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1. wdr1+(OP)[view] [source] 2025-12-06 21:27:11
> Time to ban all adverts everywhere. I'm not the only one who is fed up with ads.

This is a terrible idea. Users should have choice & control.

I'll say something that on the surface level seems controversial, at least to HN: Some users prefer ads. And those users should be allowed that choice.

Ads are part of a value exchange. It's disingenuous, imho, to frame the question as "Do you want 'X' with or without ads?" Absent any other criteria most people would naturally say without ads. But I feel it's disingenuous because it overlooks the value exchange.

A better example: Would you prefer Netflix with ads for $7.99/month with ads, or $17.99/month without ads?

A lot of people are choosing the ads tiers. It's the fastest growing tier. Personally, I have the ads-free tier, but I can make that choice for myself. The people wanting the ads tier should be able to make that choice too. I don't see the value in taking it away from them.

I don't deny there are bad experiences. I do think Samsung is making a mistake & damaging customer trust with the refrigerator thing. I likely won't be buying one in the future.

Like anything, advertising can be done well or it can be done badly. I don't use Instagram myself, but I have a lot of friends who love fashion who do & say they're on their to follow brands & find deals. They find the ads a good way to discover some new fashion product & snag a good discount.

Likewise Amazon sent a catalog to my house. My kids are using it to think of what they want to ask Santa. A catalog is basically a book of ads.

replies(2): >>faster+H1 >>isthat+Bd
2. faster+H1[view] [source] 2025-12-06 21:43:33
>>wdr1+(OP)
This is one of the major political problems of the 21st century, convincing people that many of the problems they see in society are in fact free choices made by individuals, and not necessarily something that needs to be fixed from the top down. The human tendency to impose one's own preferences on others is strong, and it seems every generation needs to learn the lesson anew.
3. isthat+Bd[view] [source] 2025-12-06 23:27:04
>>wdr1+(OP)
Freedom from ads seems like a fundamental human right, and necessary for freedom of thought. "Unskippable" ads seem incompatible with freedom of thought.

> "Users should have choice & control."

Given that people currently are not able to choose to be free from advertisements in any practical way, even if abstaining from luxuries, some sort of severe regulation seems necessary.

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