It's long seemed odd to me that people just accept ads. Imagine trying to explain that model to an alien familiar with the basic ideas of our economy but unfamiliar with ads as a primary revenue model:
"Well, say you want something from me, but you don't want to pay the amount I ask for it. Instead, you give a larger amount of money to a third party. The third party gives it to a fourth party, who gives it to me. I try to manipulate you into seeing the third party as more valuable, so you'll give them more money in the future. I do what you want in exchange for you putting up with this."
"Didn't it just cost me a larger amount of money that way? Because of all the intermediaries?"
"Well yes, but everyone just pretends to not know that. Oh, and this is the dominant revenue model for several large industries."
Thanks for that great analogy! I'm trying to articulate the problem in easier to follow ways. I've been wanting to depict it in the dreaded infographic.
Care to help with the words or the graphic? I'm going to start website for this. If anyone knows of a great website already focused on articulating the problem with ads, let me know. Email me!
"Well, say you want something from me, but you don't want to pay the amount I ask for it. Instead, you give a larger amount of money to a third party. The third party gives it to a fourth party, who gives it to me. I try to manipulate you into seeing the third party as more valuable, so you'll give them more money in the future. I do what you want in exchange for you putting up with this."
"Didn't it just cost me a larger amount of money that way? Because of all the intermediaries?"
"Well yes, but everyone just pretends to not know that. Oh, and this is the dominant revenue model for several large industries."