Targeted ads must be targeted purely to annoy me

  • Thread starter KingNothing
  • Start date
In summary, targeted advertisements can be frustrating and irrelevant, especially when they are based on limited information. The use of keywords and location to customize ads can often result in irrelevant and annoying advertisements. Ads that rely on sex appeal and cliches can also be considered a "steaming pile of crap" and do not effectively market the product. Overall, ads can be a nuisance and many people try to avoid them through ad-blocking programs.
  • #1
KingNothing
882
4
I get the stupidest targeted advertisements in the world. I get:
-"Discover the secret moms are using to whiten their teeth"
-"Learn how moms are losing 52 pounds by obeying this one rule"
-"Never pay for electricity again, make it simple and cheap from home"


First of all, my teeth are fine, thanks. Second of all, I weigh 165 pounds and have 11% body fat. Third of all, I nearly have a degree in electrical engineering.

I think they'd do better with random ads. Discuss.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
There are worse ones most most use uses keyword matching in the article.
The BBC shows ads on it's site for foreign visitors and managed to show ones for fire proof data safes on a story about the air-france crash black boxes and then for gas safety checks on a story of some politician visiting a former concentration camp.
 
  • #3
One thing that bugs me is that Ebay has bought almost every keyword and when I'm searching for stuff it always comes up and tells me to go to Ebay to get great deals on whatever I searched for even if its not something you can't buy.

I was on youtube once and searched for 'brain tumor' and it came up with a bunch of search results like: GET GREAT DEALS ON BRAIN TUMORS - low prices on brain tumors at ebay! , Looking for brain tumor, look no further! Shop here for all the latest deals on brain tumor.
 
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  • #4
donotremember said:
One thing that bugs me is that Ebay has bought almost every keyword and when I'm searching for stuff it always comes up and tells me to go to Ebay to get great deals on whatever I searched for even if its not something you can't buy.

I was on youtube once and searched for 'brain tumor' and it came up with a bunch of search results like: GET GREAT DEALS ON BRAIN TUMORS - low prices on brain tumors at ebay! , Looking for brain tumor, look no further! Shop here for all the latest deals on brain tumor.
Ahaha, I was just complaining to someone about this. I had googled a friend's name and found that he was for sale on e-bay.
 
  • #5
KingNothing said:
I get the stupidest targeted advertisements in the world. I get:
-"Discover the secret moms are using to whiten their teeth"
-"Learn how moms are losing 52 pounds by obeying this one rule"
-"Never pay for electricity again, make it simple and cheap from home"


First of all, my teeth are fine, thanks. Second of all, I weigh 165 pounds and have 11% body fat. Third of all, I nearly have a degree in electrical engineering.

I think they'd do better with random ads. Discuss.

The ad software can use only the permitted public information to customize the ads, and that's upto your 9 digit zip code (in USA). Within the 9 digit zip code, there could be hundreds of addresses. So there should be a bunch of beauty conscious mamas in your locality :)
 
  • #6
They got my number. I get innumerable ads for yachts, mansions, handmade Italian sports cars, diamonds, gold, and for some inexplicable reason, ads to enlarge the size of my manhood.
 
  • #7
The most irritating ad I see recently is the following:

PhysOrg.com science news:

>> Measuring the Speed of Light in Composite Materials
>> Apple says it's fixed iPhone SMS vulnerability
>> Study shows how college major and religious faith affect each other
 
  • #9
Evo said:
Ahaha, I was just complaining to someone about this. I had googled a friend's name and found that he was for sale on e-bay.

I can't wait to try out my new brain tumor. The old one was wearing out.
 
  • #10
jobyts said:
The most irritating ad I see recently is the following:

PhysOrg.com science news:

>> Measuring the Speed of Light in Composite Materials
>> Apple says it's fixed iPhone SMS vulnerability
>> Study shows how college major and religious faith affect each other
It's not an ad. They are a partner now.

Pinu7 said:
Did you see the Palm Pre commercials?
I get dumber each time I watch them.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3OfYkJbyLw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSMj5RoYdEI&feature=related
Those are the worst commercials, I can actually feel my brain cells die everytime they come on tv. Too bad, I have used the Pre and it's the most awesome PDA I've ever tried. I'm getting one for the Evo Child. I may even break down and get one for myself.
 
