Comments on: When Everything is an Advertisement and How to Cope

By: Gail

Gail — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:40:47 +0000

Several years ago we decided to cancel cable TV and use the money on something else. We have never connected it back up so we no longer get bombarded with commercials. Although we have an antennae up on the roof that could be connected to the TV, after living here for a year, we just haven’t bothered. We watch videos and DVD’s, many picked up at yard sales for cheap. Last year we canceled the newspaper and all it’s advertisements. I rarely turn on the radio and then it is supposedly ad free PBS. We haven’t missed a single ad nor do we have those longings for whatever we just saw on the TV.

Advertising on the TP is gross, but you can make an effort to control the biggest bunch of advertising and that is cut that cable cord! People had a life before TV and cable and if it was suddenly gone, they would still go on living! I have always been surprised by people who are so financially stressed that they don’t know how they will pay their bills, but they refuse to give up their TV addiction.

By: typome

typome — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:53:15 +0000

While advertising does offer free options such as television, a closer look at the process shows that it’s hardly “free” at all. If companies eliminated or toned down their advertising budgets (which tend to run in the millions and even billions), they could lower the cost of their products.

What may seem “free” (i.e. television) is usually paid for in other ways (higher costs for the advertised products).

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:44:14 +0000

A few thoughts:

1. You’re right about some conditions being made up. I know someone in medical advertising, and he said that restless leg syndrome actually WAS created by the pharmaceutical industry because they had a drug that helped that previously “undiscovered” condition but didn’t have a name/diagnosis for it.

2. If you do avoid a place of business whose advertising practices you don’t like, it helps to let them know why you’re doing it, so they realize that they’re not losing business because of the economy or your tastes, etc.

3. Also, though ads make some websites free to the user, don’t malls usually cover the cost of toilet paper in their restrooms even without the ads? I’m not buying classy’s argument.

By: GaelicWench

GaelicWench — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:46:25 +0000

Ah, the old addage, “There’s truth in advertising.” I agree. Advertising on toilet tissue in a public restroom is taking it too far.

Here’s how I see it…..I don’t like ads. But think of how much we’d have to pay for access to our favorite websites if it weren’t for the revenue the owner gets from the advertisers.

Worse yet, I’d hate to see what our cable and satellite dish bills would come to if it weren’t for all those blasted commercials.

Wonder if someone’s trying to come up with an internet-type Tivo?

By: classy

classy — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:07:23 +0000

That toilet paper with advertisements on it makes it free to you. Wouldn’t you rather have it there than none at all?

By: reginald

reginald — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:55:13 +0000

There is a difference between “recommending” and “advertising.” If she were to make money if you bought the books, that would be advertising. She is merely recommending them.

By: pfadvice

pfadvice — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:52:37 +0000

Look at this website of yours.

Look at all these GOOGLE ADS.

LOL

She gets a pass on this…although Jennifer writes for the site, she has no control over the ads on it – that is my responsibility. — Jeffrey Strain

By: Rose

Rose — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:50:31 +0000

I agree with a lot of your comments, so I’m sorry to be the one to tell you about this:

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/080416-cloud-ads.html

By: Joan.of.the.Arch

Joan.of.the.Arch — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:42:06 +0000

Hey, are you advertising those books?

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:32:25 +0000

Look at this website of yours.

Look at all these GOOGLE ADS.

LOL