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Install AdBlock Plus. Solved. Not that big of a deal, huh?

raganwald 15y ago
I see that I somehow have made the entirely wrong point. I didn’t say that it’s sad that I have to wade through ads. As it happens, I have this “reader” thingie in Safari, which solves the ad problem and the readability problem in one click or keypress. The thing I was trying to say that makes me sad is that there is a generation of smart people toiling away with the power of what may be the world’s biggest computing infrastructure, all to put those ads on the page. I am lamenting the waste of people and resources, not the waste of my time.
- sharkbot 15y ago
  It's the tragedy of the commons, writ large. "What's wrong with just showing one gaming ad to a precocious dinosaur-loving kid, she'll be able to concentrate on her studies later. Oh, maybe one more ad, maybe one more, maybe one more..."
- kzrdude 15y ago
  Your point was pretty clear. It would be interesting to see a more diverse and direct and relevant advertising world, exactly like you say, present actual dinosaur book or dvd discount offers or similar. What we see really is sad, it's advertising "Games". Not a game, not something wonderful, but the general timewasting activity of any game, when it could be specific and direct and relevant.
- mrleinad 15y ago
  So.. you're sad because of the Ad industry, when there's A LOT more money in the military industry being thrown away? I mean, if you want to be sad about something, choose your argument subject more carefully..
  - srdev 15y ago
    These aren't mutually exclusive things, and his argument could be extended to the military industry as well. It's just a reflection on his part based on an experience he had.
- MattGrommes 15y ago
  I don't know how exactly people got the wrong idea from your article, it's certainly not on you. I definitely understood the extension of the "I see the greatest minds of my generation showing ads" idea from a few months ago. Do you think it's a fad? I hope it is. I'd love to see more people trying their hand at making things worth paying for. It's flip but any more I get this Kanye West lyric stuck in my head reading about startups: "Do anybody make real shit anymore?"
bmj 15y ago
Yeah, except that I'm fairly sure that a large percentage of web users don't even know their browser might support plugins, let alone that AdBlock exists.
- alexbell 15y ago
  Exactly. And those same users are the most likely to not be able to distinguish a targeted ad from actual content. You can say "this isn't a problem because it doesn't affect me". It's still a deceptive, slimey business practice that effectively tricks a certain percentage of people. But that's what makes a buck. I'm not necessarily blaming any one company, profit would have inevitably led to this. I just agree with the author that this IS sad.

I see that I somehow have made the entirely wrong point. I didn’t say that it’s sad that I have to wade through ads. As it happens, I have this “reader” thingie in Safari, which solves the ad problem and the readability problem in one click or keypress. The thing I was trying to say that makes me sad is that there is a generation of smart people toiling away with the power of what may be the world’s biggest computing infrastructure, all to put those ads on the page. I am lamenting the waste of people and resources, not the waste of my time.

sharkbot 15y ago
It's the tragedy of the commons, writ large. "What's wrong with just showing one gaming ad to a precocious dinosaur-loving kid, she'll be able to concentrate on her studies later. Oh, maybe one more ad, maybe one more, maybe one more..."
kzrdude 15y ago
Your point was pretty clear. It would be interesting to see a more diverse and direct and relevant advertising world, exactly like you say, present actual dinosaur book or dvd discount offers or similar. What we see really is sad, it's advertising "Games". Not a game, not something wonderful, but the general timewasting activity of any game, when it could be specific and direct and relevant.
mrleinad 15y ago
So.. you're sad because of the Ad industry, when there's A LOT more money in the military industry being thrown away? I mean, if you want to be sad about something, choose your argument subject more carefully..
- srdev 15y ago
  These aren't mutually exclusive things, and his argument could be extended to the military industry as well. It's just a reflection on his part based on an experience he had.
MattGrommes 15y ago
I don't know how exactly people got the wrong idea from your article, it's certainly not on you. I definitely understood the extension of the "I see the greatest minds of my generation showing ads" idea from a few months ago. Do you think it's a fad? I hope it is. I'd love to see more people trying their hand at making things worth paying for. It's flip but any more I get this Kanye West lyric stuck in my head reading about startups: "Do anybody make real shit anymore?"

bmj 15y ago

Yeah, except that I'm fairly sure that a large percentage of web users don't even know their browser might support plugins, let alone that AdBlock exists.

alexbell 15y ago
Exactly. And those same users are the most likely to not be able to distinguish a targeted ad from actual content. You can say "this isn't a problem because it doesn't affect me". It's still a deceptive, slimey business practice that effectively tricks a certain percentage of people. But that's what makes a buck. I'm not necessarily blaming any one company, profit would have inevitably led to this. I just agree with the author that this IS sad.