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MySpace Treads Carefully With "HyperTargeting"

Posted by kdawson on from the opt-out-in-whatever dept.

Ian Lamont writes "MySpace is preparing to boost its advertising systems, by launching a targeted ad platform called HyperTargeting and creating a Web-based system that lets vendors purchase ads without dealing with human sales teams. HyperTargeting will 'look at a person's interests listed on their public profile and then classify the user into particular interest-specific categories.' MySpace claims that early tests resulted in a 300 percent increase in the number of ad click-throughs. The company apparently learned a lot from Facebook's earlier experiences with Beacon — MySpace members will be able to opt out of HyperTargeting, according to the company."

2 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. They haven't learned by solweil · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It sounds like they haven't learned from Facebook. I thought the whole problem is that Facebook had an opt-out rather than opt-in system. This supposed improvement is also an opt-out system.

    1. Re:They haven't learned by lbgator · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I don't know if this was a serious comment or not, but I have recently taken this tactic. Griping on /. is important so that your views get spread around amongst your peers, but after you have an informed decision - start griping to your elected officials.

      Don't like net neutrality? Don't like IP/Copyright law? Don't like the fact that stevia can't be sold as a food additive? Write your govenor/senator/congressman/whomever and let them know. The reason we get these BS systems in place is because the a**hats are in the ears of our representatives. It takes five minutes to write an email - it doesn't have to be eloquent or anything. Just a quick "hey I'm a regular dude and I think that such and such is no good". If the /. crowd in general would take that tactic we could start fighting about xhtml 5 or something.