RE: Is Invasion of Privacy The Answer?

From: Charles Lewis <webmaster_at_webprozone.com>
Date: Wed 21 Mar 2001 12:41:16 -0600

ADRIAN HARVEY <aharvey_at_sympatico.ca> WROTE:

>Trying to read content on websites is like driving
>down mainstreet Las Vegas...BILLBOARDS, PLACARDS,
>FLASH!FLASH! FLASH! ROADBLOCKS...ATTENTION AND FLOW
>KILLERS...WHERE AM I?

>Pretty soon we won't be able to see the text at all
>for ad detritus...

>Smart, moneyed, task-oriented consumers who use the
>Web daily (the most important people on earth to us
>all) want helpful, relevant info that addresses their
>specific interests and needs...not annoyance beyond
>belief...and you're expecting ad agencies to commit
>more of their clients' money to an approach that will
>*totally piss consumers off moreso than now!!* How
>much more do you want to alienate consumers? They have
>already had enough of being treated like brainless
>eyeballs by the dotcommers......right?

I could not agree with you more, Adrian! Now here's my
controvertial rant for the day.

If these smart, moneyed, task-oriented consumers *want*
this helpful, relevant info that addresses their
specific interests and needs, they will still have to
view ads.

My point is that some day they will no longer be
un-targeted billboards -- but each ad will be
specifically targeted to a certain person based on
information about them collected through various
sources. Consumers will be identified by their IP
addresses, and banners will be an extinct species (YES!)

A few examples of these might be cookies which reside on
their computer, surveys they have taken over the course
of their life on the Internet, etc, etc.

Here's what I'm worried about:

Invasion of my privacy will be the only way for
advertisers to launch that *surgical strike* marketing
campaign. Do I have a problem with that?

No -- absolutely not

...just so long as it's used for the purpose it was
intended.

My $0.02,

Charles Lewis, Author
"A Complete Online E-ducation"
http://www.coe-d.com/



Received on Wed Mar 21 2001 - 12:41:16 CST