alt Hacker NewsAds that are well target aren't jarring. They are just part of the magazine.
I remember reading ads about a specific make of vacuum pumps next to an article with experiments which used them.
Today's ads are so obtrusive because you get toilet seat ads next to an article about general relativity.
Replies
cortesoft • today at 3:09 PM
It’s content targeting vs reader targeting.
I agree, content targeting feels less jarring because it fits with what you are reading.
flexagoon • today at 2:18 PM
> I remember reading ads about a specific make of vacuum pumps next to an article with experiments which used them.
Doesn't that just create a very obvious conflict of interest and nullify the credibility of the article?
➕ show 1 reply
The toilet seat ad was well targeted (you have to read somewhere).
More seriously though, print advertising was able to target readers based upon the demographics of the publications readership. They didn't track people across their online life and beyond. (That said, there definitely was some tracking.)