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0 pointsmille56210y ago0 comments

There are people with needs and people with solutions. I understand where you are coming from, but advertising a solution to people that may have that need is not always evil.

There are many times where I am glad I saw advertising: my favorite band is coming to town, a new product that will save me hours a day just got released, the shoes I have been looking for are being sold at 30% off.

I don't want to give up all of my privacy, but sometimes I don't mind finding a solution to something in my peripheral focus.

0 comments

nitrogen10y ago

Information like "products X, Y, and Z from these manufacturers now solve these problems" or "band Q is visiting your city soon" can be presented in a non-manipulative manner, but current ads go beyond information into manipulation using emotion, repetition, ear worms, and social pressure.

caskance10y ago

If information by itself worked, I can guarantee you nobody would waste time using all these other techniques.

pdkl9510y ago

> If information by itself worked

There are two lessons we can learn form "information by itself doesn't sell $WIDGET". One is that properly informed people don't actually want that product, and the product should be changed or replaced to meet their actual needs.

The alternative lesson - which is unfortunately very popular - is that if people that are properly informed won't buy the product, then they should be kept ignorant and scammed into buying it.

1 more reply

RodericDay10y ago

There's definitely a grey area. I just think we're so far deep in the black it's almost not worth bringing up.

petra10y ago

Once could imagine some software app installed on your machine, that tracks you and gives you interesting offers , without loss of privacy.

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