Wherever I go, I often see the sentiment “This website has ads, so it’s trash” pop up in conversations. And honestly I don’t quite get why. 90% of the internet has always had ads, you just scroll past them and mind your business. At least they’re personalized now so you can pick a topic you like instead of diapers and miscellanous spammy trash as there once were.

  • freamon@endlesstalk.orgEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    There’s this idea, that if the companies just knew enough about you, they could send you the perfect ads. Ads you’d appreciate. Ads for things you didn’t even realise you needed until you saw the Ad. This ignores that there are entire industries, and entire product ranges between industries, that - for one reason or another - never advertise.

    All the information in the world about how I might want a new microwave is no good when you realise that you never see and ad for a microwave. Likewise, the ‘perfect ad’ for me most of the time would be something for specialised tools (for plumbing or bike repair or whatever) - again, something you never see an Ad for. So the ads I get are just weird, and I spend longer trying to figure why I getting it than I ever would do entertaining the idea that I’d click on it. In fact, the only adverts I’ve ever clicked on have been by accident, so every one is just a waste of time and space.