Got this notification when I opened Chrome when coming back to my desk after lunch.

“We changed our privacy settings to allow us to snoop on what you’re looking at and shove you ads accordingly. Feel free to opt out, but we’ll probably opt you back in when you aren’t paying attention.”

  • @BenVimes@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    1582 years ago

    I’m always a bit amused when these sites and apps say things like, “If you turn off ad personalization, the ads you see won’t be as useful to you.”

    My dude, I don’t think I’ve ever willingly clicked on an ad in my entire life. “Personalizing” them won’t change that.

    • @HughJanus@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      62 years ago

      Even if any of these companies were any good at ad targeting, I wouldn’t want “personalized” ads anyway cuz I’d just spend more money.

    • @ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      42 years ago

      I don’t think I’ve ever willingly clicked on an ad in my entire life

      Same here and I’ve certainly never purchased anything through an ad. You’d think there’d be some advantage for advertising networks to identify people (there are dozens of us!) who never click on ads and refrain from serving any to them - and use this as a selling point for ad buyers so that their expenditures are not wasted.

      • @CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        32 years ago

        Just because you don’t click on an ad doesn’t mean it didn’t work though. If you see an ad for Coke you may not click on it to order a case of Coke online right away, but when you go out to lunch maybe you’ll fill your cup with Coke.

        I mention food ads because I feel they are particularly effective for this type of behavior. You don’t need to click on a food ad, but I know I’ve had a craving for a certain restaurant or food from seeing it mentioned online (whether an ad or just a comment/post) and then gone to get that food for dinner.

        Of course, this type of ad result is very difficult to track.

    • @lukini@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      4
      edit-2
      2 years ago

      Ads work on the general population or else these companies would stop paying for them.

    • @Vilian@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      42 years ago

      it’s not about your clicks, it’s to influence you, it can influence people in multiple degree, maybe next type when you go buy something think about it

    • ChamrsDeluxe
      link
      fedilink
      22 years ago

      Only did it once. The Rest EverCool comforter ad I kept seeing. Looked up a bunch of reviews and as someone who is a very hot sleeper. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s the softest coolest blanket I’ve ever felt. Every square inch is as cool as the other side of the pillow.

      • @krush_groove@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        22 years ago

        Upvoted for saying the phrase “as cool as the other side of the pillow”. Heard that once when someone was talking about a sports commentator and haven’t forgotten it in probably 35 years at least.

        • @ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          12 years ago

          ESPN’s Stuart Scott used this as his catchphrase starting in the mid-'90s, so not quite 35 years (but damn close). Like all ESPN catchphrases, it was clever and funny the first time, not so much the next 5000 times.

    • @Landrin201@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      12 years ago

      Basically the only times I click on ads is when I’m searching for something and the search engine I’m using has paid ads for the thing I’m searching for at the top.

      Beyond that I can’t think of any times I’ve ever clicked on an ad intentionally.