The Reply All podcast episode “We Know What You Did” about the advertising revenue model and Ethan’s Zuckerman double-edged innovative idea was an entertaining and informative conversation between PJ and Ethan. As we learn about the, initially, brilliant advertisement revenue model idea that went bad, we can still notice many benefits to that model. The main one being the goal of creating it which is monetization, which enable the websites and internet platforms to offer free content and services to their users. Simultaneously, it makes the web services accessible to wider audiences. Sometimes, it can also make it easier for small businesses and startups to offer something to users and customers online without requiring them to pay right away. In fact, it can even be a significant revenue sources for those online businesses especially when it contributes to acquiring a larger data base.
On the other hand, of course, it is a double-edged sword, as people found much to complain about in this case. Firstly, it interrupts the user’s wielding of the website with overly intrusive and annoying add that make the user’s experience take a negative turn. Secondly, as stressed and pointed in the interview, it raises many concerns about the consumer’s privacy and it infringement or protection. As an issue found with the Internet in general, one cannot find much information about the use of their personal data. The web is not very transparent when it comes to how data is managed nor whether information is protected or if confidentiality is disrupted. This reduces the users’s trust significantly, and is overall not so ethical.
Overall, it seems like the advertising revenue model is not the best of strategies to follow, and can be some sort of good idea in the beginning of a project, but it is important to shift away from that as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
