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Comment by DailyHN | Hacker News Reader

Desensitization to ads caused by perverse tracking and targeting. It's not getting better.

There is no such thing. People still buy online marketed products a magnitude times more than non-marketed products. In fact, advertisement techniques are now so advanced that consumers believe they were not "influenced" in their purchasing decisions. "Hahaha, my ad-blocker and 7 proxies make me un-trackable"

All elements of the marketing mix matter, especially word of mouth advertising. Even if adblocker users think they're protecting themselves from ads, they know plenty of people who aren't. And those people will talking about those products.

It's one-step removed and more filtered, but it's still effective advertising.

> advertisement techniques are now so advanced that consumers believe they were not "influenced" in their purchasing decisions.

This isn't a new thing. People have believed that for the entire existence of advertising, and it has never been true.

I just checked, and Facebook is advertising "The Uber of Snow Plows" to me. I can't be influenced because I don't have a clue what it is. Next ad is "Liberty Tax Service", which is guaranteed not to sell me anything because I do my own taxes and am unwilling to pay anything since the Intuit scandal. Next one is trolling for victims of "clergy abuse"; I've gone to church maybe 2-3 times in my life and don't know any clergy. Next is sildenafil, next is State Farm, next is Taco Bell, all of which I am extremely aware of existing and do not plan to ever purchase.

There are a bunch of things relative to my interests as a consumer, because I follow some local businesses. But they aren't strictly speaking ads. The ads are complete garbage.

It isn't a new thing, but the false belief among tech elites that by using ad-blockers or a tool like Thor you are unaffected by modern marketing technologies is new and perhaps naive. You'd have to boycott street ads, tv and radio, our financial system, reputable news sources, friends who use cellphones near you, and more to actually remove marketing influence from your life. The cookie will be dead in 2 years and every DSP has a plan to continue operating normally.

eventho i'm completely banner blind i suspect my subconscious still picks them up. one time I had to ask for help finding a download button on an almost empty page. i was pointed to the "blank" spot in the middle of the screen and then the button appeared. it was a shocking experience. the wetware addblock is probably storing all the adds? then it uses them for god knows what? a terrible invention, we would do so much better filling heads with productive things?

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