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Would you rather see ads for things that are completely irrelevant? Relevance requires data. Edit: I do believe the user should have more control over what com

Would you rather see ads for things that are completely irrelevant? Relevance requires data. Edit: I do believe the user should have more control over what companies are allowed to retarget with an easy opt out mechanism implemented by every ad network as well as a way to limit the frequency. I've experience companies going WAY overboard on their retargeting and it feels stalker-ish.

_delirium 14y ago
I'd like things relevant to the site I'm currently visiting, not based on an attempt to construct a personalized profile of me specifically. The former is reasonable contextual advertising (you visit a sci-fi site, you get ads for sci-fi books), while the latter starts feeling like someone compiling an FBI file on my preferences. Apart from the creepiness, it also helps me mentally compartmentalize and context-switch better, when the ads on a site are relevant to the site, rather than to some other site I may have visited in the past which is not what I'm currently trying to concentrate on. Now maybe that's the point: to throw me off my current train of thought by reminding me of some previous train of thought. I was previously planning a trip, but now I'm trying to research something else and trying not to think about that trip I have to plan, so I can get something else done in the next hour. But the advertiser thinks maybe reminding me of that trip would be a good idea, which is maybe even statistically justified, because I do have to plan it in the next week, and a significant amount of money will be spent. But that's so mentally invasive that it's what will probably drive me to finally install AdBlock. It's like having your own personal Troll Clippy following you around whispering "oh interesting research, but remember that trip you have to plan? LOL I knew you would!" To get things done in a modern workplace that has pervasive use of the internet and pervasive distractions, you have to block out things that are relevant to your interests but not to the current task. And retargeting does not help with that.
- melvinram 14y ago
  I see your point but it's hardly an effective usage of resources. In my experience, retargeting ads produce higher CTRs than generic ads. This means that a publisher is able to derive 2-10x more revenue from the same ad space if they used retargeting ads instead of contextual ads. I agree that some level of self-regulation is in order. Users should have a way to control the level of retargeting they experience and from whom, but to remove the entire mechanism that enables retargeting will only hurt the web because ROI on ad dollars will be lower. Lower ROI = less being spent on online advertising. Less spent on ads = less revenue for publishers. Less revenue for publishers = less investment from publisher to drive more revenue, which will likely mean lower quantity and quality of content created.
alan_cx 14y ago
In short, yes. It never bothered me that TV didnt target me. Same on the web.
- melvinram 14y ago
  It may not bother you but it does bother most of America. They use DVRs and skips ads whenever possible.
  - RobAtticus 14y ago
    Or, people prefer to see no ads at all because they are more interested in the show they are watching than any ad, relevant or not.
  - ajdecon 14y ago
    The lack of relevance isn't what bothers them. It's the fact that the ads are not the show they intended to watch. And in fact interrupts it. If you could make all the ads I saw on TV perfectly relevant, I would still fast forward. Because I would like to get back to the show, OK?
  - majormajor 14y ago
    DVR usage isn't actually that prevalent, even after a decade. Generally the preference is to watch stuff live, and live with the ads. Which is a big part of why the ground hasn't fallen out from under broadcasters like it did with newspapers, and TV ads are still the priciest (and arguably most effective, commanding your attention in a way that banner ads cannot) form of ads.
zxtang 14y ago
Many ad networks[1] do already provide an opt out mechanism. You look for a blue icon[2] in the corner of the ad, which if you click it should take you to an opt out page. I dug a bit further, and also found this: http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ which purports to allow you to opt out from any or all of the participating companies from that page. [1]: http://www.aboutads.info/participating http://www.aboutads.info/participating [2]: http://www.aboutads.info/sites/default/files/page_img/icon_enhanced_notice_lg.jpg?1295117626 http://www.aboutads.info/sites/default/files/page_img/icon_e...
- cpeterso 14y ago
  There is a Firefox addon called "Beef Taco" that inserts 450+ known opt-out cookies into Firefox's cookie jar: https://github.com/jmhobbs/beef-taco https://github.com/jmhobbs/beef-taco
splicer 14y ago
> Would you rather see ads for things that are completely irrelevant? Yes. For instance, I don't mind seeing pizza commercials because I don't like cheese.

