Computer Support Blog

How would you feel if every time you made a telephone call, you had to listen to an advertisement?  What if, periodically, while you spoke on the telephone, your conversation was interrupted by advertisers trying to sell you on their products and services?  Would it be possible to feel anything but outrage if that sort of advertising not only occurred, but was based upon the topics of the private conversation you were having?  This sort of privacy violation seems utterly, almost indisputably, wrong when it comes to a hypothetical situation involving telecommunications, yet each and every day, Internet users accept that exact circumstance.  Why?

The Internet as a communications medium has been pretty thoroughly co-opted.  In its infancy, that the Internet was a way for people to communicate was obvious; you used your phone line, sent an e-mail and beyond that, there was remarkably little content online.  And what content was present on the Internet was largely news groups and message boards; the Internet was clearly a form of communication.  Today, the Internet has far more bells and whistles, but it remains, at its heart, a tool for communication.  The entire purpose of a website is to communicate some form of information to the viewer – be it a product, service, news, form of entertainment, or even expose what people in your life are up to.

So, why do you let advertisers bombard you on the Internet without raising a ruckus?

The truth is, most people do not actively consider the Internet a communications medium or they do not apply the same standards to it.  Unlike broadcast television that comes out over public airwaves, the Internet is a paid service.  At some level, everyone pays for their Internet connectivity.  Perhaps you pay your cable company for Internet service or you might use a DSL service or pay for connectivity through a company like Earthlink.  That makes it much more analogous to a premium cable channel or a telephone bill than a network television feed.  HBO and your telephone company do not bombard you with advertisements, why should the Internet?

The problem is that no one holds the ISP responsible for ad blocking.  Most every e-mail service now contains a spam blocker, limiting the volume of spam.  If you connect to the Internet using the same company as an Internet Service Provider, you should ask them about their ad blocking tools.  If everyone refused to pay for services that allowed advertisers to have access to their information and their attention, the service providers would adapt or their business would fail as customers moved to the ISPs who prioritized customers over advertisers.  If it seems like a radical notion, consider how many customers leave banks when “free checking” is changed to a service with a fee attached and consider the telephone analogy.

If enough people changed their perspective, it would change the Internet.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Filed under: business, david milman, Internet, networks, news, performance, rescuecom