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This Headline Is Not for Sale

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the nickel-for-the dept.

r.jimenezz writes "Adam Penenberg's latest article on Wired News discusses the growing trend of inserting ads more directly into online content, as publishers strive to keep readers clicking and to stretch advertising dollars, most of which go to a few big companies. He mentions the example of Vibrant Media, which links 'certain words in an article' directly to ads, and has been covered before on Slashdot, as have Penenberg's previous articles."

5 of 275 comments (clear)

  1. This was bound to happen sooner or later by HMA2000 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is one of the promises of the early web coming true. Hyperlinked text that will take you anywhere you want to go. Considering that it is advertisers (usually) that pay the salaries of online media folk it is not at all surprising that advertisers get what they want.

  2. Toms Hardware by StevenHenderson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I find the trend of inserting ads into article text annoying and distracting. I, for one, would never buy anything off of such a link, but obviously people are, or else this practice would die down. See this is practice with any of the articles at:
    http://www.tomshardware.com/

  3. Information or commercial? by jstave · · Score: 5, Insightful
    ...because readers are in control; they have the option of running their mouse over the words and clicking on the links.

    Except, now there's apparently no way to tell the difference between an informational link inserted by the author and commercial crap that will just waste your time if you click on it.

    Unless there's some way to turn this off, or filter it out, this just looks like another step in the removal of the internet's informational utility to me.

  4. Re:How to block them ... by BlackHawk-666 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I never click on the banners, and since most revenue is now derived from click-throughs, I don't see the point in displaying them on my machine. Why should I be *forced* to see some ad when I don't have to. In any case, those greedy bastards would expand advertising into every possible medium, not because they aren't already making money (they are) but because they always want more money. On the very few sites which carry ads I am interested in I let the server display them (Penny Arcade, SlashDot).

    --
    All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
  5. Re:How to block them ... by bobintetley · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why do you do it? Do you think that servers and bandwidth pay for themselves?

    Exactly! It's my fucking bandwidth and I'm not paying to see their advert!