We Know What You Did OR The Internet’s Original Sin

Last week I listened to another podcast that talked about the origins of doubleclick aka cookies and how they were the beginning of the monetized internet. The case of Tripod aligns exactly with that new emerging idea that websites weren’t just for niche hobbyists but could actually become useful companies that not only sold products but that also allowed other companies to find and target customers. For our specific product, an advertising model could work however we would need to be very selective on the companies we allow to advertise on our platform. Our success is found in the niche arts market and building small campus communities around local artists. When the trust that the community is local is broken by something like advertisement, we risk losing interest in our platform. While advertising on the internet overall has been beneficial in many ways, I dislike how much companies are able to learn about their target demographics. More so, despite often being presented with items I want it can almost feel like harassment of my subconscious when I am shown things I only thought about in passing or google searched once.