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If people no longer feel the need to install a stronger ad blocker why is that bad?

by eli 9y ago

dao- 9y ago
Because there's still the privacy problem that many don't fully understand. That's why Mozilla's approach is tracking protection which also happens to block annoying ads. But yes, if the concern is only bringing in line what people "feel" with the product you want to sell, then Google's strategy makes perfect sense.
rdiddly 9y ago
They're doing it, not to block ads, but to make sure ads reach you. So the question gets philosophical in a hurry. What is the "goodness" of an otherwise generous act done for self-serving reasons? Is it good or bad to write a check to an orphanage for the publicity? Is it good or bad to save someone's life because they owe you money? Is it good or bad to block certain ads to make sure other ads still reach you?
- BoiledCabbage 9y ago
  > Is it good or bad to block certain ads to make sure other ads still reach you? If there is a growing product that works better, and fully blocks ads and your goal is only to quickly take over the market and do a worse job then I say 'no' that's not being altruistic... If they put up a big banner saying "only works half as well at blocking ads as the competition" then maybe it's a little better.
- nsgi 9y ago
  It may not be good, but it's not being done on the pretence of being good. The question is, how is it bad?
KallDrexx 9y ago
I would be surprised if the chrome ad blocker will block Ads for Google's own properties like Youtube, and while most ads probably adhere to the advertising standards they have still be caught accidentally serving crypto-mining ads (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/01/now-even-youtube-serves-ads-with-cpu-draining-cryptocurrency-miners/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/01/now-e...). So to me it's bad because it's opening up people's computers to exploitation that even Google can't control.
akvadrako 9y ago
Because those people are still being manipulated into making less than optimal choices. Ads are just there to make society worse.

If people no longer feel the need to install a stronger ad blocker why is that bad?

by eli 9y ago

If people no longer feel the need to install a stronger ad blocker why is that bad?

dao- 9y ago

Because there's still the privacy problem that many don't fully understand. That's why Mozilla's approach is tracking protection which also happens to block annoying ads. But yes, if the concern is only bringing in line what people "feel" with the product you want to sell, then Google's strategy makes perfect sense.

rdiddly 9y ago

They're doing it, not to block ads, but to make sure ads reach you. So the question gets philosophical in a hurry. What is the "goodness" of an otherwise generous act done for self-serving reasons? Is it good or bad to write a check to an orphanage for the publicity? Is it good or bad to save someone's life because they owe you money? Is it good or bad to block certain ads to make sure other ads still reach you?

BoiledCabbage 9y ago
> Is it good or bad to block certain ads to make sure other ads still reach you? If there is a growing product that works better, and fully blocks ads and your goal is only to quickly take over the market and do a worse job then I say 'no' that's not being altruistic... If they put up a big banner saying "only works half as well at blocking ads as the competition" then maybe it's a little better.
nsgi 9y ago
It may not be good, but it's not being done on the pretence of being good. The question is, how is it bad?

KallDrexx 9y ago

I would be surprised if the chrome ad blocker will block Ads for Google's own properties like Youtube, and while most ads probably adhere to the advertising standards they have still be caught accidentally serving crypto-mining ads (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/01/now-even-youtube-serves-ads-with-cpu-draining-cryptocurrency-miners/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/01/now-e...). So to me it's bad because it's opening up people's computers to exploitation that even Google can't control.

akvadrako 9y ago

Because those people are still being manipulated into making less than optimal choices. Ads are just there to make society worse.