Do you feel violated or just making statements about it's behavior?
-DF
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hey doug. look at it like this. the usenet and or software apps to
access the usenet to my knowledge has never imposed marketing on a
reader of ngs. so on that level it's noteworthy. beyond that.
beyond that, if I'm the Director of Marketing for Nike or PowerBar or
Gatorade or Nasal Strips or some orthortics manufacturer or
RoadRunnerSports or any of the thousands of brands or product words we
say in discussion here.....I would have one employee who's job it was
to enter lots of ngs were our product category is bantered about.
Assume numerous identities, posture as a regular in the ng...and drive
our Google WordAd triggers in threads. My goal would be to make sure
every visitor of that ng that day was exposed to our URL/link/ad 3, 4,
or 5 times per day. During the course of a single week...now...a
typical user of this ng..if using Google to access the ng....might be
exposed to a RoadRunnerSports Ad/link/URL 230 or 50 times a
week.....maybe 200 times over the course of a month....who knows.
All companies can work their product in the threads routinely. If the
word "nutrition" triggers a PowerBar ad....well it's very easy to
innocently posture and say "nutrition" in lots of topics on this ng and
dozens of other ngs on the usenet.
On another point. We now are all part of the advertising machine
being used by Google on one side, and the companies on the other.
Who's paying us for the product placement we're generating? We're
adding value, driving advertising and furthering brand awareness.
Some may not see it but the integrity of the usenet just dropped a few
notches. Yes, I feel used Doug, and so should you all. Yes, I will
somehow manage to live with it. The business model employed is
relying on the passive unaware nature of those on the usenet and those
unable to recognize/ascertain wherein they are part of the chain
creating value. In sum, Google and the companies are "skimming" value
off the top of all of us....and since it's ever so slight and
minor....they're hoping we don't give it 2 seconds of thought and don't
examine it in a business context and model. Most won't, it will
work.
It's the principle, not the degree of the violation that's noteworthy.
If someone walked up to me on the street and said, "can I advertise
with intent to profit from what you say?". My reply would be
"well...since I'm a link in the creating value chain...shouldn't I
receive some form of compensation or aspect of value too?".
Sorry folks...I just have value "radar" that goes off when I'm being
pimped. Yes, I will live with this pimping, but I am being pimped no
doubt. Yes, I go out of my way to not wear apparel with huge logos
emblazoned on it...as those companies are not paying me. don't
laugh..i am dead serious about that. i go out of my way not to be a
friggen billboard for companies. i tolerate the small subtle logos as
it's impossible to get good gear without them.
it's too bad most people are ignorant to when they are being used to
generate revenue and advertising. We're being used, everyone's
getting paid except us. Solution? Google should offer free net
access to all who write 500 words or more (for example) on the usnet.
i would qualify in one posting LOL!! they have a gizzillion dollars
and computers. is there something wrong with asking to be compensated
when you are being used?
if people in the millions in mass broke it down in this simple context
.....with the threat of abandoment of Google for usenet use and boycott
of Google advertisers...it would happen in 24 hours. Again...for the
most part...the public to be blunt...is stupid. We're all bending
over, getting pimped, taking it up the ass....and enriching the pockets
of some pimply faced Y generation kid who takes his skateboard to work
at Google and has more money than god. We all now work for Google.
However some of us don't get paid....and I see me as one of them!
OK, I'm through with my rant. Yes, I'm sensitive when it comes down
to people profting on me, especially when they have a ton of money.
