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> The traditional way of doing this is to buy ads on fishing sites. Before digital advertising or Google reading emails to find out you're going on a fishing t

> The traditional way of doing this is to buy ads on fishing sites. Before digital advertising or Google reading emails to find out you're going on a fishing trip, how did people buy fishing equipment? Whatever we did then, we can probably go back to and be much better off. Like why do I need "relevant ads" on a blog about urban planning? What problem does that solve for me?

cortesoft 6y ago
They saw ads for fishing equipment in fishing magazines, or in the newspaper.
- SyzygistSix 6y ago
  Or catalogs. Reputation was by word of mouth. We can use the web to bring those in the fishing community into wider contact with each other. Or use it to create communities vulnerable to ads. I know which one I prefer.
gundmc 6y ago
Google doesn't read emails for ad targeting.
- ericmay 6y ago
  Is this a new policy? As far as I know Google employs algorithms and bots of different sorts to read emails to identify topics and then use it for ad targeting. I.e if I send you an email talking about finding a vacation deal to go to Egypt, we will get ads to that effect (obviously it'll vary somewhat).
  - gundmc 6y ago
    Not really new, they changed that policy in 2017 based on some news headlines I see on the topic. Official documentation: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6603?hl=en#:~:text=The%20process%20of%20selecting%20and,messages%20to%20show%20you%20ads https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6603?hl=en#:~:text=Th....
    - ericmay 6y ago
      Thanks for sharing. I don't keep up too much so sometimes miss things. I don't use Gmail for example so occasionally it's "the last I heard". Appreciate it
w0de0 6y ago
Jeff contends that '"relevant ads" on a blog about urban planning' solve the problem of funding the blog for you. They allow the blog to not be required to focus on 'fishing equipment' in order to place such ads, only that it attract people known to Google's ad network to like fishing.
- ericmay 6y ago
  I’d prefer the blog shut down or just self-host or find some alternative. Donations work well enough. I’m blocking the ads anyway and if they block me because of that, then that’s fine too. Ad blockers are a godsend though. I either get to opt-out of ads, or I get to opt-out of sites that rely on ads (for the most part, caveats aside).

cortesoft 6y ago

They saw ads for fishing equipment in fishing magazines, or in the newspaper.

SyzygistSix 6y ago
Or catalogs. Reputation was by word of mouth. We can use the web to bring those in the fishing community into wider contact with each other. Or use it to create communities vulnerable to ads. I know which one I prefer.

gundmc 6y ago

Google doesn't read emails for ad targeting.

ericmay 6y ago
Is this a new policy? As far as I know Google employs algorithms and bots of different sorts to read emails to identify topics and then use it for ad targeting. I.e if I send you an email talking about finding a vacation deal to go to Egypt, we will get ads to that effect (obviously it'll vary somewhat).
- gundmc 6y ago
  Not really new, they changed that policy in 2017 based on some news headlines I see on the topic. Official documentation: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6603?hl=en#:~:text=The%20process%20of%20selecting%20and,messages%20to%20show%20you%20ads https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6603?hl=en#:~:text=Th....
  - ericmay 6y ago
    Thanks for sharing. I don't keep up too much so sometimes miss things. I don't use Gmail for example so occasionally it's "the last I heard". Appreciate it

w0de0 6y ago

Jeff contends that '"relevant ads" on a blog about urban planning' solve the problem of funding the blog for you. They allow the blog to not be required to focus on 'fishing equipment' in order to place such ads, only that it attract people known to Google's ad network to like fishing.

ericmay 6y ago
I’d prefer the blog shut down or just self-host or find some alternative. Donations work well enough. I’m blocking the ads anyway and if they block me because of that, then that’s fine too. Ad blockers are a godsend though. I either get to opt-out of ads, or I get to opt-out of sites that rely on ads (for the most part, caveats aside).