I have noticed that my YouTube page has adverts that pop up, inviting me to click on them.

I wonder whether it would be a good idea to be able to right-click the advert and in the pull-down menu choose 'block advertiser'?

For example, my feed is currently splattered with rather distasteful looking adverts for the dating website 'Shag.co.uk'- I wonder why they think I may be interested? Anyway I'm not.

Why should they have to spend money to feed me with stuff I don't like? If I blocked them, this would save money for the advertiser. Also the hermitian matrix inverting program, or whatever the YouTube advert optimising algorithm happens to be, would be able to understand me a little bit better wouldn't they? And potentially to tailor their adverts more closely as a result.

It's a win-win-win scenario, it seems to me. Advertiser saves dosh, YouTube learns my preferences, I dump, and feel joy!
-- bhumphrys, Jan 03 2024

Use cookies to make websites look better Use_20cookies_20to_...tes_20look_20better
You should also be able to use fake cookies to change the ads you're shown [hippo, Jan 04 2024]

A1, that's really good I didn't know about it and I have now set up to drop ads for women's perfumes etc. I'd say you could say the idea is crudely baked by this means, but you have fairly broad categories to pick from and the list of advertisers offered is surprisingly short, although I have turned off Mercedes cars so I won't get bombarded with pictures of how the other half live; 'O Lord, won't you stop advertising Mercedes Benz' my prayers have been answered.

I was thinking of something more subtle. I click to see a video of Frank Zappa and it seems to know that I may be interested in Captain Beefheart, although I may not even ever have heard of him. I click to watch Sean Carroll and they (YouTube) suspect that I may be interested in Sabine Hossenfelder- a near miss.

Do you get what I mean?
-- bhumphrys, Jan 03 2024


If you use FireFox you should try FireFox Enhance. It’s got a lot of small solutions and added functionality. The MacOS allows “Do not track” and hidden ad preferences, and Intego scrubs them off if they smell bad. I have no trouble with an ad or two in something I really want to see, and most allow a “Skip” anyway. Welcome to the 21st.

It’s maddening when the algorithm thinks it has you figured out. I just give in and watch an LA car chase every now and then. The algorithm laughs.
-- minoradjustments, Jan 04 2024


Well, I am getting better adverts already [A1], so even though it's too granular the selection choice seems to have helped a bit. Unlike you I spend a lot of time watching YouTube, e.g. every time something breaks I YouTube it to see whether there's a fix and whether I can do it. But also it supports my hobbies and interests in the case that only a shallow to medium dive is required.

Second thanks: You reminded me about Destin's channel Better Every Day. His latest video about Artemis drew me in. I am in awe of the Apollo missions.

I also like the look of Mousetrap Monday; I actually posted a mousetrap idea of my own some time ago.

[MinorAdjustments] I will look into Firefox Enhance. I dropped Firefox and went to Brave because of their pop-up blocker. Maybe it's evolved by now.

[hippo] I read your idea with interest. I suspect that YouTube just need to polish up their act a bit. The algorithm is like an interesting yet annoying friend who bugs you by banging on and on about their pet subject. YouTube misses even the basics. It just doesn't seem to get it into his thick head no matter how many times I click 'Skip' within microseconds of the start that I just don't want it again. I can understand it with linear TV; they don't receive feedback. But YouTube is different, and there is a better space of opportunity there. Please feed me with better targeted advertisements is my simple plea.
-- bhumphrys, Jan 05 2024



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