Six Pack Shortcuts

[Sergei82]

I'm soooo annoyed and pissed off! This douchebag is everywhere! Whenever I go search something on youtube, he is there. Even if this is not related to any sports! WTF???? How long this phaggot will be in the internet?? The most aggressive MFer I've ever been aware off! Even lots of other websites have his ads.

And what is he teaching? "To have six pack abs you need to workout hard and eat clean and healthy!" THAT'S IT!!!! REALLY!!!!!!! SHIIIIIITTTTT! I've never seen anyone else so annoying and persistent!

Please, confirm if you share my sentiment. In any case, the guy is earning money on idiots, and there will always be enough of them.

When I go to youtube in search of some Singapore news and see this ugly-faced bloated ape on the screen (1st - telling me something STUPID in 10 second commercial that can't be skipped and 2nd - appearing in search results), I'm getting angrier each day!

[the lynx]

The hulk is emerging! Nobody should piss him off, not even the redundant ad guy.

[Addadude]

Sergei, I'm pretty sure it's because you've been looking at bodybuilding/training clips on YouTube. That makes you a 'relevant target audience' for what this guy is trying to sell - at least as far as YouTube is concerned.

[Sergei82]

Oooooooooohhhhhh... there is a very sophisticated AI as I see... Is it possible to complain anywhere?

[bgd]

Search engines pass on your searches to companies and websites you visit share your information. You are tracked so that companies like Google can sell targeted advertising.

I recently download a Safari plugin which blocks tracking and shows who is tracking you. Mail Online, for example, shows 14 different companies trying to track my viewing habits.

Complaining won’t help, you need to block the watchers. Using a VPN and search engines which don’t pass on your info (e.g. Duck Duck Go) are a couple things which spring to mind.

Google it.

[Addadude]

You can complain but it won't make the slightest bit of difference.

This is how Google/YouTube make money from giving you a service that you obviously use quite a lot - without having to charge you a cent. It seems fair enough to me.

Think of it a just another commercial you have to sit through when you are watching your favourite TV show. At least with YouTube you cab easily ignore it - or shrink the window - or enlarge the video to fill your PC screen.

[nakatago]

Search engines pass on your searches to companies and websites you visit share your information. You are tracked so that companies like Google can sell targeted advertising.

I recently download a Safari plugin which blocks tracking and shows who is tracking you. Mail Online, for example, shows 14 different companies trying to track my viewing habits.

Complaining won’t help, you need to block the watchers. Using a VPN and search engines which don’t pass on your info (e.g. Duck Duck Go) are a couple things which spring to mind.

Google it.

Technically, Google sells keywords on which companies will use to advertise on. If there's an outside entity that gets your information, it's the NSA (which, by the way, are drowning in the data they've collected that ordinary people get lost in the crowd).

Using DDG only works only if you're searching; once you reach a website, you'd still need to block tracking.

Anyway, you can always use adblock plus, <facebook> disconnect, and also set your browser NOT to accept third party cookies (depends on browser; look it up). It's one thing to go to a website and you know that website uses cookies to keep track of your session; it's another if other companies piggyback on those websites and they use cookies to which you did not consent.

Using a VPN is over the top; unless you're already using it to get around georestrictions in the first place.

If you like Chrome but don't like the Google branding, use Chromium instead--it's the open source version of Chrome so if there's something dodgy in there, someone in the OSS community would have seen it already in the source code.

[ohmz52]

Perfect example of emerging totalitarianism

[x9200]

Sergei, I'm pretty sure it's because you've been looking at bodybuilding/training clips on YouTube. That makes you a 'relevant target audience' for what this guy is trying to sell - at least as far as YouTube is concerned.

Yep. Probably. I have not a slightest idea what Sergei is talking about and I watch youtube almost every day. On the other hand I have very, very good add block filters so this could also be a reason?

[Beeroclock]

You can complain but it won't make the slightest bit of difference.

This is how Google/YouTube make money from giving you a service that you obviously use quite a lot - without having to charge you a cent. It seems fair enough to me.

Think of it a just another commercial you have to sit through when you are watching your favourite TV show. At least with YouTube you cab easily ignore it - or shrink the window - or enlarge the video to fill your PC screen.

seems fair enough to me too in this sense but I still don't really like it. I think they can still fine tune the technology further to make it more subtle/ less obvious. Often when I notice a target ad popup it has the reverse effect and makes me avoid clicking even if I might be curious, purely out of spite that I don't want to be so easily orchestrated. Am sure in another year or two I won't even notice it happening!

[Strong Eagle]

Oooooooooohhhhhh... there is a very sophisticated AI as I see... Is it possible to complain anywhere?

You can get a great piece of software called "DoNotTrackMe" which will stop all sorts of ad trackers from tracking you.

But, it won't do any good on YouTube (or any other site you directly access) because YouTube is recording your searches. But, if you have gone to body building websites, YouTube will know about this.

Also, if you use Google to search, you will be tracked for each inquiry. Try using duckduckgo.com for a search engine that does not track your inquiries.

[x9200]

Fair / not fair: imho, it would be completely fair if this was not often a monopolistic service or if a paid option (adds free) was available.
I very much like many iOS applications where I can use it for free with some adds or pay reasonable amount $$$ to get rid of them.

[Beeroclock]

Fair / not fair: imho, it would be completely fair if this was not often a monopolistic service or if a paid option (adds free) was available.
I very much like many iOS applications where I can use it for free with some adds or pay reasonable amount $$$ to get rid of them.

that's true but I expect the uptake will be minuscule and tolerance for annoying six pack guy more accommodating if the alternative is to pay up cash .

At the end of the day is still only an ad, we have the power to decide, right? All our social interactions, people will take queues from our body language, clothes, appearance, past behavior etc etc, and use this info to try influence us towards their objective. This is a natural subconscious process and often completely benign (eg to understand, make friends) and not necessarily for manipulation, hard selling etc. Now that we spend so much time in the online world should we not expect the same kind of interaction here? As in life , the people who succeed are the ones who know what they want and act with intent towards getting it.

[Sergei82]

You know, sometimes those youtube ads are not allowed to skip, and I end up watching that bloated absless scarecrow telling me crap for 10-20 seconds. And this happens regularly. I just want to watch my video!!! Its not like I'm given any choice to ignore him. He is being shoved ass straight into my face!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Oooooooooohhhhhh... there is a very sophisticated AI as I see... Is it possible to complain anywhere?

You can get a great piece of software called "DoNotTrackMe" which will stop all sorts of ad trackers from tracking you.

But, it won't do any good on YouTube (or any other site you directly access) because YouTube is recording your searches. But, if you have gone to body building websites, YouTube will know about this.

Also, if you use Google to search, you will be tracked for each inquiry. Try using duckduckgo.com for a search engine that does not track your inquiries.

Been using it since you brought it up in an earlier post. Very Grateful! Tks!

I also use disconnect.me