this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
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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."

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[–] [email protected] 265 points 10 months ago (10 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 10 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] danielbln 25 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

I don't know, ads were always dog shit. Yeah you had your static banners and what not, but I remember the popup wars from the 90s.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

I was always told clicking on ad's will give you viruses and sign you up to dick medicines

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Yup, the last time I clicked an ad was before that :)

[–] Rouxibeau 6 points 10 months ago

I don't even click those. I'll rarely navigate to their site manually.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I see an ad and I zone out or ignore it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

I see an ad and wonder why my ad blocker failed.

[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I don't think I've ever willingly clicked on an ad in my entire life

Same here and I've certainly never purchased anything through an ad. You'd think there'd be some advantage for advertising networks to identify people (there are dozens of us!) who never click on ads and refrain from serving any to them - and use this as a selling point for ad buyers so that their expenditures are not wasted.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Just because you don't click on an ad doesn't mean it didn't work though. If you see an ad for Coke you may not click on it to order a case of Coke online right away, but when you go out to lunch maybe you'll fill your cup with Coke.

I mention food ads because I feel they are particularly effective for this type of behavior. You don't need to click on a food ad, but I know I've had a craving for a certain restaurant or food from seeing it mentioned online (whether an ad or just a comment/post) and then gone to get that food for dinner.

Of course, this type of ad result is very difficult to track.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

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).

[–] ChamrsDeluxe 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Only did it once. The Rest EverCool comforter ad I kept seeing. Looked up a bunch of reviews and as someone who is a very hot sleeper. I can't recommend it enough. It's the softest coolest blanket I've ever felt. Every square inch is as cool as the other side of the pillow.

[–] krush_groove 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Upvoted for saying the phrase "as cool as the other side of the pillow". Heard that once when someone was talking about a sports commentator and haven't forgotten it in probably 35 years at least.

[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife 4 points 10 months ago

ESPN's Stuart Scott used this as his catchphrase starting in the mid-'90s, so not quite 35 years (but damn close). Like all ESPN catchphrases, it was clever and funny the first time, not so much the next 5000 times.

[–] ChamrsDeluxe 2 points 10 months ago

I remember it from Billy and Mandy. But it's a fun saying.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

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.