Slashdot Mirror
Amazon Confirms Advertising Will Become a 'Meaningful' Part of Its Business (thedrum.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: Amazon's advertising business has loomed quietly in the digital media space for some time but the online behemoth has given the clearest indication yet that it will now come to the fore. Advertisers and agencies have been hearing Amazon-sized footsteps for some time but until now the business has erred away from revealing too much. However, on its latest earnings call Amazon was asked by one analyst as to whether advertising could become a more "meaningful part of the business" over the near to mid-term. "It's pretty early in the days with advertising but we're very pleased with the team we have and the results," said Amazon's chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky in response to another analyst query. "Our goal is to be helpful to consumers and enhance their shopping or their viewing experience with targeted recommendations, and we think a lot of the information we have and preferences of customers and recommendations help us do that for customers."
So then they're not doing ads? Make up your mind, Amazon!
Or maybe you're fat and proud?
I ordered a three-month supply of Cliff Bars, Power Bars and Fiber One bars. Not everything a fat person eat is unhealthy.
Amazon was great when it was just into selling books at the best prices. Now it's into market fixing, misleading people through skewed ads and search results, and stealing markets from people naive enough to use their services to make a store only to have Amazon take over the same market once it sees it's profitable. Looking at their prices and tools they are clear trying to manipulate markets in favors of sellers (aka companies selling) who then in turn buy their advertising/marketing services. And with the new server service, the data Amazon is mining now, it's trying to rival Google, and given Google's cross over into the category of "evil" through it's data collection , well, there is a new movie "The Circle" that may spell all this out. Google and Amazon are most likely going to be in direct competitors to each other soon. I truly hope to see someone compete with Amazon working with the consumers again. Would be a nice touch. It won't be Ebay who is basically doing the same thing.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
since i will not willingly pay for ads
So, more SPAM in everyones' inbox? Glad I deleted my Amazon account a while back when they had a security breach, then.
You're as addicted to carbs and sugar as any other fat-fuck, and you're fooling yourself into thinking those are 'healthier';
I'm on a low-carb diet. I eat ~150 grams of carbs per day. Two bars a day is less than half my carbs for the day.
Just give up and shovel down whole pizzas and boxes of cookies at a time, you know you want to!
Why would I want eat like a skinny person?
A company gets to a point where they're so successful, they just have to jump the shark and ruin their success.
Becoming hostile* towards your most loyal customers seems like a pretty good way to do that.
* Advertising is inherently hostile; if a user asks for a recommendation, that is not advertising.
A government is a body of people notably ungoverned - AC
When I go to Amazon.co.uk, their front-page is one long advert, or rather a large number of small adverts. Every page I visit is full of adverts for other products. It's been like this for a long time, so I'm scratching my head to understand why people might think that Amazon displaying adverts might suddenly be a problem when it clearly hasn't been previously.
LOLLLLLLLL. I think someone is projecting.
Casey Neistat had a video on why asshats tease those who have passion to change their lives. Haters and doubters fear successful people. Nothing is more worse than a successful fat person.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iQ8BGw13So
I don't care what all the old timers say. This place still has it.
I haven't been abused like this since... 1999.
When you do a google search, a couple of ad results normally float to the top. I imagine what Amazon is planning is something similar. You look for shoes and perhaps Clarks has a deal with Amazon to bring their shoes to the top.
As long as they clearly mark the ad as an ad, this won't drive me away from doing business with them. (they already have an ad section on a product page where similar sponsored products appear).
If the ads get any more invasive, I will certain switch. It's not like you can go into Walmart and avoid advertising. Sponsored deal end-caps and floating areas. Walk into Best Buy and you'll see the giant Samsung shrine that Samsung paid BB to set up.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Advertising is a crazy business, you need to attract people to your product/service without pissing them off, and it is very easy to step over that line.
Pissing off asshats on Slashdot has led to a significant increase of traffic to my personal blog and other websites. I'm on track to earn an extra $75+ in ad revenues for this month.
When I buy a tablet I would prefer not to have to pay extra to get it without adware pre-installed like the fire tablet.
When I buy a tablet I would prefer not to have to pay extra to get it without adware pre-installed like the fire tablet.
So would I, so would everyone.
Truth is though, the existence of the ad-supported tablet probably doesn't greatly affect the price of the ad-free tablet. If the ad-supported tablet didn't exist I don't think many people would be complaining about the cost of the ad-free tablet; it is priced competitively with other similar quality build/feature models.
They didn't bump the price of the ad-free model- they put a discount on the ad model because they expected to make more than the $20 difference selling advertising to your eyes over the life of the product. They forwent revenue today for more revenue in the future.
