4 ms·

But what can we do? Ads provide employment for tens of millions of people and fund literally billions of hours of content watched a year. Even if you agree most

But what can we do? Ads provide employment for tens of millions of people and fund literally billions of hours of content watched a year. Even if you agree most is trash, it's also allowed some really high quality stuff to flourish while being able to stay relatively independent. It's strongly tied to economic growth, and thus everybody's pensions are tied up in the success of advertising. It seems illogical it makes such an obscene amount of money, but collectively the advertising industry is bigger than even oil & gas. Now I don't exactly enjoy ads, I accept a few, but every time they're implemented the pressures of the market just increase it over and over until it ruins the base product, like a cancer. What's the alternative? Consumers don't have enough money to pay for dozens and dozens of subscriptions. The ads industry is effectively a tax on every other industry, and thus makes more money than consumers would ever spend on content. I'm open to ban advertising entirely but that also seems like an opposite extreme and counterproductive.

deergomoo 5y ago
I am not against ads as a concept. If I’m getting something for free, I think it’s fair to say have a lot less say in what I see and when. What I am against is what seems to be a complete decline in any sense of taste and decency over the past 20 years, that means ads will be shoved anywhere if it can make a quick buck out of someone. I think it’s the interjection that really rubs me the wrong way. If the shop I was purchasing from offered me credit on their website during checkout, I wouldn’t mind—I’m entering a transaction with the shop. But why is Microsoft offering me credit? This is nothing to do with them. Same goes for the ads on smart TVs. I’ve paid Samsung money for the TV. Why are they still here?
- rmbyrro 5y ago
  I'm in the same position. From their perspective, they're trying to make as much money as possible. Not saying it's OK, but that's the reality. In a sense, we developers are also trying to make as much as we can from the job market. Not saying it's the same - it's not - but the motivations has some similarity.
- iamstupidsimple 5y ago
  Yeah, the TV thing just rubs me the wrong way. TV channels have ads, which is why I avoid them, but TV menus is too much.
  - winrid 5y ago
    They probably justify it by comparing it to the old cable channel browser which had ads.
micromacrofoot 5y ago
The answer is “literally anything else” we’ll still spend the money and use the talent, just not on ads. I know some incredibly talented artists and writers putting all their effort into ads so they can make a living and it completely sucks.
sixothree 5y ago
Thos reads like an advertisement.
GekkePrutser 5y ago
True, it's a difficult proposition. Currently the status quo is that tech people like me just exclude themselves from it. We can block ads very effectively, download video content with the ads removed etc. I see so few ads now that it really surprises me when I do get one. It works for me but it's not a solution for society as a whole. We can already see adblockers becoming less effective as more people adopt them and ads are being served in different ways by companies like AdDefend. But personally I don't mind the status quo, it works for me. Fixing the problems of society as a whole is not my problem.
tomjen3 5y ago
Ads are more expensive than paying directly. Ads work because companies expect you to purchase their products based on their ads, which means you are now paying for the production of the ad, the sale of the ad, and for the product they expect you to buy, and you get a lot less out of it. I say the solution is to move all ads to a dedicated space (ads.gov, say) and then when you have a problem as a consumer you can go there and search for a solution or a product. Then it will become cheaper for the rest of us, and services will have to become more focused on consumers needs, not the needs of advertisers.

deergomoo 5y ago

I am not against ads as a concept. If I’m getting something for free, I think it’s fair to say have a lot less say in what I see and when. What I am against is what seems to be a complete decline in any sense of taste and decency over the past 20 years, that means ads will be shoved anywhere if it can make a quick buck out of someone. I think it’s the interjection that really rubs me the wrong way. If the shop I was purchasing from offered me credit on their website during checkout, I wouldn’t mind—I’m entering a transaction with the shop. But why is Microsoft offering me credit? This is nothing to do with them. Same goes for the ads on smart TVs. I’ve paid Samsung money for the TV. Why are they still here?

rmbyrro 5y ago
I'm in the same position. From their perspective, they're trying to make as much money as possible. Not saying it's OK, but that's the reality. In a sense, we developers are also trying to make as much as we can from the job market. Not saying it's the same - it's not - but the motivations has some similarity.
iamstupidsimple 5y ago
Yeah, the TV thing just rubs me the wrong way. TV channels have ads, which is why I avoid them, but TV menus is too much.
- winrid 5y ago
  They probably justify it by comparing it to the old cable channel browser which had ads.

micromacrofoot 5y ago

The answer is “literally anything else” we’ll still spend the money and use the talent, just not on ads. I know some incredibly talented artists and writers putting all their effort into ads so they can make a living and it completely sucks.

sixothree 5y ago

Thos reads like an advertisement.

GekkePrutser 5y ago

True, it's a difficult proposition. Currently the status quo is that tech people like me just exclude themselves from it. We can block ads very effectively, download video content with the ads removed etc. I see so few ads now that it really surprises me when I do get one. It works for me but it's not a solution for society as a whole. We can already see adblockers becoming less effective as more people adopt them and ads are being served in different ways by companies like AdDefend. But personally I don't mind the status quo, it works for me. Fixing the problems of society as a whole is not my problem.

tomjen3 5y ago

Ads are more expensive than paying directly. Ads work because companies expect you to purchase their products based on their ads, which means you are now paying for the production of the ad, the sale of the ad, and for the product they expect you to buy, and you get a lot less out of it. I say the solution is to move all ads to a dedicated space (ads.gov, say) and then when you have a problem as a consumer you can go there and search for a solution or a product. Then it will become cheaper for the rest of us, and services will have to become more focused on consumers needs, not the needs of advertisers.