It's just that the price tag is so well hidden that ordinary users really believe this.
And if they die believing that, what price did they really pay? I don't think the difference mostly comes down to a lack of knowledge or understanding, but more a difference of care or assigned value. There are a lot of smart people on HN, but with that often comes exaggerated anxieties and paranoias. If most people don't give a crap about giving their data to Google or allowing the big bad advertisements to penetrate their feeble minds or whatever, vociferously beating that drum just amounts to old-man-yelling-at-cloud-esque FUD.
Things 'barely even registering to most people' is not as strong a position as you may think it is.
I understand that logically that is neither here nor there, it was more just an expression of exasperation. It's kind of like how I'm equally blown away by how much energy some people put into anti-abortion laws. It's like, ok, everyone can have their opinions, and there's plenty of reasonable discussion to be had, but to put so much negative energy into something that's like, is this really the battle that's worth this much outrage right now? There are literally genocides and violent deportations going on around us. Google are not the bad guys.
Also, I don't use any kind of ad blocker. There are definitely lots of ad-infested unusable experiences out there but Google products are generally among the classiest and most unobtrusive.
The people that put effort into anti-abortion laws are usually trying to force their view of how other people should live onto those other people.
I block ads out of my life because I am easily distracted and have seen the internet go from a great place to a billboard that continuously screams at me for my attention. It's pure self-preservation, I don't begrudge you your 45 minutes of advertising time per day at all.
The anti-abortion example was extreme and perhaps uncalled for but I just really think there are numerous social issues far more worthy of dumping ire into, and that point has not really been contested by anyone in this thread. Why is this so important to this segment of people?
Curious how you arrived at the 45 minute figure. Maybe back in the day if you watched TV with commercials all day. Even watching YouTube all day I doubt I could break 15. Ads on Instagram, Facebook, most Google products, often consume a fraction of a second to get past. I will grant that there is a pervasiveness and we are exposed to a higher number of ads in the fabric of our daily lives than before and I agree that it is distasteful and inelegant but again, at the end of the day...really doesn't seem like that big of a "problem" for society, especially when you do consider the upside of all of the free things people get from ad-supported models. YouTube is an absolute godsend for dissemination of information and knowledge at the fingertips of every individual with a connected device so who really gives a damn if you have to watch a few ads? This is the evil in the world we're gonna crusade against?
And the crazy thing is, with targeted ads and so many niche products and companies out there, sometimes you actually see something you would like to buy! HN: Ugh, disgusting, you buy things?
And if they die believing that, what price did they really pay? I don't think the difference mostly comes down to a lack of knowledge or understanding, but more a difference of care or assigned value. There are a lot of smart people on HN, but with that often comes exaggerated anxieties and paranoias. If most people don't give a crap about giving their data to Google or allowing the big bad advertisements to penetrate their feeble minds or whatever, vociferously beating that drum just amounts to old-man-yelling-at-cloud-esque FUD.
Things 'barely even registering to most people' is not as strong a position as you may think it is.
I understand that logically that is neither here nor there, it was more just an expression of exasperation. It's kind of like how I'm equally blown away by how much energy some people put into anti-abortion laws. It's like, ok, everyone can have their opinions, and there's plenty of reasonable discussion to be had, but to put so much negative energy into something that's like, is this really the battle that's worth this much outrage right now? There are literally genocides and violent deportations going on around us. Google are not the bad guys.
Also, I don't use any kind of ad blocker. There are definitely lots of ad-infested unusable experiences out there but Google products are generally among the classiest and most unobtrusive.