If you don't want Amazon to buy the rights to force feed you ads on a tablet, don't buy the ad supported tablet, buy the regularly priced one.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
I thought if they were making money from me when I bought crap off of their site they could hold back on the advertising.
Also Amazon has been advertising - in non-invasive ways - for years.
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
Dude, 150 grams/day is NOT a low-carb diet.
Low-carb diets are between 50 to 150 grams of carbs per day. The average person eats 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/150-carbs-per-day-still-considered-low-carb-7754.html
Your mileage may vary, but if you're on Slashdot I'm guessing you're not dong manual labor all day. ;)
Pushing a trackball all day is hard work. ;).
Master, Teach me. Haven't used /. in a long time. Is it possible to keep one's karma high while pissing people off? Or is it still necessary. Or do you just damn the torpedoes and go full steam ahead?
Caution: Contents under pressure
Today, but I worry that tomorrow that won't be an option, you'll pay premium price for adware pre-installed with no option to remove it. Kind of like cable I pay a subscription fee {actually I don't have cable anymore} and then get blasted with advertising anyway.
Is it possible to keep one's karma high while pissing people off?
I've been on Slashdot since 1999. I got so much karma that it'll take me years to piss away.
Today, but I worry that tomorrow that won't be an option, you'll pay premium price for adware pre-installed with no option to remove it. Kind of like cable I pay a subscription fee {actually I don't have cable anymore} and then get blasted with advertising anyway.
It's possible, but it would have to be at an Operating System level. Right now there are literally dozens of companies branding their own tablets, no-one could get away with it easily.
Operating systems there are only 2 big players (3 if you count MS). Forced ads would most likely be introduced at the OS level if at all. (or by an ISP hijacking your connection)
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Roger that. Preciate it.
Based upon our ID numbers it looks to me like I been on ./ a bit longer than you. Been away for about 5 years now. But never built up any real karma while I was here. I always thought I couldn't get more than N number karma points. A hard ceiling if you will. Hmmm.
Regardless, I probably don't have enough karma to last me more than a week.
I did read your blog a bit. Saw your commentary about the FAQ and how it brought a lot of traffic to you. At least that is my interpretation.
My gut tells me it really would not matter if my karma was bad. Swatting asshats, as you call them, down to size will get you attention.
Caution: Contents under pressure
Run a fakespot.com check on any of Amazon's piece of shit "sponsored" products and you'll find every single one engages in deceitful review manipulation. I guarantee it. With uh...internet points.
I use pihole on my nas, opendns, and ublock origin, and fakespot is still my most useful tool when shopping.
Then, go do something that keeps you active for at least an hour a day, and try to work in a half hour of weightlifting three or four days a week.
I want to get slimmer, not bigger.
Sitting on your ass in the basement waiting for scripts to run doesn't qualify [...]
My second-story office has a view that overlooks a roofline.
https://twitter.com/cdreimer/status/858056822648750080/photo/1
[...] no matter HOW long a walk it is to the vending machines.
Why would I buy food out of the vending machine? That's a waste of money.
If that's your definition of low-carb, you'd be better off eating two snicker's bars, then. Snickers bars have fewer calories, and fewer carbs.
Let's compare the labels.
Snicker's Bar (2x): 500 calories, 24g total fat, 9g sat fat, 54g sugars, 240mg sodium.
Cliff Bar/Fiber One: 390 calories, 9.5g total fat, 3.5g sat fat, 30g sugars, 270mg sodium.
The Cliff Bar/Fiber One combo has fewer calories, fewer total fat, fewer saturated fat, fewer sugars but more salt than a pair of Snickers.
Swatting asshats, as you call them, down to size will get you attention.
"Swatting" is when you call the police to send over the SWAT team in a prank call to disrupt someone's life. You can think about doing it but I wouldn't recommend doing it.
Because one of the best ways to lose weight and keep it off is to build muscle by doing weight-bearing exercises.
Been there, done that. Over ten years ago, I lifted weights for a year and went from 325 pounds to 375 pounds. Considering how hard it was to find 4XL shirts, I stopped lifting weights, switched to cardio, dropped to 350 pounds, and went back to 2XL shirts. I still have the muscle mass. That's why I look like a football player and not a butterball. Prior to that I rode my bike 20 miles a day for three years to get a restaurant job.
From there, it's a short stretch to imagine that the Cheetos vending machine in your office has your finger prints (and other, nastier secretions) all over it.
From there you go back to your stereotype of fat people. How stupid can you be?
Sure - except 2/3 of what you're saying you eat (Power Bars and Clif Bars) have more calories, more carbs, and more sodium than a snickers bar.
Before you were recommending TWO Snickers. After I compared the labels and proved that my combo is better than your combo, you're now recommending ONE Snickers.