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  • #11
I get emails in spanish trying to sell me viagra. I read spansih, but I don't access websites in spanish. I don't know what would make anyone think I need viagra...
 
  • #12
fileen said:
I get emails in spanish trying to sell me viagra. I read spansih, but I don't access websites in spanish. I don't know what would make anyone think I need viagra...

http://yourpollo.com/ [Broken]
 
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  • #13
Evo said:
It's not an ad. They are a partner now.

Does that mean we can get rid of it? I keep thinking we have a new guy posting spam all over the forums every time I see it, no matter how many times I look at it.

I can't *stand* ads. I always loved the internet because it lacked something television had: commercials. 6 minutes of TV show, 4 minutes of advertisements. It was ridiculous, but I could go on Youtube or Megavideo or Youku or whatever and watch whatever I want without ads on the internet. Now video ads are popping up more and more frequently on video hosting websites, banner ads are becoming more numerous, etc. I've been able to stave off the advertisements with Firefox Adblock and the Opera web browser, but it can only do so much.

If the ads weren't filling my head with a steaming pile of crap I wouldn't mind them, but they are. By steaming pile of crap I mean a lot of useless junk and cliches that have nothing to do with the product to be sold. Today's ads rely on how pretty and how much sex appeal the actors/actresses are, boasting the awesomeness of their product over similar products with absolutely no reason (or a stupid reason) for saying it's better, pretty graphics and amusing flashy pictures, motto's, slogans, cute one-liners, witty phrases, BIG TEXT TO GET YOUR ATTENTION, and other steaming crap.

No capitalist country, with it's educated citizens making informed decisions based on empirical evidence and strong use of reasoning skills would ever buy a product based on the caricature Loony Toon excuse for ads that exist today. I'm talking of the US of course. We don't do that. Ever. Not ever.
 
  • #14
Pupil said:
No capitalist country, with it's educated citizens making informed decisions based on empirical evidence and strong use of reasoning skills would ever buy a product based on the caricature Loony Toon excuse for ads that exist today. I'm talking of the US of course. We don't do that. Ever. Not ever.

Well, that's obviously not true. If adverts didn't work, they wouldn't exist. The real point of an advert is not to show how good a particular product is, but to get you to remember the name of the product so recognise it over its competitors when you're out shopping.
 
  • #15
cristo said:
The real point of an advert is not to show how good a particular product is, but to get you to remember the name of the product so recognise it over its competitors when you're out shopping.

+ 1 Absolutely agree.
 
  • #16
KingNothing said:
I get the stupidest targeted advertisements in the world. I get:
-"Discover the secret moms are using to whiten their teeth"
-"Learn how moms are losing 52 pounds by obeying this one rule"
-"Never pay for electricity again, make it simple and cheap from home"


First of all, my teeth are fine, thanks. Second of all, I weigh 165 pounds and have 11% body fat. Third of all, I nearly have a degree in electrical engineering.

I think they'd do better with random ads. Discuss.

Just be happy they don't know your body fat percentage.
 
  • #17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z3UEF-paok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3OfYkJbyLw

Palm Pre ads.
 
  • #18
http://donotrememberthisaddress.com/images/braindamage.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #19
I never could pass up a good deal on brain damage.
 

1. Why do targeted ads seem to always annoy me?

Targeted ads are designed to be personalized and relevant to your interests and online behavior, but they can sometimes come across as annoying because they may interrupt your browsing experience or seem intrusive.

2. How do targeted ads know what I'm interested in?

Targeted ads use tracking technologies such as cookies and browsing history to gather information about your interests and online behavior. They may also use data from your social media accounts or other sources.

3. Can I opt out of targeted ads?

Yes, you can opt out of targeted ads by adjusting your privacy settings or using ad-blocking software. However, this may also limit your access to personalized content and services.

4. Why do I see ads for products I've already purchased?

Targeted ads use data from your browsing history and online behavior, so they may not always be able to distinguish between items you have already purchased and ones you are still interested in. This can result in ads for products you have already bought appearing on your screen.

5. Are targeted ads a form of invasion of privacy?

Some people may view targeted ads as an invasion of privacy, as they use personal data to create personalized advertisements. However, targeted ads are also a way for companies to provide more relevant and useful content to their audiences.

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