4 ms·

> In other words, "Word of mouth" for all services. Yup. I avoid every single ad I can on principle. Only exception I used to make was for youtube sponsors, mo

> In other words, "Word of mouth" for all services. Yup. I avoid every single ad I can on principle. Only exception I used to make was for youtube sponsors, mostly out of laziness, until I finally installed sponsorblock. I've gotten so good at it that at this time I haven't the faintest idea of what movies are there to see at the cinema. Not a single one. I'm probably a very extreme case in actually having succeeded in disconnecting myself from popular culture to a very large extent.

hennell 3y ago
There is a real problem with discovery without any ads. I'm still aware of movies, but I never have much idea what TV shows exist anymore, or even when shows I like might are back on the air/streaming. I might hear about about something interesting on social media or a podcast, but won't remember it until I see a picture on the streaming platform months later, when it's already been canceled for lack of viewers. Youtube is actually the only place I actively block all ads, because they seem unable to stop spamming me with android games that are nothing like the ads at all and are unbelievably annoying. Most websites and stuff I'll let them show ads by default, then block the site if they have more ads than content etc. Although I also just try to avoid those sites in the first place.
- ryandrake 3y ago
  In general, I don't want to "discover" products, not at all times of the day, on every web site I visit, every radio and TV station I tune into, every billboard I pass. Marketers have this notion that people are all merely 24/7 product-consumers, constantly on the lookout to discover new products to consume, and as long as their "message" reaches my brain, it's an unambiguously good thing for both parties. When I'm browsing the web, or driving to work, or watching a show, or trying to complete some basic task around my life, I'm definitely not trying to discover your product. I wish marketers would stop assuming I am. If I want to look for an unknown product, I'll deliberately go out and do so. In that case, and only in that case, ads are welcome.
- burnished 3y ago
  Not knowing about whats new on TV is a feature! Given the wealth of tv and movie content available, should you be treating a canceled show that wasn't intriguing enough to look into at the time as a loss?
otabdeveloper4 3y ago
Read the post again. "Word of mouth" was in scare quotes because this "word of mouth" is actually astroturfed product placement "native" advertising. (People forget that humans invented the advertising industry precisely to shield civilization from this kind of "word of mouth".)
- dale_glass 3y ago
  True, but it still has some upsides. These days I mostly hang out in dark corners of the net. If it's profitable at all to astroturf there, then it's barely so. And if you manage, it's mostly because you actually managed to make a positive contribution to the space at the same time.

hennell 3y ago

There is a real problem with discovery without any ads. I'm still aware of movies, but I never have much idea what TV shows exist anymore, or even when shows I like might are back on the air/streaming. I might hear about about something interesting on social media or a podcast, but won't remember it until I see a picture on the streaming platform months later, when it's already been canceled for lack of viewers. Youtube is actually the only place I actively block all ads, because they seem unable to stop spamming me with android games that are nothing like the ads at all and are unbelievably annoying. Most websites and stuff I'll let them show ads by default, then block the site if they have more ads than content etc. Although I also just try to avoid those sites in the first place.

ryandrake 3y ago
In general, I don't want to "discover" products, not at all times of the day, on every web site I visit, every radio and TV station I tune into, every billboard I pass. Marketers have this notion that people are all merely 24/7 product-consumers, constantly on the lookout to discover new products to consume, and as long as their "message" reaches my brain, it's an unambiguously good thing for both parties. When I'm browsing the web, or driving to work, or watching a show, or trying to complete some basic task around my life, I'm definitely not trying to discover your product. I wish marketers would stop assuming I am. If I want to look for an unknown product, I'll deliberately go out and do so. In that case, and only in that case, ads are welcome.
burnished 3y ago
Not knowing about whats new on TV is a feature! Given the wealth of tv and movie content available, should you be treating a canceled show that wasn't intriguing enough to look into at the time as a loss?

otabdeveloper4 3y ago

Read the post again. "Word of mouth" was in scare quotes because this "word of mouth" is actually astroturfed product placement "native" advertising. (People forget that humans invented the advertising industry precisely to shield civilization from this kind of "word of mouth".)

dale_glass 3y ago
True, but it still has some upsides. These days I mostly hang out in dark corners of the net. If it's profitable at all to astroturf there, then it's barely so. And if you manage, it's mostly because you actually managed to make a positive contribution to the space at the same time.