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So the biggest spam company on earth buys slots from the ad industry to attract "users" to sell back to the ad industry. Interesting business model. EDIT: Uhh,

by HSO 15y ago

So the biggest spam company on earth buys slots from the ad industry to attract "users" to sell back to the ad industry. Interesting business model. EDIT: Uhh, I'm getting downvotes. I assume it's because I called Google a spam company? Well then, let me clarify: I don't like any company or industry that lives off of advertising. Advertising is intrusive, it's noisy, it finances or subsidizes mostly crap (turn on a TV if you don't believe me), and it promotes profoundly bad ideas and values (keyword: consumerism) in the intellectually and psychologically weakest members of society. There's the rant, now you can downvote all you want. Doesn't change a thing. Until Google makes something that people are actually willing to pay their hard-earned cash for, they are in the same category as spammers.

ChuckMcM 15y ago
Just sort of a karmic side note, a really useful way to rant is to actually blog your rant and then start a conversation about the pros and cons of your rant. (and you can submit it to HN but no guarantees that it will make the first page etc etc)
Rastafarian 15y ago
Intresting. Here is Google, probably the most technically advanced company in the world. How do suggest they make money off their excelent search engine?
- HSO 15y ago
  I may have strong tastes but I'm not stupid enough to presume I'm going to tell Google how to go about their business. I just can't help but notice that after all these years, they are still making the majority of their money on ads -- not on making something that is valuable enough to people that they will pay for it in a straightforward transaction. So, isn't it ironic then that an ad company will pay other ad companies to create ads to draw in users that they can then turn around and basically sell back to the industry?
  - Rastafarian 15y ago
    Well, I believe the Industrial Revolution started in a similar way. Deep coal and iron mines needed steam engines to pump water out, steam engines required iron and coal to make and operate.
  - klbarry 15y ago
    You are assuming that ads are objectively bad, which is not true for everyone. I don't mind having ads on my results at all.

by HSO 15y ago

ChuckMcM 15y ago

Just sort of a karmic side note, a really useful way to rant is to actually blog your rant and then start a conversation about the pros and cons of your rant. (and you can submit it to HN but no guarantees that it will make the first page etc etc)

Rastafarian 15y ago

Intresting. Here is Google, probably the most technically advanced company in the world. How do suggest they make money off their excelent search engine?

HSO 15y ago
I may have strong tastes but I'm not stupid enough to presume I'm going to tell Google how to go about their business. I just can't help but notice that after all these years, they are still making the majority of their money on ads -- not on making something that is valuable enough to people that they will pay for it in a straightforward transaction. So, isn't it ironic then that an ad company will pay other ad companies to create ads to draw in users that they can then turn around and basically sell back to the industry?
- Rastafarian 15y ago
  Well, I believe the Industrial Revolution started in a similar way. Deep coal and iron mines needed steam engines to pump water out, steam engines required iron and coal to make and operate.
- klbarry 15y ago
  You are assuming that ads are objectively bad, which is not true for everyone. I don't mind having ads on my results at all.