Before I start I want to say depending on how blockchains work and networks like steemit, this article may become obsolete. But for now ads are not going anywhere anytime soon, so let's discuss ways of making them less annoying.
BUT ALL THE COOL KIDS ARE DOING IT
The world we live in now is one of transparency. Everyone understands, in some extent, how advertising works. We are not stupid. We know you want us to buy your drink, wear your shoes and see your movies. You want us to see cool people using your product and have us see enough of it that it appears in our dreams. But we don't need to be tricked. And we don't want to be lied to. You don't need to "sell" us anything. If you present people with something they might want to try or buy, they might actually be happy to click on the ad or watch the commerical. The process should not be one of selling but informing, and letting people decide for themselves. But in order to do this the advertisement needs to match the content where the ad is being placed.
IT COMES DOWN TO THE WHERE
Look at movie theatre previews. Everybody loves them. A lot of people even make sure they show up early so they don't miss them. Technically those previews as just ads. Ads for other movies you might want to see. But why do people enjoy them? Because the odds are that the people who are at the movies are people who like to go to the movies. This is an audience who is interested in what is coming up next. However when you start to play commercials for other prodcuts before a film, it may lower the chances of a captivated audience. It is the same regardless of media and topic. If you are watching a golf tournament, previews about other golf events might be of interest. But a commercial for a new clothing line has a higher chance of being a miss. Same for ads on websites, I have seen ads on social media that I would never click on, ads for products that I would have no use for.
A.I. DATA MINING FTL
Now please don't take this as permission to go through all my data so you can find my favourite band and show me ads of other songs I might like. I kinda like having some semblance of privacy on the net. I don't want ads aimed at me but aimed at the area of interest that the content I am viewing is about. Because you never know what new things, in a field that you are interested in, that you may like. And maybe I will dislike what you are showing me and be annoyed that you are keeping me from the content I am trying to view. Which brings me to my next point.
IN YOUR FACE! IN YOUR FACE! IN YOUR FACE!
Ads can become a problem when they obscure or delay your viewing of the content you want. Even if the ad might be something you are interested in, it does not need to block the content at hand. Personally I don't mind click ads on the side of a website or links that I should check out. It can take away from the aesthetics of the site but as long as they do not hinder what I am reading, looking at or watching, then go ahead and tell me, with honesty, what you want me to look at next.
That is just my two cents. How do you feel about ads?
Exclusive article written for steemit by @funny
As a person visiting websites quite a lot, and a person who has created content for almost 20 years, I have a love / hate relationship with ads. I understand why content creators put them on their content. No one will make direct payments for content, so the only way to support time consuming content production and site hosting is via ads.
But some are too annoying, in my opinion. I never reward a pop over or pop under with a click. I don't care for sites that use videos that auto-play especially with unmuted sound. I may click an ad in the flow of the content if it isn't too annoying, or if it off to the side.
Perhaps Steemit has it right, and the site will thrive without a need for ads. If ads do appear, I feel that they will be non-obtrusive so as not to drive people from the community.
Agreed that some ads are too annoying, I'm not a fan of the ads that black out the entire screen and make me search for the tiny x so I can get back to the page I was on. Especially when I am on my phone and I keep pressing the wrong thing with my finger. I'm curious how well steemit will sustain without ads, I guess time will tell.
I view ads as an imposition on my thought process. They interrupt what I was thinking and cause consistent interruptions. I can't impose my thought process on other people, other then presenting my thoughts and ideas in a thread that others might read - so why should companies be able to do it?
That said, I understand that they are needed to fund things. But micropayments are the wave of the future for those who value not being imposed upon. The Brave Browser is going to be awesome in my opinion and I think that the Safe Network will be an awesome experiment for micropayments.
I am always reminded of the following quote every time I see a debate about ads -
"People are taking the piss out of you everyday. They butt into your life, take a cheap shot at you and then disappear. They leer at you from tall buildings and make you feel small. They make flippant comments from buses that imply you're not sexy enough and that all the fun is happening somewhere else. They are on TV making your girlfriend feel inadequate. They have access to the most sophisticated technology the world has ever seen and they bully you with it. They are The Advertisers and they are laughing at you. You, however, are forbidden to touch them. Trademarks, intellectual property rights and copyright law mean advertisers can say what they like wherever they like with total impunity. FUCK THAT. Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It's yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head. You owe the companies nothing. Less than nothing, you especially don't owe then any courtesy. They owe you. They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They never asked for your permission, don't even start asking for theirs."
-Commonly Attributed to Banksy