Opting out of Internet Advertising

[P5-133XL]

In response to increased privacy concerns of directed advertising many of the major internet advertising companies have created an Opt-out policy. I have no idea if it actually does any good, but you may want to try it if the issue matters to you.


http://networkadvertising.org/

I do note that the imunize function of Spybot does interfere with the creation of the Opt-out cookies that are created by several of the advertisers.

 

[Mercutio]

That would've been a lot more interesting and useful back in about 1998, before there was such a thing as Adblock Plus.

 

[hacksaw]

Things like adblock worry me, as they kill the primary source of revenue for the majority of sites that I like. And as I only visit sites that I like or have some interest in, that leads me to ask why I would want to kill their source of revenue? I'd hate for them to disappear because everyone started blocking their ads.

The solution P5-133XL has found looks like a good compromise for those who have privacy concerns related to advertising. From the looks of it, it doesn't block ads for someone, instead it's designed to limit the building of a database on that person's web-viewing habits.

Personally I just block cookies from advertisers, so it wouldn't do me much good. But for others who are less used to controlling what advertisers know about them, I'll suggest that site to them. Thanks for the link P5-133XL.

 

[LunarMist]

I clear the cookies at least 10 times a day. Is that enough to stop them?

 

[Bozo]

Isn't that doing the same as the Host File fix?

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Bozo :joker:

 

[Mercutio]

Things like adblock worry me, as they kill the primary source of revenue for the majority of sites that I like. And as I only visit sites that I like or have some interest in, that leads me to ask why I would want to kill their source of revenue? I'd hate for them to disappear because everyone started blocking their ads.

I operate on the NPR/PBS principle. If the sites need money from me, they can ask and I will provide it directly. I will not subject myself to commercial speech and in fact I'm genuinely uncomfortable with any amount of marketing that is greater than zero.

I have a subscription to salon.com and slashdot. I pay for a couple porn sites that I enjoy. I've given money to web cartoonists. I try to make sure that Handruin has a decent PC every few years.

But I see no reason, none whatsoever, to deal with advertising or advertisers. Particularly when banner ad networks have history of nonpayment or of screwing over their customer web sites.

 

[jtr1962]

But I see no reason, none whatsoever, to deal with advertising or advertisers. Particularly when banner ad networks have history of nonpayment or of screwing over their customer web sites.

Not to mention that in general when a product needs heavy advertising to sell it's proably a case of a company trying to sell what they feel like making as opposed to what the consumer wants. Good products sell themselves via word of mouth.