I have been using adblockers for decades already. And it’s been that long since I had to see ads. Occasionally some site will have some way of it getting through but even then I have the plugin scan and it sometimes can start blocking it. Essentially, my internet has been 95% ad-free and frankly I am surprised when I encounter anyone who doesn’t do the same.
Comment on What the fuck happened to YouTube!?
58008@lemmy.world 3 months ago
The ad industry is truly one of the most reprehensible and insidious things humans have ever invited unto themselves. It’s beyond dystopian how much of our ability to move through the world is now contingent on us allowing our brains to be bukkaked with ads that are designed specifically to bypass our rationality and embed themselves in the very fabric of our beings like psychological rootkits.
I believe conspiracism is the root of all evil. But ads are gaining on conspiracism like they’re Usain Bolt being chased by an angry bee.
I have to hand it to those soulless fucking devils though, they might have pulled off one of the most brazen but successful mindfucks I’ve ever seen: they convinced lots of people that seeing ads about topics they were interested in was some sort of concession from the ad industry, like they were begrudgingly implementing measures to make ads “relevant” to us, and that we were somehow gaming the system because of it. It was a “win” for us to have the ads being served into our eyeballs and ears be tailor-made for us. “I’m so sick of seeing ads for products I don’t even care about! I wish there was a way to make the ads be relevant to ME” said no cunt ever. But they managed to convinced us that everyone else was saying that, and that we’d won some sort of victory against them to have their advertising have the precision of a sniper rifle, versus what it was before, like some sort of shotgun fired from 150 feet away in the dark.
An entire species of marks.
AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Uli@sopuli.xyz 3 months ago
I’ve used an adblocker for ages as well, though I do wish content creators on YouTube could get some passive non-membership revenue from me without me having to disable my adblock and look directly into the Ark of the Covenant. I could get Premium, but at that point, I feel like I’ve negotiated with a terrorist.
lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 3 months ago
Most of them earn more from Patreon and merch, that’s how you support them greatly, not by watching and clicking ads.
Like, even the creators themselves tell you you can support them on Patreon or through their merch, they never tell you to get Premium, Join or click ads, as they don’t help much.
AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 3 months ago
If they have a Join in addition to subscribe that directly gives them revenue (of course not until after YouTube has taken like 80%). Also always see if they have a patreon account. I occasionally contribute to some very talented people.
Uli@sopuli.xyz 3 months ago
For sure, that’s what I meant by membership. There’s just so many different creators I watch, I can’t afford to support them all directly. Maybe I’ll make some playlists to play on the TV with ads while I’m out of the house.
TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zip 3 months ago
Remember that time when YT started showing banner ads below the video? Yeah, that was like just after the dinosaurs were wiped out and before blockchains became a thing. I was a long time ago, ok. Anyway, that’s when I was about to quit watching YT, but then I suddenly discovered the wonderful world of ad-blocking. Turns out, YT became watchable again.
rebelsimile@sh.itjust.works 3 months ago
That and all the people who say shit like “But I have to watch the ads to support the creators”, like there wasn’t 70 years of TV advertisements preceding this generation. I know I’m talking to a kid when someone says that. No one thought they were stealing from Burt Reynolds if they didn’t buy a Chrysler or tampons. It’s absurd.
Boozilla@lemmy.world 3 months ago
I feel your vitriol and agree with it 100%.
When politicians of both parties say shit like “Americans like their private health insurance”… I kind of die a little.
When a random podcast from somewhere else in the world has a local ad injected into it by the app I downloaded it with…same.
When the godamn fucking pitcher’s mound has a CGI ad superimposed over it…same.
We’re going to advertise and conspicuously consume ourselves into extinction. So there’s that I guess.
shalafi@lemmy.world 3 months ago
My god that was well written. We should be friends.
ours@lemmy.world 3 months ago
The link between conspiracies and ads is way stronger than that. The ad industry really went into high gear following WWII when the people working on pumping out propaganda to drive their own side of the war stepped up the game by applying psychology, new media, and a bigger budget.
Those people and techniques then moved to the commercial market when the war ended and applied their trade to peddle us the crap their customers wanted to sell. Make us feel bad if we don’t buy product X and go on an endless consumption treadmill to try to feel good and adequate about ourselves.
It is despicable and even worse with ads targeting children.
paraphrand@lemmy.world 3 months ago
But, but, how will people know about our product?!😩
aldalire@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 months ago
PREACH
Mango@lemmy.world 3 months ago
I like the way you English.
Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 months ago
I could not agree more with your eloquently-written poignant rant, but I cannot resist being an extreme pedant—a shotgun fired at 150ft has a very small spread.
akwd169@sh.itjust.works 3 months ago
Sorry what exactly do you mean about conspiracism? As in the belief in conspiracy theories, right?
I’m curious what you mean when you say it’s the root of all evil
solsangraal@lemmy.zip 3 months ago
and like 90% of people think they’re completely impervious to ads lol
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 3 months ago
HEY! YOU!!! JOIN THE NAVY!!!
ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 3 months ago
Damn Superliminal advertising. It’s why I joined the Navy.