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Ads are not the fundamental problem. The fundamental problem is tracking. The internet has not been broken by ads. It’s been broken by data harvesting and mono
by ColinHayhurst 5y ago
Ads are not the fundamental problem. The fundamental problem is tracking.
The internet has not been broken by ads. It’s been broken by data harvesting and monopolies. Contextual ads are no problem IMO, and can sometimes be a helpful (economic) signal. Without ads how can challengers get some awareness?
So yes for targeted ads, but only if it does not require personal data. Contextual ads can be targeted without engaging in use of personal data.
- bbbobbb 5y agoI hope you realize this is just your perspective. To offer the alternative, to me ads are the fundamental problem. As much as I don't want to be tracked and avoid providing my information in any way possible, I just assume I am being tracked. It does not "annoy me" while consuming some content. On the other hand, any random ad / paid promotion that gets through the blocking does annoy me immensely and I do consider nearly any form of advertisement harmful.
- ColinHayhurst 5y agoSure I realize. I'm not alone in this thinking but reaslize I am out-on-a-limb. I totally understand your point-of-view; it was how I thought for most of my life. Perhaps it was my shift from being mostly developer and one-company focussed to later helping and/or working with or alongside hundreds of startups, including YC S12. Without ads to gain awareness and gow many now great companies would not have crossed the chasm. And we all benefit from those companies, from innovations that flourished, and use them in our toolset. Sadly a few of them acheived their own, or backers, goal of being a monopoly, leading to the annoyance, damage and extraction we all experience.