Comment by btilly

Comment by btilly 9 hours ago

I don't mind advertisers knowing more about me. If they can display ads that are relevant to me, this is a better experience on both sides.

Unfortunately there is no way to tell advertisers, "No, I'm not interested in your product. I never will be. Don't waste your money."

The top offender is Hims. No, I don't have hair loss. I don't want hair loss supplements. I also don't have ED, and I object strongly to ads for that showing up unexpectedly when I'm showing a YouTube video to someone else.

The second top offender is whoever it is (they keep changing their name) who thinks that I need some kind of Christian motivational course to get control of "the P-word". (Their phrase, not mine.) No, I don't have a problem with pornography. I am very rarely interested in it. And when it comes up every few months, I don't feel any guilt about it afterwards. Furthermore I'm an atheist. A Christian motivational course isn't going to work well for me regardless.

Yes, Google does offer a report function, and a block function, for ads. The report function seems to have gotten rid of the unwanted ED ads. The block really doesn't work when the ads are all very similar AI slop that is rotated frequently. Block this ad, and then next unwanted ad from the same source will be coming along soon enough. (The reason why I particularly dislike Hims is that they are more aggressively rotating their ads.)

charlie-83 8 hours ago

Relevant/personalised ads doesn't mean ads that benefit you. It's means ads that are better able to extract money from you.

It means that, when you need a new dishwasher, you will never see the actual best dishwasher for you, only dishwashers that are a bit more expensive than you actually need but you will end up buying one of them anyways.

It means that you are more likely to see products you would impulse buy just after you get your paycheck. Or slightly inflated prices on things you usually buy.

It means ads designed to take advantage of addictions to sugar, alcohol, gambling etc

Finding stuff you actually want to buy has never been easier, you can find hundreds of reviews and comparisons instantly. People who opt into personalised ads don't end up being more savvy online shoppers, they just end up buying more junk.

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btilly 7 hours ago

My preferences are based on my understanding of myself.
I do not have those problem addictions. Of course I am going to comparison shop for any large purchases. I am good enough about controlling spending that excess junk isn't one of my problems.
But what I do have a problem with is coming up with creative ideas for people in my life. So, for example, I would have never thought to look for https://www.zazzle.com/cup_equation_love-168099175298227864. But I'm very glad that someone out there knew enough about me to guess that this might be an item that I'd like. And my wife liked the cup a whole lot.
Does this happen often? No. But I'm perfectly happy to pay a premium for a product when an advertiser gets it right.

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- charlie-83 6 hours ago
  
  There are always situations where an advert is useful and we remember those. However, when an advert causes you to spend more than you would, you have no idea it has happened.
  Maybe you truly are above the influence of advertising. However, almost no one believes that they are affected by advertising yet clearly almost all of those people are wrong.
  I find it safer to assume I am part of the vast majority of people who would be influenced by personalised advertising. Given that online advertising is basically the biggest business in the world, I assume that it would find a way to get money from me.
  
  Reply View | 1 reply
  
  btilly 3 hours ago
  
  You do you. If you believe that you are helpless in the face of the temptation of advertising, you should avoid advertising.
  But it would be nice if you worked on your listening skills as well.
  You gave a list of major evils that consuming advertising leads to. I don't suffer from those evils. Or at least if I do, then I must also in serious denial to be unaware of it.
  You also seem to think that I said that I am unaffected by advertising, and it doesn't lead to me spending money. This is a bizarre conclusion given that I said that I am affected by advertising, and I gave an example of where it did lead to me spending money.
  But the critical difference is this. You treat advertising as an assault on your mind. Whose job is to enable evil corporations to steal your money. I view advertising as a discovery method. The world is full of innovators coming up with things that they think others may want. They then use advertising as a way to let people know that there is a thing that they may want. I rarely want it. But I'm willing to waste a bit of time on the pitch.
  And on the rare occasions that I do get something, I actually enjoy it regularly. That cup I mentioned? I just made tea for my wife, and served it to her in that cup.
  We are different people. I have a very different relationship to advertising than you do. The fact that it is different, doesn't mean that I'm wrong to be me.
  
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blfr 9 hours ago

If you don't mind them knowing but resent the ads, you can just block the ads. You can do dns ad blocking[1], in-browser plugins/extensions[2], finally, patch the apps[3]. Or deploy all of them.

[1] https://mullvad.net/en/help/dns-over-https-and-dns-over-tls#...

[2] https://ublockorigin.com/

[3] https://revanced.app/patches?pkg=com.google.android.youtube

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btilly 8 hours ago

Perhaps you missed that I am willing to deal with ads in general? I am perfectly willing to put up with the annoyance, and like knowing that I am bringing money to the channel that I'm watching. I only want specific advertisers turned off.
A general "show me no ads" solution is not my preference.

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canyp 5 hours ago

That is a loser's proposition. Targeted advertising should be objected to on the grounds that surveillance and manipulation are unethical, it doesn't matter how useful it may or may not be in your personal experience. Them suddenly being more useful wouldn't make them any more ethical.

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