We have seen a lot of posts on HN regarding ad networks and ad blockers. Basically there are two arguments:
1) Allow ad networks, so we can compensate content creaters.
2) Block ad networks, because they track users, invade privacy and follow shady practices.<p>I would love to know your thoughts on how to solve this issue. How to create a trackerless ad network, that solves privacy issues. It should also allow anonymous stats for advertisers, and a good fee structure for content creaters. Lets solve this!
I'll take a stab at it. Do not embed javascript at all! Javascript slows down the webpage, send creepy-tracking-stuff back to the ad network, and gets easly blacklisted in adblockers. We should not trust arbitrary 3rd party javascript code anyways. How about embeddable static images instead? Generate a unique img tag for each content creater, that we can refresh at our end, everytime the webpage loads. Will show a new ad everytime a user goes to the page.
Everyone wants their cake and to eat it.<p>Paywalled content providers want to charge for their content but have Google index it. Readers want to read stuff for free but block ads.<p>I think the solution is fewer ads, more paid content, more offers related to the free content, more sponsored free content. Ads can be used more for branding rather than direct sales, and so therefore less tracking is required, it would be more like TV.<p>P.S. A great example of sponsored free is hacker news!
2 cont.) and because ads are noisy, invasive, garish, and distracting.<p>Let's not solve this by figuring out how to circumvent ad blockers.<p>One idea I've been toying with is a system where I can pay the content creator directly. Good article? Have a nickel. Funny YT video? Here is a dime. Skip the middle man. Patreon does something like this, but we need a system that is anonymous, scalable to the whole internet, and above all, easy to use.
If I would make a trackingless ad network I would make it interrest based instead so what you get is relevant to the website you visit and not based on datamining of individuals.