It's always very hard to make the argument that some negative trend in our complex societies is caused by one very specific factor. You could just as well build your case around something else.
Populism and fascism have been a problem for far longer than we have had ad-targeting. That said, I'm not opposed to putting restrictions on what ad networks are allowed to do.
>Again, there is nothing about Brave and its ad network that can not be replicated by any one that decides to compete with them.
Of course not. Others can build search engines and social networks and app stores as well. All of it can be replicated - theoretically. That doesn't change the fact that Google and Facebook and Apple are in an all powerful position to dictate content restrictions and access.
So in order for me to support a any new system, there would have to be an element of deliberate design to prevent that sort of power imbalance. I don't see that Brave has that, but I'm going to look into it more closely as I could easily be wrong.
> You could just as well build your case around something else.
I didn't say that it is the sole reason, but it certainly is one of the reasons and it is something that I have a way to control my input into the system.
> I'm not opposed to putting restrictions on what ad networks are allowed to do.
The problem is not "ad networks". The problem is in ad-funded business models and in PPC/PPP. When the business have the consumers just as a vehicle for delivering eye-balls, business only important metric is "how many eye-balls can we get?" and this is where everything went to shit.
> So in order for me to support a any new system, there would have an element of deliberate design to prevent that sort of power imbalance.
On one side you have an incumbent that is light-years away from having any kind of dominant hand and that you can hedge against an eventual abuse from their side. On the other you have giants that "are in an all powerful position to dictate content restrictions and access" but your only response is "it is annoying and somewhat harmful" and shrug it away? "Oh, I am pessimistic about every alternative that came so far, so let's just keep the existing abusers?"
I don't get this logic at all. It is either a display of apathy or dishonesty.
Populism and fascism have been a problem for far longer than we have had ad-targeting. That said, I'm not opposed to putting restrictions on what ad networks are allowed to do.
>Again, there is nothing about Brave and its ad network that can not be replicated by any one that decides to compete with them.
Of course not. Others can build search engines and social networks and app stores as well. All of it can be replicated - theoretically. That doesn't change the fact that Google and Facebook and Apple are in an all powerful position to dictate content restrictions and access.
So in order for me to support a any new system, there would have to be an element of deliberate design to prevent that sort of power imbalance. I don't see that Brave has that, but I'm going to look into it more closely as I could easily be wrong.