I suggest you stop talking out of your ass and stop giving nutritional advice to fat people.
Eh, My mind is other places today. Thanks for the patience.
Caution: Contents under pressure
Eh, My mind is other places today. Thanks for the patience.
I know that feeling. I got 30+ people jabbering in my headset on a conference call that doesn't really concern me. But something might roll downhill and I'll need to shovel it up.
Oh wait - just clicked your homepage link.
There are two kinds of people on Slashdot: those who visit my website, see my picture and call me a fat fuck, and everyone else.
The "have two snickers bars instead" comment was what is commonly known as sarcasm, pointing out that your energy bar consumption is as bad as, if not worse than, eating candy bars.
Are you the asshat who told me that I need a bowl of candy to stay on the treadmill? I didn't see a bowl candy at morning working at the gym.
https://twitter.com/cdreimer/status/858405712317210624
Fat people whining about how hard it is to lose fat are simply unwilling to make the lifestyle changes required.
I eat less than most skinny people. I work out more than most skinny people. I still get lectured by skinny people who are indignant that I accepted being big as a normal part of my life instead of wallowing in self-piety and playing the victim game.
You got fat by living the way you do.
No, my genetics chose that I should be fat. My bone structure is three times bigger than my mother's and twice as big as my father's. I had a sixth-grade principal who called them in for a conference because he was going to shame them for having a fat kid. Except he was shocked to discover that my parents were skinny as can be and made for an awkward meeting. A half-dozen school-ordered blood tests by specialist failed to resolve this mystery. It wasn't until after my mother passed away that I came across family photos from the 1900's that I realized that I wasn't the only big person in the family.
Just do your thing and don't worry about what the twats on /. think.
I'm just playing with the trolls. Self-righteous skinny people lecturing on weight loss are a funny bunch.
you take something other people would be ashamed of and brag about it?
What it is that I'm supposed to be ashamed of?
my 85 year old gramma can walk it in 20
Take another look at the treadmill picture. I'm walking 3 MPH on a 3% incline, which simulates the "intensity" of running. I doubt your gramma can do that without falling off and breaking her hip.
http://www.runnersworld.com/ask-coach-jenny/what-incline-should-i-use-on-my-treadmill
Normal walking - do you take a full hour for that mile or just ride your fucking scooter.
Takes me 30 minutes to walk a mile at my regular pace or 15 minutes if I'm in a hurry to catch the express bus. That's walking, not running. I don't want to end up like those skinny guys hobbling around after knee surgery because they had to show off at basketball.
no one called you a fat fuck you fat stupid fuck.
How little do you know your fellow asshats. Based on the lack of capitalization, I think the last comment link is yours.
https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=8942041&cid=51871271
https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9149275&cid=52174651
https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9149275&cid=52178831
https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9149275&cid=52173709
https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10264419&cid=53893915
https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10523405&cid=54291747
You are supposed to be ashamed of taking 20 minutes to walk 0.85 miles on a 3% incline.
Really? I'm supposed to be ashamed of my workout? Excuse me... ROFL...
You don't walk faster or run because you're worried about knee surgery that professional athletes need?
I'm not talking about professional basketball players. I'm talking about skinny white guys who pushed each other at basketball harder, get hurt, hobble around like veterans, and telling everyone how great they were before they got crippled for life. These are the same guys who scream like a pregnant woman while working out at the gym.
You're not even an average human being.
Thank God!
So you have a choice: work harder at stripping it away, or remain a lazy, fat slob.
I'm going to continue what I've always done: stick to my diet, continue to exercise, make changes where necessary, and I don't listen to the asshats.
If they let you shovel food into yourself and don't make you get exercise, that's not genetics - that IS bad parenting.
I ate the exact same food that my parents' ate. My older brother is skinny and he ate the same food as I did. But he weighed five pounds at birth. I weighed ten pounds at birth.
All of the "genetics" and "just big boned" talk is bullshit your mom fed you to make you feel better about yourself.
My mother frequently told me that she would have aborted if she knew I was a mongoloid (I wasn't but I was the poster child for mongolism and took Special Ed classes because the schools got extra funding in the 1970's). She was too busy throwing beer bottles, plates and pots at my head when she got drunk. Like many asshats on Slashdot, she also thought I was piece of shit that came out of the wrong hole. My life improved substantially when I stopped listening to my mother.
Kid is shocked and amazed, and concludes that it must be some double-recessive mutant gene that makes him fat, not his lifestyle choices.
Everyone in my family is skinny except for me. Either I'm biggest fuck up in the family or I have a "double-recessive mutant gene" that makes me big (not fat).
I'm there with you bro, for sure.
Thank you!
Or perhaps it's the flora in your gut.
The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!