My High Tech Blog
Everyone has a Blog it appears. OK this is mine. My professional Blog. In fact I have two others on another site, and no I am not going to tell you where. Those are anon and will stay that way thank you very much. Not sure what I am going to write here. I'll just go with the flow.
Tuesday 8 May 2007, 12:09 AM
Those B****y adverts
I think of the Internet as a resource. A place where I can go searching for information. OK the pioneering days of the Internet are over and big business is here. That means big money. Or more to the point my money. My surfing experience appears to be dodging between a constant stream of advertisements. All with the single desire to part me from my money.
I realise there is no such thing as a free lunch and computers, servers, transcontinental Internet links have to be paid for somehow but many sites now are purely funded from advertisements. Also, judging by what I hear, this is set to increase.
So, a little bit of advertising has never hurt anyone. Well maybe not, I tend to put drive past those roadside posters without much thought, those breaks during the TV programmes are just right opportunities to go to the loo and those hoardings around football pitches become part of the background after a couple of minutes.
Sadly technology is getting in the way. The roadside posters, I've already notice at least one giant screen flashing up “information” for road users. Those hoardings at football pitches? They move now. Try concentrating on some fine set piece, combined with skilful footwork leading to a curved ball into the back of the net while some display for a sports clothing brand is being flashed up behind the goal. Sorry it doesn't work for me.
It's even getting worse on TV. Sponsored programmes, every junction in and out of an advert break and you get a 5 second reminder of who is sponsoring this programme. Yes OK, it's paying for fine high quality British television, but I don't want to see another aerial shot of people creating images of cars, a telephone, rockets or whatever in the name of Talk-Talk. You are getting in the way. Oh and by the way, are you paying for the programmes or increasing the profit margin of the TV companies?
Sadly I must also gripe at our own ZDNet. As you read my ramblings. Take a look elsewhere on your computer screen. Is there by any chance an animated advert? Yes very clever, very Flash!! and after about 30 seconds very annoying. OK I've seen it, read it, decided I don't want to buy, now just go away and let me surf in peace.
I realise there is no such thing as a free lunch and computers, servers, transcontinental Internet links have to be paid for somehow but many sites now are purely funded from advertisements. Also, judging by what I hear, this is set to increase.
So, a little bit of advertising has never hurt anyone. Well maybe not, I tend to put drive past those roadside posters without much thought, those breaks during the TV programmes are just right opportunities to go to the loo and those hoardings around football pitches become part of the background after a couple of minutes.
Sadly technology is getting in the way. The roadside posters, I've already notice at least one giant screen flashing up “information” for road users. Those hoardings at football pitches? They move now. Try concentrating on some fine set piece, combined with skilful footwork leading to a curved ball into the back of the net while some display for a sports clothing brand is being flashed up behind the goal. Sorry it doesn't work for me.
It's even getting worse on TV. Sponsored programmes, every junction in and out of an advert break and you get a 5 second reminder of who is sponsoring this programme. Yes OK, it's paying for fine high quality British television, but I don't want to see another aerial shot of people creating images of cars, a telephone, rockets or whatever in the name of Talk-Talk. You are getting in the way. Oh and by the way, are you paying for the programmes or increasing the profit margin of the TV companies?
Sadly I must also gripe at our own ZDNet. As you read my ramblings. Take a look elsewhere on your computer screen. Is there by any chance an animated advert? Yes very clever, very Flash!! and after about 30 seconds very annoying. OK I've seen it, read it, decided I don't want to buy, now just go away and let me surf in peace.
