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As someone who has worked in marketing … I think adtech created stances like this. If advertising worked like it did before about 1994 or so, I think we’d see

As someone who has worked in marketing … I think adtech created stances like this. If advertising worked like it did before about 1994 or so, I think we’d see fewer complaints of this nature. Adtech overplayed its hand for a quarter-century. The thing that sucks about this, IMHO, is that it makes no room for above-board players. Doesn’t matter that it supports millions of jobs. Doesn’t matter that there are lots of well-intentioned people out there who just happen to work in advertising. This guy is 100% within his right. And honestly, the sector deserves it. Bad actors destroyed a lot of goodwill in the name of performance and better numbers. But I wish it didn’t.

deepspace 3y ago
For me, specifically, Forbes destroyed the line between bad actors and above board players. Back when sites started to detect ad-blockers, Forbes asked users to disable their blockers, for the usual reasons. Trusting them, beings respectable breed source, I and others whitelisted Forbes, and promptly got hit by malware distributed by ads on their site. Because Forbes could not be bothered to screen the ads on their site, I now relentlessly block ads just like the author of the article.
- shortformblog 3y ago
  I should note that Forbes is probably the traditional media outlet that has been most willing to mix advertising and editorial in questionable ways. It has gotten better about its approach in recent years, but it is certainly not perfect.
  - 93po 3y ago
    Product placement and native advertising is rampant across all media.
    - shortformblog 3y ago
      And I said Forbes was one of the worst examples of it. They pioneered a lot of the darker patterns among major media outlets.
EvanAnderson 3y ago
I received material from Adbusters[0] in the early 90s, and they started-up in '89. Anti-advertisement sentiment isn't new, though it may be growing. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adbusters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adbusters
- shortformblog 3y ago
  I remember Adbusters well. I do think that it was a (useful) minority point of view back then. Now, it is increasingly common.

deepspace 3y ago

For me, specifically, Forbes destroyed the line between bad actors and above board players. Back when sites started to detect ad-blockers, Forbes asked users to disable their blockers, for the usual reasons. Trusting them, beings respectable breed source, I and others whitelisted Forbes, and promptly got hit by malware distributed by ads on their site. Because Forbes could not be bothered to screen the ads on their site, I now relentlessly block ads just like the author of the article.

shortformblog 3y ago
I should note that Forbes is probably the traditional media outlet that has been most willing to mix advertising and editorial in questionable ways. It has gotten better about its approach in recent years, but it is certainly not perfect.
- 93po 3y ago
  Product placement and native advertising is rampant across all media.
  - shortformblog 3y ago
    And I said Forbes was one of the worst examples of it. They pioneered a lot of the darker patterns among major media outlets.

EvanAnderson 3y ago

I received material from Adbusters[0] in the early 90s, and they started-up in '89. Anti-advertisement sentiment isn't new, though it may be growing. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adbusters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adbusters

shortformblog 3y ago
I remember Adbusters well. I do think that it was a (useful) minority point of view back then. Now, it is increasingly common.