Improved ad targeting may increase revenue for the website, and will improve ad relevance for the end-user. This was historically seen as a win-win; particularly if it allows a service to remain free to use.
I often get ads for programming IDEs, which I don't mind that much. I'd rather have them than beauty products, or other irrelevant items.
Not that it's actually possible to discuss the pros and cons of targeting anymore. It's become a religious issue to too many people.
Not to imply that there aren't strong feelings around the subject, but don't you think calling it a "religious issue" might preemptively poison discussion a bit?
Do you really believe that people actually care about how relevant they are? Because I'm pretty sure they don't and most of all, that's not what they want while browsing the web.
'Historically' this wasn't seen as possible. Presently, it's become incredibly creepy and intrusive.
I don't want to see any ads, let alone have entire networks of ad providers keep track of everything I do in an attempt to be the first to help themselves to the contents of my wallet.
Websites can fund themselves with ads without having to track everything you do. One idea might be to tailor ads on a particular page to the content on that page. Obviously the reader is interested in the content, else they wouldn't be right there looking at it.
I agree this is a good approach, though it's not always possible. It works great for community's like reddit which are interest-based. It isn't so helpful for news websites that cover local events.
Local news works fine with local ads placed by an editor, sourced by some business folk, etc. I think we have engineered everything to the point where things are just worse from a pleasure perspective, though perhaps better in fiscal terms. Now we are designing ads algorithmically based on huge datasets of previous ads and some hacked together generator code. It’s getting worse.
Newspapers and TV channels have functioned for years without tracking everything you do when they use ads. The idea that we NEED tracking or the entire advertising ecosystem collapses is stupid.
Improved ad targeting may increase revenue for the website, and will improve ad relevance for the end-user. This was historically seen as a win-win; particularly if it allows a service to remain free to use.
I often get ads for programming IDEs, which I don't mind that much. I'd rather have them than beauty products, or other irrelevant items.
Not that it's actually possible to discuss the pros and cons of targeting anymore. It's become a religious issue to too many people.