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I think you're framing it the wrong way. You should be asking: What's the benefit to the user (and advertisers too!) of all this tracking and data collection?

I think you're framing it the wrong way. You should be asking: What's the benefit to the user (and advertisers too!) of all this tracking and data collection? Adtech often touts "relevant ads." But I think that's a red herring. I'm a fan of The Simpsons. That doesn't mean I want ads for Simpsons stuff following me from site to site. I'd probably get annoyed if I get Simpsons ads on a serious financial website. What's more important is that the ads are relevant to the context of the site they're displayed in. And that requires no tracking or personalization. It does, however, require human understanding and communication skills, not tech or data. People like ads if they're well-crafted and convey a compelling message in context.

sciprojguy 5y ago
Not really. Well-crafted ads that convey a compelling message in context are fine the first time or two that you see them. Even the best ones get really irritating when they're played over and over and over, at which point they motivate me to ignore them.
f6v 5y ago
It’s a false dichotomy for me. I understand many people make money off it, but I just don’t want to see any ads. And I believe if a person needs something, they should be able to find it. But buying stuff because you see a banner? If the banner was the only reason you bought an item, maybe you didn’t need it in the first place.
- the_snooze 5y ago
  You might have too narrow a conception of what advertising tries to do. It doesn't necessarily try to induce demand. Instead, it tries to direct demand towards a certain direction. Everyone knows what Coca-Cola is. But Coke still heavily advertises worldwide. It's not to make people thirsty when they see the ad. It's to make thirsty people think "Huh, a Coke would be quite nice right now" when they're at the store.
  - f6v 5y ago
    TV ads, billboards - yes. But internet ads are very different.
stale2002 5y ago
Obviously the benefit of better ads, is that making an app is not free, and highly profitable ad models allows companies to not charge for apps. If these ads business models become significantly less profitable, then it becomes more difficult to provide free apps to everyone.

sciprojguy 5y ago

Not really. Well-crafted ads that convey a compelling message in context are fine the first time or two that you see them. Even the best ones get really irritating when they're played over and over and over, at which point they motivate me to ignore them.

f6v 5y ago

It’s a false dichotomy for me. I understand many people make money off it, but I just don’t want to see any ads. And I believe if a person needs something, they should be able to find it. But buying stuff because you see a banner? If the banner was the only reason you bought an item, maybe you didn’t need it in the first place.

the_snooze 5y ago
You might have too narrow a conception of what advertising tries to do. It doesn't necessarily try to induce demand. Instead, it tries to direct demand towards a certain direction. Everyone knows what Coca-Cola is. But Coke still heavily advertises worldwide. It's not to make people thirsty when they see the ad. It's to make thirsty people think "Huh, a Coke would be quite nice right now" when they're at the store.
- f6v 5y ago
  TV ads, billboards - yes. But internet ads are very different.

stale2002 5y ago

Obviously the benefit of better ads, is that making an app is not free, and highly profitable ad models allows companies to not charge for apps. If these ads business models become significantly less profitable, then it becomes more difficult to provide free apps to everyone.