Why not just collectively reject ads and fight for the spaces we have left instead.
How? Just say no?
Hell ya. That works.
Be aware of ads. Not just the ones that are obvious. Be aware of the guy on your favorite GOT thrones instance posting about these cool new shirts he found online. Be skeptical of the ads right before Christmas where the viral video also has the same uncanny product placement of the full label in view of the camera as the girl jumps on the trampoline. Be aware. And then call it out.
Hell if you truly want to go back to OG internet go the Chicago way. Every ad you find, create 2 anti ads yourself saying how that t-shirt looks cool but you bought it and it ripped easily, after all if it isn’t an ad who cares. If you see people posting a temu night light, maybe you knew someone who had one but it burned down their house. Fuck these ads up. They took our internet and turned it into a swap meet. Counter advertise.
Use their tactics against them. Counter advertising works as a test to see where your favorite sites are headed. Reddit would ban accounts by the end who were screwing with their ad spaces.
And let’s get back to the idea of people being sellouts
Why not?
It’s probably the only way. If ads work by being inconspicuous and manipulates people by making us believe we need something we don’t by making us feel inadequate and scared and envious through cultural appeals why wouldn’t it work in reverse by making more people aware what ads are and secondly by showing people these products suck. If every ad dollar needs to risk having counter advertising they will stop or just make it legal or ban everyone who does it with the help of admin and mods. Either way it’s a win for all of us systematically.
We all shit post already. What’s an extra few comments to call out the people who have ruined all our favorite places.
