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The bias in reporting, HN and comments in general make it difficult to identify extent of problem. We see tonnes of articles and comments supporting them, that

• nerdponx 9y ago
  Both can be true simultaneously. Precision ads can be immoral and creepy and still not actually work. However I don't believe the "precision ads don't work" hype. I've noticed a dramatic increase in the quality and relevance of ads in the last few years, even as I mostly stopped using Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Google. Amid all these bot scandals, I would still be shocked to dind that hyper-precision targeting is ineffective without adblockers and such. Crying out "ads don't even work!" is just a desperate attempt by anti-ad people (like me) to find some indication tha the ad emperor has no clothes.
  • TeMPOraL 9y ago
    > Both can be true simultaneously. Precision ads can be immoral and creepy and still not actually work. And both are true in the cases people most often complain about. I buy a camera and then get to see ads for cameras everywhere. That's both precise and completely ineffective. Basically, the smarts are is in the targeting side, the dumbness is in choosing what ad to show...