post by GolfPopper »

alt227 wrote: post #299
mcphage wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> gaming the AI's understanding of what's "helpful." The AI doesn't have any understanding. You just have to tell it "this is helpful to AI". It has no critical discernment, it doesn't have a theory of mind to ask "why is the author of this information making this statement?"

I wonder what will make the ai more 'helpful'? $$$

And social proximity to he AI's owners.

Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#407

Post by MagicMoonlight »

Lmao imagine using Gemini. We all knew this evil shit was coming. You won’t be able to trust a word it says. They can pay to change the answer it gives you!

“Don’t trust ibuprofen, you need opiates. Your pain sounds really bad.”

Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#409

Post by carlosjobim »

sedawkgrep wrote: post #62
nelblu wrote: post #15

> We’re introducing more helpful ads in AI Mode I always chuckle when ad companies say that. I have never seen a helpful ad in google search, but well I have been using adblockers forever so I would not know.I am honestly curious though, for those who don't use adblockers - what percentage of ads that you see are actually helpful?

Since when have we considered ads something helpful? Their purpose isn’t to be helpful. They're there to sell you something, and nothing more. Any semblance of helpfulness is misinterpretation and merely coincidental.

Sometimes people want to buy something.

Re: We're testing new ad formats in Search and expanding our Direct Offers pilot

#410

Post by specproc »

drfloyd51 wrote: post #246
jordigh wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An ad is never helpful because ads are designed to mislead me into buying something I didn't need or knew about before I saw the ad. If nothing else, an ad cannot impartially compare a product with the competition (and sometimes the "competition" is buying nothing at all), therefore every ad lies. If I already needed or knew about it, I didn't need the ad. If I was happy with my life without the product advertised, I…

I saw an add for a medicine that was new on the market and my friend who could use the meds, was unaware of its existence. Now, after a doctor’s involvement, my friend is on the new med and it treats their condition better and the quality of their life is improved.

> Furthermore, ads are fueling our capitalist, consumerist economy that is destroying the planet. Ads are a literal existential threat to humans.

I'm sorry, a single anecdote does not invalidate the above.

Ads are evil. They make us desire things we don't need, undermine our self-esteem, and in the large part just sell scams. I'd be happy to ban most forms of advertising. It's a plague.

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