Charlie StrossNov 4, 2023

About YouTube and ad-blockers:

YouTube is owned by Alphabet, aka Google's umbrella corporation. Google in turn was devoured by DoubleClick, the largest advertising company to come out of the 1990s web.

When you use Google, you are feeding the attention monster that is the advertising industry.

We should aim to criminalize behavioural advertising and break up the Google monopoly, not tolerate their shit and work around it by using adblockers.

Show thread~nNov 4, 2023
@cstross Generally the concept of ads (not only ad financed services) needs to be treated as something with a negative impact on society. Ads are not contributing anything to a more livable world. On the contrary - they intrusively tell you why you should be unhappy (unless you buy this or that). The whole impact of the entire ad industry is net negative.
Show threadAlexander The 1stNov 4, 2023

@nblr @cstross Eh, while behavioural advertising is bad, the baseline advertisement stuff is sort of critical to how people who can't afford a piece of media can get access to it for a price they can afford. Not everything should be paywalled, free TV cable and free websites are generally a good thing for those of us for whom the price of electricity, and the price of internet access, is already a bit much.

Not to mention the people who are kids and *can't* work to get money *to* pay a paywall.

Show threadMajor Denis BloodnokNov 5, 2023
@AT1ST @nblr @cstross You are shown advertisements because the advertisers expect to make money off you. If you're that skint, something has to break there.
Show threadAlexander The 1stNov 5, 2023

@denisbloodnok @nblr @cstross I mean, advertisers don't necessarily expect you to buy something right then and there, in the moment.

That's a nice potential outcome, but it's partially so that the next time you need a thing they advertise for, and you can afford it, you think of it.

Also, advertising to kids is...fraught with the fact that influencing them can influence their parents. It's why there are laws around that (i.e. COPPA), and/or "Shows/movies that act as glorified advertisements.".

Show threadMajor Denis BloodnokNov 5, 2023
@AT1ST @nblr @cstross If you think any significant amount of advertising is for things skint people _need_, I can only imagine you have been blocking ads for so long you can't remember them at all.
Show threadAlexander The 1stNov 5, 2023

@denisbloodnok @nblr @cstross I mean, "Want" is a fair correction, though it still runs the same point - you're not expected to be buying it immediately. It'd be nice for the advertisers, but that's not why they serve ads to everyone, everywhere, all the time.

They want it on your mind the next time you have enough money to spend on a thing you want, and are thinking about what you do want to get.

Show threadMajor Denis BloodnokNov 6, 2023
@AT1ST @nblr @cstross You now exist in a curious dichotomy where "the price of electricity, and the price of internet access, is already a bit much", but also you have a discretionary spending budget large enough that it is worth advertising to you in order to collect it.
Show threadAlexander The 1stNov 6, 2023

@denisbloodnok @nblr @cstross That description basically describes anyone who lives with their parents but has a job making some amount of discretionary funds; because then electricity and internet tend to get lumped in with the savings on rent/mortgages.

And, I don't use adblock, but...very few ads try to sell me on something beyond triple digits in dollars CAD. It's basically only cars being advertised that fit that description.

Show threadAlexander The 1st

@denisbloodnok @nblr @cstross (Okay, there's also the medical degree schooling, but...all I'll say is it's rather odd when advertising goes outside a reasonable price range.).

And as I understand, YouTube and everyone else banks on their ad services sending ads to many more people than me, even if a smaller portion are in my demographic.

Nov 6, 2023 at 1:14pmWeb
Show threadAlexander The 1stNov 6, 2023

@denisbloodnok @nblr @cstross Or perhaps another way to align the issue - it's not that internet is *currently* too expensive, but...I currently use my reseller ISP of another ISP so that I get a cheaper rate.

If microbilling was involved...that price difference might get well out of my range. Especially if Google/YouTube microbilled instead of providing ads to support their server load.