_delirium 14y ago

I'd like things relevant to the site I'm currently visiting, not based on an attempt to construct a personalized profile of me specifically. The former is reasonable contextual advertising (you visit a sci-fi site, you get ads for sci-fi books), while the latter starts feeling like someone compiling an FBI file on my preferences. Apart from the creepiness, it also helps me mentally compartmentalize and context-switch better, when the ads on a site are relevant to the site, rather than to some other site I may have visited in the past which is not what I'm currently trying to concentrate on. Now maybe that's the point: to throw me off my current train of thought by reminding me of some previous train of thought. I was previously planning a trip, but now I'm trying to research something else and trying not to think about that trip I have to plan, so I can get something else done in the next hour. But the advertiser thinks maybe reminding me of that trip would be a good idea, which is maybe even statistically justified, because I do have to plan it in the next week, and a significant amount of money will be spent. But that's so mentally invasive that it's what will probably drive me to finally install AdBlock. It's like having your own personal Troll Clippy following you around whispering "oh interesting research, but remember that trip you have to plan? LOL I knew you would!" To get things done in a modern workplace that has pervasive use of the internet and pervasive distractions, you have to block out things that are relevant to your interests but not to the current task. And retargeting does not help with that.

melvinram 14y ago
I see your point but it's hardly an effective usage of resources. In my experience, retargeting ads produce higher CTRs than generic ads. This means that a publisher is able to derive 2-10x more revenue from the same ad space if they used retargeting ads instead of contextual ads. I agree that some level of self-regulation is in order. Users should have a way to control the level of retargeting they experience and from whom, but to remove the entire mechanism that enables retargeting will only hurt the web because ROI on ad dollars will be lower. Lower ROI = less being spent on online advertising. Less spent on ads = less revenue for publishers. Less revenue for publishers = less investment from publisher to drive more revenue, which will likely mean lower quantity and quality of content created.

alan_cx 14y ago

In short, yes. It never bothered me that TV didnt target me. Same on the web.

melvinram 14y ago
It may not bother you but it does bother most of America. They use DVRs and skips ads whenever possible.
- RobAtticus 14y ago
  Or, people prefer to see no ads at all because they are more interested in the show they are watching than any ad, relevant or not.
- ajdecon 14y ago
  The lack of relevance isn't what bothers them. It's the fact that the ads are not the show they intended to watch. And in fact interrupts it. If you could make all the ads I saw on TV perfectly relevant, I would still fast forward. Because I would like to get back to the show, OK?
- majormajor 14y ago
  DVR usage isn't actually that prevalent, even after a decade. Generally the preference is to watch stuff live, and live with the ads. Which is a big part of why the ground hasn't fallen out from under broadcasters like it did with newspapers, and TV ads are still the priciest (and arguably most effective, commanding your attention in a way that banner ads cannot) form of ads.

zxtang 14y ago

Many ad networks[1] do already provide an opt out mechanism. You look for a blue icon[2] in the corner of the ad, which if you click it should take you to an opt out page. I dug a bit further, and also found this: http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ which purports to allow you to opt out from any or all of the participating companies from that page. [1]: http://www.aboutads.info/participating http://www.aboutads.info/participating [2]: http://www.aboutads.info/sites/default/files/page_img/icon_enhanced_notice_lg.jpg?1295117626 http://www.aboutads.info/sites/default/files/page_img/icon_e...

cpeterso 14y ago
There is a Firefox addon called "Beef Taco" that inserts 450+ known opt-out cookies into Firefox's cookie jar: https://github.com/jmhobbs/beef-taco https://github.com/jmhobbs/beef-taco

splicer 14y ago

> Would you rather see ads for things that are completely irrelevant? Yes. For instance, I don't mind seeing pizza commercials because I don't like cheese.