Exactly. Having spoken a lot about these issues to regular people, I would bet most people would give up privacy for better ads. Just as most people would give up privacy for a safer world.
I think you're right, but only up until that point where people see concrete, actual consequences of giving up their privacy.
A friend of mine was not very happy when he discovered that he was served ads about "how to lose weight!", and "struggling with depression?". Of course, I don't even know if those were targeted to him. Maybe the next ad he'll see is "struggling with paranoia?" :)
What are better ads? If I want something specific to buy, I can search 1000 million places on the web and find it with unprecedented ease. So why I need "ads" at all? (and much less "better ads").
Plus, if I searched Google or visited sites for "depression", "dildos", "flatulence problems", "David Hasselholf CDs", "weight loss", "quit your job" etc, I sure as hell WOULDN'T want to see "better ads" targeting me for such topics --especially when I'm browsing with other people around me.
Better ads are ads with higher click-through rates, which provides more dollars for the site whose content you are freely consuming.
Higher click through rates come from a better match between the user's interests and what the ad is offering. It is good for the advertiser (since they get more customers), and the site (since they get more ad revenue), and the user (since they see relevant ads instead of garbage).
Better ads are ads with higher click-through rates, which provides more dollars for the site whose content you are freely consuming.
Well, I'd happily pay to get rid of the ads, given the chance.
Higher click through rates come from a better match between the user's interests and what the ad is offering. It is good for the advertiser (since they get more customers), and the site (since they get more ad revenue), and the user (since they see relevant ads instead of garbage).
It sure as hell isn't good for me. I don't want to see "relevant ads".
For one, they are just there to make me spend more.
And second, as I said above, I ABHOR relevant ads shown when I browse, especially with other people around, that can guess that all those "adult diaper" ads I'm being shown have something to do with what I was searching for in private.
