4 ms·

There certainly is a contradiction, but it's so deeply ingrained that using ad blockers is OK that people can't see it even when it's right in front of their fa

There certainly is a contradiction, but it's so deeply ingrained that using ad blockers is OK that people can't see it even when it's right in front of their faces. If everyone used 100% effective ad blockers, Alphabet (minus GCP) and Meta would not exist, and nor would the very large number of free-as-in-beer services that make up a large part of what makes the internet useful to people.

vkou 7mo ago
> nor would the very large number of free-as-in-beer services that make up a large part of what makes the internet useful to people. Whatever replaced them could hardly be worse than the shit we currently have. I refuse to believe we live in a global maximum.
- akoboldfrying 7mo ago
  You could be right, but I personally am much more comfortable paying with a few milliseconds of my attention for news/email/short comedy clips/timezone conversion/etc. than even a single cent of actual money. And it has to be one or the other -- right?
  - vkou 7mo ago
    Of course you are, that's why we are in this Faustian bargain. It's hard to compete with free-as-in-beer.
  - modo_mario 7mo ago
    >than even a single cent of actual money. I think we often pay those cents without knowing. Companies we employ or purchase from despite never having been subject to their adspend, etc
bluefirebrand 7mo ago
> If everyone used 100% effective ad blockers, Alphabet (minus GCP) and Meta would not exist Sounds incredible. How do we make this paradise happen?
- akoboldfrying 7mo ago
  Remember the part about all the free-as-in-beer stuff on the internet that people find really useful, and that wouldn't exist if not for ads? That stuff doesn't depend on Alphabet and Meta specifically. It depends on ads. No ads = no that stuff. Are you happy for it to all disappear?
  - oneeyedpigeon 7mo ago
    What about all the free-as-in-beer stuff that doesn't depend on ads? Like, er, this site?
  - tonyedgecombe 7mo ago
    It's not free, we pay for it with our attention. I'd rather pay with money.
    - mcherm 7mo ago
      How does my attention, the time I spend reading news.ycombinator.com, pay for the site? I DON'T run an ad blocker, but I am not watching any ads here.
      - tonyedgecombe 7mo ago
        HN is a recruitment tool for Y Combinator. Someone is paying for it with their attention. Did you think they are running it out of the goodness of their heart?
      - greyface- 7mo ago
        HN regularly runs ads for YC companies. https://news.ycombinator.com/jobguide.html https://news.ycombinator.com/jobguide.html
  - shiroiuma 7mo ago
    For Meta specifically, what exactly would be so bad about all their stuff disappearing? I can't think of much. Messenger is the only thing of theirs that has any value as far as I can see, and there's many alternatives now.

vkou 7mo ago

> nor would the very large number of free-as-in-beer services that make up a large part of what makes the internet useful to people. Whatever replaced them could hardly be worse than the shit we currently have. I refuse to believe we live in a global maximum.

akoboldfrying 7mo ago
You could be right, but I personally am much more comfortable paying with a few milliseconds of my attention for news/email/short comedy clips/timezone conversion/etc. than even a single cent of actual money. And it has to be one or the other -- right?
- vkou 7mo ago
  Of course you are, that's why we are in this Faustian bargain. It's hard to compete with free-as-in-beer.
- modo_mario 7mo ago
  >than even a single cent of actual money. I think we often pay those cents without knowing. Companies we employ or purchase from despite never having been subject to their adspend, etc

bluefirebrand 7mo ago

> If everyone used 100% effective ad blockers, Alphabet (minus GCP) and Meta would not exist Sounds incredible. How do we make this paradise happen?

akoboldfrying 7mo ago
Remember the part about all the free-as-in-beer stuff on the internet that people find really useful, and that wouldn't exist if not for ads? That stuff doesn't depend on Alphabet and Meta specifically. It depends on ads. No ads = no that stuff. Are you happy for it to all disappear?
- oneeyedpigeon 7mo ago
  What about all the free-as-in-beer stuff that doesn't depend on ads? Like, er, this site?
- tonyedgecombe 7mo ago
  It's not free, we pay for it with our attention. I'd rather pay with money.
  - mcherm 7mo ago
    How does my attention, the time I spend reading news.ycombinator.com, pay for the site? I DON'T run an ad blocker, but I am not watching any ads here.
    - tonyedgecombe 7mo ago
      HN is a recruitment tool for Y Combinator. Someone is paying for it with their attention. Did you think they are running it out of the goodness of their heart?
    - greyface- 7mo ago
      HN regularly runs ads for YC companies. https://news.ycombinator.com/jobguide.html https://news.ycombinator.com/jobguide.html
- shiroiuma 7mo ago
  For Meta specifically, what exactly would be so bad about all their stuff disappearing? I can't think of much. Messenger is the only thing of theirs that has any value as far as I can see, and there's many alternatives now.