I think the advertising has gone off the rails

[Tom Hunter]

This is a cut and past from the bottom of my page:

Nazi Cancer Cure

After 71 Years Hitlers Final Secret is Revealed. German Scientist Cured Cancer? Go to pro1.naturalhealthresponse.com

Is it possible to do something about this?

[Jim Mahan]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

The adblocker I got following the recommendation by Donn works perfectly. I can't even see the ad in your post, just an empty rectangle. uBlock Origin. It's free, too.

[wizbang 13]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

I was getting an add to take the Trump survey.
Also, 5 face masks for ten bux. The kind folks use for robbing banks.

Hey, Hitler invented all kinds of cool stuff.

[johnw]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

Personally, I just let the ads be. If the income supports the forum, that's fine by me. I'll even click on one now and then.

The problem with the ads is that the software can't tell which material is appropriate, and humans don't get involved unless things go pear shaped.

[Chris Smith porter maine]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

All I get is telescopes and plumbing suppliers.

[Hugh Conway]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

Personally, I just let the ads be. If the income supports the forum, that's fine by me. I'll even click on one now and then.

Too many infected ads out there https://arstechnica.com/security/201...to-ransomware/ to bother living without an adblocker.

[Rich Jones]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

I don't get nuthin'...thank God. I guess my Adblock is working overtime.

[StevenBauer]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

The ads are targeted by your browser history. That's why we all see different ads.

I haven't added an ad blocker yet, but I think I might.

[Chip-skiff]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

I'm guessing that the ads are picked by some insidious algorithm that uses your history of internet searches. The ones I get are either for boats or investment schemes.

I never click on anything that pops up without my asking.

[delecta]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

When I click on a link to the LA Times it prevents me from reading it unless I unblock their site from ads, is that next?

[Jim Mahan]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

Before I found alternatives to google everywhere I went that had ads, the ads were for the things for which I had already searched. When I kicked google to the curb, and purged my system of it, the nature of the ads became random. Clever how they engineered the main search engine everyone is now dependent on, as if they were just providing a necessary service for free, when all along it was designed to be a marketing technique. The two things that make it problematic, one, that a lot of the time I use do a search I'm not interested in buying any product or service; I'm just doing basic research for my own use, and two, if my search was for something I intended to purchase, I probably already have—and never will again, ever, so trying to sell me another is pointless.

A benefit of having ad-free WoodenBoat forum switch to having ads, is that it prompted me to go find other ad-free sites for all the other reasons I go to the internet. I have never, not once ever, clicked on an ad on any website or in any email. And I never will. I also don't visit a car dealer or a furniture store hoping they can help me buy other stuff, too, like a book I've already read.

[David G]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

When I click on a link to the LA Times it prevents me from reading it unless I unblock their site from ads, is that next?

Ayup - it's apparently called 'whitelisting'. Providing specific exceptions to let your adblock software that ads from THAT site are ok. Some sites these days won't let you view them without doing that.

[ron ll]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

My ad blocker works on my desktop but not on my iPhone. The ads I see on the iPhone are very specific to me, almost always something I searched for on google. I understand the need for the revenue, but these strike me as a personal privacy invasion. My wife doesn't log in here, but think of a situation where Paul searches google for a gift for Kat and she logs in and sees the ad. He could be in big trouble.

[Garret]

Re: I think the advertising has gone off the rails

My ad blocker works on my desktop but not on my iPhone. The ads I see on the iPhone are very specific to me, almost always something I searched for on google. I understand the need for the revenue, but these strike me as a personal privacy invasion. My wife doesn't log in here, but think of a situation where Paul searches google for a gift for Kat and she logs in and sees the ad. He could be in big trouble.

Searching for a gift on the interwebs is now a thing of the past for anyone who has a confuser that might be seen by the giftee. Most pages are filled with them. This past Christmas I searched for one of those tabletop alcohol "fireplaces". Found one, but every page I went to for a month had ads for them.

[Breakaway]

I think the advertising has gone off the rails

The ads would be served based on our individual browsing habits, but also by input about our assumed demographics: white, middle age male; good income; boats; DIY.

That doesn't mean we'd only see ads for expensive fixer upper boats; we could be served ads targeting just one of those profile characteristics: retirement ; golf communities; flannel shirts.

Kevin


Edit: clicked send too soon.
These ads are part of a so-called, "programmatic," system. Much like NASDAQ, ads are continuously bid, bought and placed by computer programs. At any given minute tens of thousands of transactions are occurring. So, depending upon current ad inventory, and " appropriate ," places to serve them that are available , it can seem that what shows up is sort of random.

Kevin


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