It wasn't AI that flipped Proton's charge

Re:It wasn't AI that flipped Proton's charge by jemmyw on Monday November 02, 2026 @01:43AM (#50333792)

I don't think I've ever seen an advert for a cafe and then gone to that cafe. I guess the listings on Google maps might be counted as an ad, but I've ended up adding plenty of cafe's to maps after visiting so I don't know if those entries are added by the businesses or by customers.

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Re:It wasn't AI that flipped Proton's charge by tomrod on Monday November 02, 2026 @07:46AM (#50336096)

In the pure economics/marketing sense, a Google Maps listing is an advertisement.

I expect for most people that these forms of advertising - directory listings, basic notifications, etc. - aren't a level of cognitive pollution that they notice vs. overly bright billboards, banner ads, search injects, or LLM-injected marginally relevant sources.

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Re:It wasn't AI that flipped Proton's charge by vrganj on Monday November 02, 2026 @08:53AM (#50336817)

Yes, I see what you're getting at, and those aren't really what I take issue with.

I think generally, the issue is around consent and who initiates the information transfer. If I'm actively looking for something, a listing of options is useful. If I look at a shop window, I am actively looking to see what the shop is selling.

It's the non-consensual invasion of my mental space I take issue with. It's like somebody violently shaking you going "BUY BUY BUY".

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