When was the last time you saw an ad on the web (while browsing, not reading an article about the best digital ads) and you though – “Wow, that is amazing!”?
Unless you are very observant, have great memory and are browsing only high quality websites you can’t remember even a single ad. That, sadly, is the state of the web in 2017. And it could get worse.
Soon mobile carriers in the US will have the chance to create their own ad networks and essentially advertise to you and even freely resell that data without the user’s consent.
Similar things have been happening for a while now and they have not been able to bring “better ads” to users, just more ads, crappier ads. The web, however, is running on advertising. Most websites you visit or services you use don’t ask you for money or even have a paid version. The user is the commodity here and the customers are the big brands.
Can we talk about fair news coverage when media has to always think about their sponsors? Some companies try to diversify or go paid only. Can every website do it? And if yes, can every person afford it?
Probably not. And until someone figures a better way, the worst offenders will be adblocked and the ones I see value in will be permitted to serve me ads.