The ad tech renaissance
I don&#x27;t see any mention of ad blockers. Are these seen as having a significant effect on the online advertising industry? Are there any serious proposals to deal with them other than continuing the ad-blocker-blocker-blocker... arms race?<p>It seems that there&#x27;s an increasing understanding among publishers that low-quality and intrusive ads encourage their visitors to use ad blockers or another site. Several relatively high-profile sites (like The New Yorker) have stopped using networks like Outbrain and Taboola. (Obnoxious ads from the latter, along with autoplaying video ads on numerous sites, resulted in me finally installing an ad blocker after resisting for years.)<p>Adblock Plus offered a way forward with its &quot;Acceptable Ads&quot; program but it seems like that has been roundly rejected by both advertisers and blocker users. Maybe publishers and advertisers could work together to develop a stricter set of advertising guidelines that show respect for users? I suppose such a program is essentially doomed without cooperation from Google and Facebook, and I don&#x27;t know if they&#x27;d be willing to work with the little fish (or each other).<p>It seems like an intractable problem. I&#x27;m not convinced technology (machine learning! the solution to all problems!) is capable of providing the solution.