- I thought unobtrusive keyword-based ads in Google searches were okay, when they didn't fill the results page.
- I think context-sensitive ads are fantastic. People reading a boat-building site see ads for boat-building or other related products/services. I would click on these ads.
- Word of mouth, vetted reviews, brand loyalty...all valid, rights-preserving approaches.
Since the lore is that targeting gets higher click-through rates, maybe small businesses could pay a little less for the less skeezy alternatives. Targeted advertising is forever linked in my mind to Zuckerberg's "dumb fucks" email. Facebook/Meta is the biggest offender in this space, and I'm happy to watch it die in a fire.