SPAM vs. billboards, ads on buses, benches, names etc...

[Mucman]

We are bombarded by advertisements all of our lives. I hate the fact that when I go to a hockey
game, the venue is General Motors Place. Or when I am on the bus I am contained in a 74 passenger
advertisement (and paying for it). Heck, everyone is sick of all the banners that exist online.

My question is why is there such a massive uproar over spam? Quite frankly, I hate all advertising, but
the only way for me to escape from it is either to suck a gun, or move to Antartica. Sadly, neither
appeal so I have to suffer through the ads.

How far will advertising go? Or is E-mail advertising the final straw? I already hear that many cell phone
users get the occasional SMS message Spam now.

 

[BD2003]

The difference is that when we see an ad on a bus, its not our bus. When spam comes through our email, its OUR email, our isp, our bandwidth, our bandwidth, and our time. We do not get paid for this, whereas the bus company DOES get paid.

 

[brunswickite]

Originally posted by: Mucman
We are bombarded by advertisements all of our lives. I hate the fact that when I go to a hockey
game, the venue is General Motors Place. Or when I am on the bus I am contained in a 74 passenger
advertisement (and paying for it). Heck, everyone is sick of all the banners that exist online.

My question is why is there such a massive uproar over spam? Quite frankly, I hate all advertising, but
the only way for me to escape from it is either to suck a gun, or move to Antartica. Sadly, neither
appeal so I have to suffer through the ads.

How far will advertising go? Or is E-mail advertising the final straw? I already hear that many cell phone
users get the occasional SMS message Spam now.

if you did not have all that advertising you would be paying alot more to ride the bus, or go to a hockey game....

 

[Mucman]

BD2003, true but what about the eye pollution

brunswickite, I'm not supporting or bashing either... I understand that ads having provided a lot
for the general public... it's just a disturbing way to achieve it.

They should have a no SPAM database just like the one at the donotcall.gov site.

 

[Ldir]

Originally posted by: BD2003
The difference is that when we see an ad on a bus, its not our bus. When spam comes through our email, its OUR email, our isp, our bandwidth, our bandwidth, and our time. We do not get paid for this, whereas the bus company DOES get paid.

I agree. Advertisers pay for other kinds of advertising. We pay for spam. It's like a collect phone call.

Each spam doesn't cost much individually, but all together they're about 50% of all email now. That means your ISP is paying twice as much for storage and bandwidth. That means we're paying more.

 

[Ldir]

Originally posted by: Mucman
BD2003, true but what about the eye pollution

brunswickite, I'm not supporting or bashing either... I understand that ads having provided a lot
for the general public... it's just a disturbing way to achieve it.

They should have a no SPAM database just like the one at the donotcall.gov site.

The problem is most spammers are dishonest. They would use a do-not-spam database as a verified list of email addresses for spam. To avoid US laws, they'll just spam from other countries.

 

[AntaresVI]

Well, i don't think its as much about cost as it is about time and personal experience. You are *required*, in most cases, to view spam before you delete it - even if just to see the subject line in Outlook. It also invades your personal space (your inbox, phone)

Billboards, and other public advertisements, are just that - public. You aren't required to view them, or even consider them. They aren't restricting your daily function and invading your personal space like targeted ads do.

 

[Kevin]

I love how PC World and PC Magazine are always bitching about popup ads and website banners. I want to write in and say "F-ck you, your magazine has atleast 5 business reply fall outs and advertisments on 75% of the entire magainze. You have the nerve to bitch about internet advertising, shut the f-ck up."

That has to be one of the things that pisses me off the most...

 

[MeanMeosh]

i have a choice: to look at physical ads or not look at them - both without spending any physical resources (except to turn your head). with spam, i don't get that luxury. i have to spend 5 mins every day deleting all my spam, and unsibscribing from what look like legit ones (i'm stupid, but it works)