Why advertisement is both unethical and unmustachian

[LennStar]

http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2015/10/why-its-ok-to-block-ads/

read it ;)

Think about the websites, apps, or communications platforms you use most. What behavioral metric do you think they’re trying to maximize in their design of your attentional environment? I mean, what do you think is actually on the dashboards in their weekly product design meetings?

Whatever metric you think they’re nudging you toward—how do you know? Wouldn’t you like to know? Why shouldn’t you know? Isn’t there an entire realm of transparency and corporate responsibility going undemanded here?

I’ll give you a hint, though: it’s probably not any of the goals you have for yourself. Your goals are things like “spend more time with the kids,” “learn to play the zither,” “lose twenty pounds by summer,” “finish my degree,” etc. Your time is scarce, and you know it.

Your technologies, on the other hand, are trying to maximize goals like “Time on Site,” “Number of Video Views,” “Number of Pageviews,” and so on. Hence clickbait, hence auto-playing videos, hence avalanches of notifications. Your time is scarce, and your technologies know it.

[Tjat]

I admit I didn't get through all of this but this struck me as complainey pants drivel. If a private website wants to accompany their product with an autoplay video of my mother in a sex show, they can. I would make the choice not to visit that site again and have a conversation with mom about appropriate side gigs in retirement.

What's more unethical is a person not taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors, family time, and other freedoms the western world provides. Instead they are captivated by a 100 word "article" spread across a stupid 10-slide slideshow analyzing kardashians ass over time.

[ooeei]

I admit I didn't get through all of this but this struck me as complainey pants drivel. If a private website wants to accompany their product with an autoplay video of my mother in a sex show, they can. I would make the choice not to visit that site again and have a conversation with mom about appropriate side gigs in retirement.

What's more unethical is a person not taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors, family time, and other freedoms the western world provides. Instead they are captivated by a 100 word "article" spread across a stupid 10-slide slideshow analyzing kardashians ass over time.

+1

And I agree with the title of the article that it's okay to block ads, the same way it's okay for the providers to disable their website if adblockers are used.  Sites with ads don't owe us anything, and we don't owe them anything.  If they offer us a service (videos) for a price (seeing some ads), I get to decide whether or not the transaction is worth it.  If they allow an adblocker on their site, that sweetens the deal for me!

As to them being "transparent," what does the author propose?  They have a disclaimer stating they show ads, and ads can alter your perceptions?  How many disclaimers have you ACTUALLY read lately?  Would that change anyone you know's behavior on the internet?  Probably not.

Given all this, the question should not be whether ad blocking is ethical, but whether it is a moral obligation. The burden of proof falls squarely on advertising to justify its intrusions into users’ attentional spaces—not on users to justify exercising their freedom of attention.

The proof is that internet advertising is not forcing anything on anyone.  I think an argument against ads in necessary public locations or tax/house buying/car registration or other legally required materials would have more merit for the author.  The only way I see users needing to justify their ad-blocking is if some agreement they have made forbids it.  Otherwise they have nothing to justify.

[andyp2010]

This is what you get in a world without advertising

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3183146/The-bleak-bland-shop-fronts-capture-grim-reality-life-Iron-Curtain-late-1980s.html

I prefer the bright colours and interesting displays. I like it when people make my food look edible

[robartsd]

I don't run an ad blocker on my computer, but I do use NoScript to enable scripts on some domains while not enabling them globally. I do this primarily for performance on my 11 year old notebook computer (NoScript also runs on my 7 year old desktop to provide a more consistant user experience); but, it is amazing how many ads fail to show up because the depend on scripts running on my computer. I really don't mind advertisements, but I see no reason for me to run their code on my computer to deliver them to my screen.

[Glenstache]

This is what you get in a world without advertising

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3183146/The-bleak-bland-shop-fronts-capture-grim-reality-life-Iron-Curtain-late-1980s.html

I prefer the bright colours and interesting displays. I like it when people make my food look edible

I've seen plenty of equally sad storefronts in the good-ole USA.

They lost a bit of credibility when they called a collection of chess boards and what are presumably photos of chess greats " a selection of boxes. " Chess is a bigger deal in the Soviet Union and demonstrates a certain tone deafness about Russia.

[trojans10]

Agree to disagree.

Ads are what makes the internet go around. Allows users to view content without paying for it.

[Retired To Win]

I admit I didn't get through all of this but this struck me as complainey pants drivel. If a private website wants to accompany their product with an autoplay video of my mother in a sex show, they can. I would make the choice not to visit that site again and have a conversation with mom about appropriate side gigs in retirement.

What's more unethical is a person not taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors, family time, and other freedoms the western world provides. Instead they are captivated by a 100 word "article" spread across a stupid 10-slide slideshow analyzing kardashians ass over time.

Damn straight.  When it comes to advertising, no one is forcing anyone to actually take any action.  Just use your critical thinking faculties and act accordingly.