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Re:Google Decides to Monetize Maps by jfoster on Thursday April 18, 2019 @12:36AM (#19688736)
Are you trying to imply that Google and/or Google Maps have made the world worse?
Re:Google Decides to Monetize Maps by ebg13 on Thursday April 18, 2019 @08:56AM (#19690620)
Are you trying to imply that adtech has made the world better? Are you trying to erase the difference between mapmaking and tracked advertising? My eyes are about to fall out the back of my head, I'm rolling them so hard.

Google's core business is tracking you and shoveling ads at you. Every time they pollute one of their side hobbies with their core business, it makes that side hobby worse and worse for the world. Search, mail, news, I can go on.

Re:Google Decides to Monetize Maps by jfoster on Thursday April 18, 2019 @11:48AM (#19691976)
You dodged my question, but I'm happy to answer yours. I do think that advertising has made the world better. A majority of the content on the internet is viable because of it.
Re:Google Decides to Monetize Maps by ebg13 on Thursday April 18, 2019 @01:58PM (#19693193)
> I do think that advertising has made the world better. A majority of the content on the internet is viable because of it.

AKA the "harmful behavior is ok when it's profitable" theory. I don't agree.

Re:Google Decides to Monetize Maps by jfoster on Saturday April 20, 2019 @12:22AM (#19704794)
I view it as being more like, the things that have advertising are pretty much only in existence because they can be funded by it. The fact that it exists in order to fund them is great because now we have a choice. We can visit those sites and endure the ads, or we can not visit those sites.

How would this work without advertising? Who would be paying for the websites that we enjoy?

Re:Google Decides to Monetize Maps by mrep on Thursday April 18, 2019 @04:58PM (#19694713)
Would you rather have every website prompt you with a paywall instead because that is the only other profitable solution I can think of.
Re:Google Decides to Monetize Maps by ebg13 on Thursday April 18, 2019 @05:32PM (#19694990)
You are either ignoring the context of this subthread or agreeing with it. I'll remind you: ashishmalik says "Everything is ok because money!"