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> As someone whoms business largely relies on ad-revenue It does not, it relies on selling user data to ad agencies that resell them via data brokers to .. wel

by jlg23 9y ago

> As someone whoms business largely relies on ad-revenue It does not, it relies on selling user data to ad agencies that resell them via data brokers to .. well, not even you know, do you? > please don't go out of your way to ruin advertising I will go out of my way to ruin any business model that relies on tracking users. Even if it is the "best system we have" it is still abyssal. Not so much the content of the ads themselves, but the data collected by ad agencies. > very few users actually want to open their wallet for their "free" content Then either the content is not worth enough (and would not be consumed anyway if it was paid) or payment options are unacceptable. I regularly read between 2 (weekdays) and 5 newspapers (sunday) but I don't have any subscription. I buy them with cash in a shop, go to a cafe and have breakfast. None of the newspaper vendors ever followed me into the cafe for some up-selling, not one tried to trick me into a subscription, not one mailed me about "special offers". None of them ever tracked how much time I spent on which article.

usgroup 9y ago
The controversial thing is "targeting" and it's profiling prerequisite. One may not realise the extent of this (say on FB) but have a look: http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/06/27/facebook-ad-targeting-options-infographic http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/06/27/facebook-ad-tar... What worries folks is the disproportionate power to influence afforded to private interests. Not just advertising or political campaigns but constant influence on daily choice. It's an ethical question: should not the direction of society be determined through democratic means? Should we not vote, be equally informed and try to be good citizens? Does the control of information flow undermine this?
- gfody 9y ago
  wow they really understand moms
dreamcompiler 9y ago
This. There are two advertising business models: 1. Pay for ads to drive customers to your business selling widgets. 2. Sell customer data to advertising networks. The first is sustainable and is the foundation of all advertising. The second is only sustainable if it doesn't supplant the first. If it does so, it becomes a self-licking ice cream cone and the whole enterprise falls apart. Sadly, that's where we are today.

by jlg23 9y ago

usgroup 9y ago

The controversial thing is "targeting" and it's profiling prerequisite. One may not realise the extent of this (say on FB) but have a look: http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/06/27/facebook-ad-targeting-options-infographic http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/06/27/facebook-ad-tar... What worries folks is the disproportionate power to influence afforded to private interests. Not just advertising or political campaigns but constant influence on daily choice. It's an ethical question: should not the direction of society be determined through democratic means? Should we not vote, be equally informed and try to be good citizens? Does the control of information flow undermine this?

gfody 9y ago
wow they really understand moms

dreamcompiler 9y ago

This. There are two advertising business models: 1. Pay for ads to drive customers to your business selling widgets. 2. Sell customer data to advertising networks. The first is sustainable and is the foundation of all advertising. The second is only sustainable if it doesn't supplant the first. If it does so, it becomes a self-licking ice cream cone and the whole enterprise falls apart. Sadly, that's where we are today.