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Ads aren't inherently the problem. This kind of ads are. Let's say someone has a "history" website with a good domain reputation, and adds a link to a website

Ads aren't inherently the problem. This kind of ads are. Let's say someone has a "history" website with a good domain reputation, and adds a link to a website that sells someone else's history ebook, for a fee. That's technically an ad and I wouldn't have a problem with it, in fact I could even welcome it. I agree that powerful advertisers dictating what can or cannot be said in a platform is sinister though.

matheusmoreira 3y ago
> That's technically an ad I don't consider it one. My definition of "ad" seems to be somewhat different. If I go to someone's website, it's because I want to learn more about them and what they have created. So when I see information about the books they have written on their websites, I don't consider that to be advertising at all. When I go to someone's GitHub repository, I don't consider the sponsor button to be advertising. If I click it and their sponsor page opens, I don't consider it to be advertising. It's just information. I actively sought that information and I got exactly what I asked for. Advertising is when somebody pays money to put that information in front of your eyeballs. You didn't look for it, you didn't want it. You're busy, you're actively concentrating your mind on some other activity. They don't care, they don't respect you. They go to you and interrupt you with their irrelevant nonsense. That's advertising. Can't even cross the street without having your senses assaulted by strategically positioned billboards. Last time I expressed this on HN, people tried to convince me that everything is marketing and advertising somehow. If you exchange business cards with someone, it's somehow advertising. I just don't see it that way. There's no way a pleasant social interaction will ever be in the same category of toxicity as advertising on the web.

matheusmoreira 3y ago

> That's technically an ad I don't consider it one. My definition of "ad" seems to be somewhat different. If I go to someone's website, it's because I want to learn more about them and what they have created. So when I see information about the books they have written on their websites, I don't consider that to be advertising at all. When I go to someone's GitHub repository, I don't consider the sponsor button to be advertising. If I click it and their sponsor page opens, I don't consider it to be advertising. It's just information. I actively sought that information and I got exactly what I asked for. Advertising is when somebody pays money to put that information in front of your eyeballs. You didn't look for it, you didn't want it. You're busy, you're actively concentrating your mind on some other activity. They don't care, they don't respect you. They go to you and interrupt you with their irrelevant nonsense. That's advertising. Can't even cross the street without having your senses assaulted by strategically positioned billboards. Last time I expressed this on HN, people tried to convince me that everything is marketing and advertising somehow. If you exchange business cards with someone, it's somehow advertising. I just don't see it that way. There's no way a pleasant social interaction will ever be in the same category of toxicity as advertising on the web.