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Got this notification when I opened Chrome when coming back to my desk after lunch.
"We changed our privacy settings to allow us to snoop on what you're looking at and shove you ads accordingly. Feel free to opt out, but we'll probably opt you back in when you aren't paying attention."
I'm always a bit amused when these sites and apps say things like, "If you turn off ad personalization, the ads you see won't be as useful to you."
My dude, I don't think I've ever willingly clicked on an ad in my entire life. "Personalizing" them won't change that.
I used to sometimes. When there was a simple, clean ad for something I was interested in, I would click through.
Mind you, this was in an era when the internet amounted to strings and cans because I'm a fucking dinosaur. Since then, ads first went obnoxious and loud, then they got plastered everywhere, then they started being invasive.
Fuck ads at this point. There's nothing good in them for us at all.
In a way I kind of miss the old banner ads. Smack the monkey and win $1,000,000 or whatever it was. I swear I hit that monkey so many times.
Now I can’t even read a page without pop up after pop up on top of the embedded ads in between every two sentence paragraph.
Ads aren't supposed to make you click through, they're supposed to lodge a brand in your brain.
If you've seen 5 ads for red delicious apples and 0 for pink ladys, the next time you go to buy an apple you're more likely to pick a red delicious even though pink lady's are superior in every single way. That's how they get you.
Used to think otherwise, that I was immune to the phenomenon that you're describing. But then the other day I realised my shoes were hurting my feet. I was seriously considering buying shoe inserts (if that's their English name), even had the brand in mind, until I realised what was happening.
I've seen ads for this brand on tv like a decade ago. Before that, I honestly had no clue such things existed, I'd seen them in a store like, twice. Never seen anything related to them ever since. Literally forgot about them until I felt the slightest urge to buy them. I was really taken aback when I realised what had happened in my "advertising-immune" mind
It isn't one or the other. They're trying to both persuade you and develop brand awareness. But they'll settle for brand awareness.
Fuckin love pink ladies
it's not about your clicks, it's to influence you, it can influence people in multiple degree, maybe next type when you go buy something think about it
Ads work on the general population or else these companies would stop paying for them.
Even if any of these companies were any good at ad targeting, I wouldn't want "personalized" ads anyway cuz I'd just spend more money.
but but but but you'd get something good for it! You would never have missed it, but maybe you just didn't know you wanted it? Come on, I'm sure consuming shit that will make you happy twice for two minutes each (once when clicking buy, once when getting and opening the package) will fill that hole in your soul! Spending money on stuff you don't actually need is good!
(That was sarcasm, if it wasn't clear enough.)
True. The only personalized ads I ever receive are for products I literally just purchased.
I don't know how there's so much money in the ad space. It just seems like a huge waste.
A lot of times people will visit a website for a product they're interested in and may not immediately pull the trigger. When they see it later 3-4 more times, the chances of conversion are way higher.
Google probably doesn't really know if you purchased the product, and may not care, as you may want to purchase another.
I'm sure it's like gambling and microtransactions where the vast majority of income is derived from a small minority of people who aren't bothered by the onslaught of ads shoved down their throats.
The only time I click on ads are on websites that actually have people buying ad space on websites that make sense.
Like... Fountain pen ads on fountain pen blogs. Or Linux product ads on Linux learning websites.
Basically the only times I click on ads is when I'm searching for something and the search engine I'm using has paid ads for the thing I'm searching for at the top.
Beyond that I can't think of any times I've ever clicked on an ad intentionally.
I used to click on ads back in the day when you'd get paid for it (I was a poor school student, don't judge. :p).
I see an ad and I zone out or ignore it.
you are not immune to propaganda
I'm not sure this applies to stuff like ads. Like, if you always prioritize foss and ethically sourced products, ads can't really persuade you to buy certain things. And you make those decisions by doing research and buying local, or even better, making as much stuff as you can yourself.
Targeted ads are designed to make you feel inadequate or incomplete. Even if it doesn't convince you to buy the product advertised, it can still shift your expectations and world-view just by normalizing a certain type of consumption (or attitude, or media, ect).
Just because you don't spend money, doesn't mean ads aren't still subtly manipulating your expectations.
It is a trillion dollar a year industry for a reason.
It also just lets you know the product exists or reminds you of it while strengthening certain associations in your brain. I know I can’t think of VPNs without thinking of NordVPN and if I were to decide I want one, I don’t think there would be a chance it didn’t at least occur to me to maybe look into
And you almost certainly leave thinking you aren't being careful enough with your privacy and you should look into getting a VPN. Works the same with any ad, or even a promoted social media post. "You'll like this thing because of how we know you think of yourself."
It's pernicious and erodes everyone's ability to be happy and content, no matter how resistant you think you are to advertisements.
Or you could just hate shopping. I hate it all, online, in store. I end up doing way too much research and it's too mentally taxing. I buy a phone like once every 7 years because the stress of just shopping for it is annoying, not to mention the actual process of switching.
I really need to buy clothes again... but that's like my least favorite thing to shop for...
Oh, I totally get you! I hate shopping as well, even though it's a necessity. In fact, I dislike it so much that I'm actually learning to make my own clothes. I realise this isn't for everyone and that not everybody has the time, but I'm sure there's stuff that you can do on your own that you may actually enjoy!
Have a nice day!
That's cool! I am guessing you're female? Women's clothes seems to be easier to make in my experience. Making a pair of men's pants was a challenge, the materials were expensive and they didn't even come out that great, and I almost never wear them.
A sundress is like 10x easier to sew than a pair of pants.
I see an ad and wonder why my ad blocker failed.