Ask HN: Why there is so much advertising crap around? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why there is so much advertising crap around?

14 pointsTeMPOraL10 comments

Dear HN'ers, please help me, because I can't comprehend this. Why is there so much advertisement crap around? Is it even working for advertisers? I don't see any proof for that when I look at people. On the contrary, it is now common knowledge, that one shouldn't start using the Web without AdBlock or NoScript (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1772025). In Poland, people using the most popular Instant Messenger there install 3rd party plugins or escape to open source clients just to avoid flash ads. We have Commercial skipping technology for TV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_skipping) and other projects (like recently mentioned on HN http://unlogo.org/) designed to avoid or remove advertising content. Hell, there is even a psychological phenomenon of "banner blindness" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banner_blindness)! And there are bloggers, entrepreneurs, etc. writing and talking (http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success.html) about honesty, user experience, and about how providing something valuable is the best way to get money in the long run. So please, tell me, why are we doing it to each other? What value is in producing those boatloads of crap that no one wants to see?

> Is it even working for advertisers?

Some success stories on HN: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=371349

> now common knowledge, that one shouldn't start using the Web without AdBlock or NoScript

That's not really known except among techies and the techies' friends. Some Googling suggests only 3-5% of Firefox users block ads.

> So please, tell me, why are we doing it to each other?

Because some small percentage of users do click a lot of ads and buy things from the advertiser. A report from 2007 says that the highest click-through rate is from "middle-aged women from the Midwest": http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArtic...

Thanks for the stats. I didn't realize that AdBlock (and the like) is so unpopular (guess what happens when only people you talk to are either geeks or people who almost doesn't use computer at all :) ). Also, this report you've mentioned is... intriguing.

Your assumptions are just wrong. People do want to see ads, they do work, and almost nobody cares enough to try to block them.

It might be a problem with my assumptions. Could you elaborate on the "people do want to see ads" part, please? Personally, I'm having a hard time imagining why people would (actively) want to see (on-line) adverts.

Because it's how we find out about stuff we want. Most people at least tolerate, if not enjoy, that. Ad's aren't evil - they're just not relevant -- until they are, and that's when they pay for themselves.

As someone who's banner blind I can honestly say that I have no idea.

Having said that, if the adverts are unobtrusive and relevant to what I'm looking to buy (e.g. I'm looking at a camera review because I want to buy a camera and an advert offering me 10% off digital cameras appears inline without interrupting my experience of the review) then I'll click.

The answer to online advertising isn't to hit more people, it's to hit the right people in the right way.

> The answer to online advertising isn't to hit more people, it's to hit the right people in the right way.

Still, it sounds to me like doing a carpet-bombing to eliminate one building. At least in case of non-AdWords advertisements.

> Why there is so much advertising crap around?

Counter-question. How else do you think we can afford to keep all of this "free" internet crap free?

We have Commercial skipping technology for TV..

FWIW, I know a lot of people with a DVR that don't skip commercials. Hell, I'm one of them. In my case, I have the TV on in the background and put the remote down somewhere else in the room.

Also: Please use the enter key more often in the future. It makes large blobs of text much more readable.

Sorry for that, I'll be more enter-aware in the future.

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