4 ms·

> Let's be clear: the best targeted ads I will ever see are the ones I get from a search engine when it serves an ad for exactly the thing I was searching for.

> Let's be clear: the best targeted ads I will ever see are the ones I get from a search engine when it serves an ad for exactly the thing I was searching for. Everybody wins: I find what I wanted, the vendor helps me buy their thing, and the search engine gets paid for connecting us. I don't know anybody who complains about this sort of ad. It's a good ad. These ads are good in theory (and great when they work), but I find that, most of the time, they just result in me searching for one product and the first result being an ad for a competing product. > There's another kind of ad that works well on me. I play video games sometimes, and I use Steam, and sometimes I browse through games on Steam and star the ones I'm considering buying. Later, when those games go on sale, Steam emails me to tell me they are on sale, and sometimes then I buy them. Again, everybody wins: I got a game I wanted (at a discount!), the game maker gets paid, and Steam gets paid for connecting us. And I can disable the emails if I want, but I don't want, because they are good ads. This I totally agree with (though I might be biased, as a gamedev). These ads are awesome because I told Steam that I want these games and that I want ads about these games.

gspencley 3y ago
> This I totally agree with (though I might be biased, as a gamedev). These ads are awesome because I told Steam that I want these games and that I want ads about these games. I would only like this "feature" if I explicitly opt-in by clicking an "email me if this product goes on sale" button. Starring / adding to favourites etc. is not consent to send me an out of the blue notification. For all they know I've already bought the game somewhere else, or my interests have changed, or I don't play games anymore. I'm tired of technology trying to guess what I want. When they get it right it's creepy. When they get it wrong it's annoying. I also really hate "out of the blue" emails or notifications. My "aspergery" personality has a hard enough time dealing with texts from my family members. I'm in the habit of turning off all notifications off for everything. It just bothers me how often the defaults are "everything on."
- michaelt 3y ago
  > I would only like this "feature" if I explicitly opt-in by clicking an "email me if this product goes on sale" button. Yes, this is how it works (which the article doesn't make especially clear). You add something to your 'steam wishlist' and steam e-mails you next time it goes on sale. As far as I'm aware, the wishlist has no other function. Of course, part of the reason this works is that a lot of sales are like 70% off - you'll get e-mailed when that $25 game on your wishlist is available for $7.50. There would be much less benefit to the consumer if they insisted on e-mailing me to tell me that $25 game had been discounted to $23.
  - grotorea 3y ago
    > Yes, this is how it works (which the article doesn't make especially clear). You add something to your 'steam wishlist' and steam e-mails you next time it goes on sale. As far as I'm aware, the wishlist has no other function. And isn't that most of the point of adding to the wishlist? > Of course, part of the reason this works is that a lot of sales are like 70% off - you'll get e-mailed when that $25 game on your wishlist is available for $7.50. There would be much less benefit to the consumer if they insisted on e-mailing me to tell me that $25 game had been discounted to $23. Eh, that is true from what I gather for old games, but you can wishlist unreleased games so they send an email for the launch with 10% discount too or 25% a few months later (guessing with those numbers).
  - winthrowe 3y ago
    > As far as I'm aware, the wishlist has no other function. It's also visible to accounts you've friended, for gift-giving purposes.
  - mondobe 3y ago
    It does have one other function! (Besides what winthrowe mentioned) It makes Steam more likely to recommend the game to others, which really helps the dev.
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gspencley 3y ago

> This I totally agree with (though I might be biased, as a gamedev). These ads are awesome because I told Steam that I want these games and that I want ads about these games. I would only like this "feature" if I explicitly opt-in by clicking an "email me if this product goes on sale" button. Starring / adding to favourites etc. is not consent to send me an out of the blue notification. For all they know I've already bought the game somewhere else, or my interests have changed, or I don't play games anymore. I'm tired of technology trying to guess what I want. When they get it right it's creepy. When they get it wrong it's annoying. I also really hate "out of the blue" emails or notifications. My "aspergery" personality has a hard enough time dealing with texts from my family members. I'm in the habit of turning off all notifications off for everything. It just bothers me how often the defaults are "everything on."

michaelt 3y ago
> I would only like this "feature" if I explicitly opt-in by clicking an "email me if this product goes on sale" button. Yes, this is how it works (which the article doesn't make especially clear). You add something to your 'steam wishlist' and steam e-mails you next time it goes on sale. As far as I'm aware, the wishlist has no other function. Of course, part of the reason this works is that a lot of sales are like 70% off - you'll get e-mailed when that $25 game on your wishlist is available for $7.50. There would be much less benefit to the consumer if they insisted on e-mailing me to tell me that $25 game had been discounted to $23.
- grotorea 3y ago
  > Yes, this is how it works (which the article doesn't make especially clear). You add something to your 'steam wishlist' and steam e-mails you next time it goes on sale. As far as I'm aware, the wishlist has no other function. And isn't that most of the point of adding to the wishlist? > Of course, part of the reason this works is that a lot of sales are like 70% off - you'll get e-mailed when that $25 game on your wishlist is available for $7.50. There would be much less benefit to the consumer if they insisted on e-mailing me to tell me that $25 game had been discounted to $23. Eh, that is true from what I gather for old games, but you can wishlist unreleased games so they send an email for the launch with 10% discount too or 25% a few months later (guessing with those numbers).
- winthrowe 3y ago
  > As far as I'm aware, the wishlist has no other function. It's also visible to accounts you've friended, for gift-giving purposes.
- mondobe 3y ago
  It does have one other function! (Besides what winthrowe mentioned) It makes Steam more likely to recommend the game to others, which really helps the dev.

deleted 3y ago

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