4 ms·

Why not just ban all commercial advertising in public spaces and online? I don't think anyone thinks advertising is a public good, why do we tolerate it?

by door5 8y ago

TeMPOraL 8y ago
I'd very like that, but then again, how much of "public space" is actually public? Most meatspace ads tend to hang off someone's private property. And on-line world is really closer to private than public, as most content is served from privately owned machines.
- xoa 8y ago
  >I'd very like that, but then again, how much of "public space" is actually public? It's not simply a matter of raw percentage, it's also a matter of advertising value (eyeballs) which is a different question. A significant amount of the most valuable space is publicly regulated, such as along highways. So for example in the US four states ban billboards entirely (Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and Vermont), and it's really nice even just driving through them. For Maine and Vermont (since they share land borders with the rest of the contiguous 48) it actually makes for quite the state border transition in some cases, where leaving you suddenly cross and instantly face a pile of advertising. It doesn't have to be that way though, and as a quality of life goal it wouldn't be wrong for people in other states to give it some thought. Constant ads IRL may somewhat fade into the background just as in other contexts, but that doesn't mean it has no impact.
  - walterbell 8y ago
    Do other states earn tax revenue from billboards? Why did those four states ban billboards?
    - gumby 8y ago
      They banned them on aesthetic grounds. There was a move in the 1960s led by the wife of President Johnson to get rid of them. One success was, I believe, a freeze on erecting new ones on interstate highways. I don't know how well that worked, but they don't seem to be the worst offenders.
onlyrealcuzzo 8y ago
Outdoor advertising is obnoxious and not very affective compared to targeted advertising. I wish cities that are advertising hubs would ban them, to further their lead in developing a newer more effective, less obnoxious ad industry.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
gumby 8y ago
I'd be in favor, but it would be hard as some public things are funded that way (e.g. toilets and bus shelters) which would cause some resistance. Still it's a good cause.

Why not just ban all commercial advertising in public spaces and online? I don't think anyone thinks advertising is a public good, why do we tolerate it?

by door5 8y ago

Why not just ban all commercial advertising in public spaces and online? I don't think anyone thinks advertising is a public good, why do we tolerate it?

TeMPOraL 8y ago

I'd very like that, but then again, how much of "public space" is actually public? Most meatspace ads tend to hang off someone's private property. And on-line world is really closer to private than public, as most content is served from privately owned machines.

xoa 8y ago
>I'd very like that, but then again, how much of "public space" is actually public? It's not simply a matter of raw percentage, it's also a matter of advertising value (eyeballs) which is a different question. A significant amount of the most valuable space is publicly regulated, such as along highways. So for example in the US four states ban billboards entirely (Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and Vermont), and it's really nice even just driving through them. For Maine and Vermont (since they share land borders with the rest of the contiguous 48) it actually makes for quite the state border transition in some cases, where leaving you suddenly cross and instantly face a pile of advertising. It doesn't have to be that way though, and as a quality of life goal it wouldn't be wrong for people in other states to give it some thought. Constant ads IRL may somewhat fade into the background just as in other contexts, but that doesn't mean it has no impact.
- walterbell 8y ago
  Do other states earn tax revenue from billboards? Why did those four states ban billboards?
  - gumby 8y ago
    They banned them on aesthetic grounds. There was a move in the 1960s led by the wife of President Johnson to get rid of them. One success was, I believe, a freeze on erecting new ones on interstate highways. I don't know how well that worked, but they don't seem to be the worst offenders.

onlyrealcuzzo 8y ago

Outdoor advertising is obnoxious and not very affective compared to targeted advertising. I wish cities that are advertising hubs would ban them, to further their lead in developing a newer more effective, less obnoxious ad industry.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

gumby 8y ago

I'd be in favor, but it would be hard as some public things are funded that way (e.g. toilets and bus shelters) which would cause some resistance. Still it's a good cause.