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I think it seems plausible. If any users get value out of advertising (and I think they do), then more relevant ones would have more value for them. That said,

I think it seems plausible. If any users get value out of advertising (and I think they do), then more relevant ones would have more value for them. That said, if advertisers simply respected "do not track", we could see for ourselves how true that is.

vkou 10y ago
What value do users get out of brand advertising (The staple of much-loathed display ads)? What difference does it make to me, that I see a bunch of ads for Coke, versus Pepsi? Surely, I'm well aware that sugary drinks exist. The ad isn't notifying me of a particular sale, or a discount. All it does, is remind me that sugar water exists, and that I should buy their brand of sugar water. This is hardly a gain for me, or society. It's certainly a gain for Coke...
- news_to_me 10y ago
  Well ok, brand advertising is one kind of ad, which is probably less useful for people. I still think there's a marginal benefit though, to having highly recognizable brands around. I don't really like ads either, all I'm saying is that it's simplistic to say ads have zero value to people. If that were true there would be no reason to advertise anyway.
  - vkou 10y ago
    Brand advertising tends to be among the most obnoxious kind of advertising. (And I'm not even mentioning the 'Your computer has a virus/One Weird Trick To Shrink Your Belly' scams.) There is a benefit to certain highly recognized brands. Dyson makes great vacuums (Or, it used to - now people only think it does.) Toyota makes reliable vehicles. Coke vs Pepsi, though? It's sugar water. It's a commodity, with no differentiation in quality. It is quite literally, up to personal preference. > I'm saying is that it's simplistic to say ads have zero value to people. There are plenty of reasons to engage in zero-sum, or even negative-sum activities. Even if advertising as a whole adds value (Which I think is too close to call), a very large part of it does not.

vkou 10y ago

What value do users get out of brand advertising (The staple of much-loathed display ads)? What difference does it make to me, that I see a bunch of ads for Coke, versus Pepsi? Surely, I'm well aware that sugary drinks exist. The ad isn't notifying me of a particular sale, or a discount. All it does, is remind me that sugar water exists, and that I should buy their brand of sugar water. This is hardly a gain for me, or society. It's certainly a gain for Coke...

news_to_me 10y ago
Well ok, brand advertising is one kind of ad, which is probably less useful for people. I still think there's a marginal benefit though, to having highly recognizable brands around. I don't really like ads either, all I'm saying is that it's simplistic to say ads have zero value to people. If that were true there would be no reason to advertise anyway.
- vkou 10y ago
  Brand advertising tends to be among the most obnoxious kind of advertising. (And I'm not even mentioning the 'Your computer has a virus/One Weird Trick To Shrink Your Belly' scams.) There is a benefit to certain highly recognized brands. Dyson makes great vacuums (Or, it used to - now people only think it does.) Toyota makes reliable vehicles. Coke vs Pepsi, though? It's sugar water. It's a commodity, with no differentiation in quality. It is quite literally, up to personal preference. > I'm saying is that it's simplistic to say ads have zero value to people. There are plenty of reasons to engage in zero-sum, or even negative-sum activities. Even if advertising as a whole adds value (Which I think is too close to call), a very large part of it does not.