this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2025
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Mildly Interesting

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The idea feels like sci-fi because you're so used to it, imagining ads gone feels like asking to outlaw gravity. But humanity had been free of current forms of advertising for 99.9% of its existence. Word-of-mouth and community networks worked just fine. First-party websites and online communities would now improve on that.

The traditional argument pro-advertising—that it provides consumers with necessary information—hasn't been valid for decades.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Advertising is propaganda, propaganda should be illegal

It won't be though, because it is too powerful to control us

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Propaganda should be illegal

Imagine going to jail just because you tried to change someone's opinion about something. 🤦‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago

The article is about paid advertising. Paying someone to spread your opinion is in my eyes very different than telling someone about your opinion and trying to persuade that person to agree with you.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

OMG someone in the wild that thinks the advertising industry is about free speech!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Idk how you got that dumbass idea. I'm pointing out that ads aren't the only thing that's propaganda and the kinds of consequences "banning all propaganda" might have. You can ban ads without also banning "propaganda." Words matter; especially when it comes to laws.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Fuck off shill, all propaganda is manipulation and manipulation is unethical

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 week ago

I block every strawmanning asshat, you aren't allowed to put words in my mouth anymore

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

"Are you sure about that?"

Send that fucker off to jail!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The salt that makes it propaganda and not just a convincing argument is the ulterior use of symbolism to unconsciously condition the victim

But I understand why children like you miss that nuance

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Nuance that is not definitionally a part of what constitutes 'propaganda' whether you infantilize someone else for seeing things differently or not.

Go on, provide some examples and sources if you want to make such a grand claim.

Something being propaganda does not necessitate that it contains subliminal messaging, propaganda can be entirely overt and without unconscious conditioning techniques.

A convincing argument is propaganda, you just wrongly believe yourself to be above propaganda, the same way you seem to consider yourself above others generally...

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So either you are an LLM, have poor reading comprehension, or are just actively being stupid.

Never in my statement was nuance a part of the definition. I specifically stated that the difference between propaganda and a convincing argument is the ulterior use of symbolism to manipulate the victim's outcomes.

The nuance portion was purely stating that such mental children cannot grasp the difference between propaganda and a convincing argument.

I look forward to seeing how you actively misunderstand this post too, what a fun game!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Nowhere did I misunderstand your post, you stated it back to me?

I'm saying that the difference you are describing doesn't exist, thus the nuance you ascribe 'mental children' to lack to perceive is imaginary.

I understand words convey a meaning beyond definitionally, but definitionally there is no mention of such a requirement. Thus I asked you for any sources backing up such a claim.

I have not deviated from what I said previously. Nor misinterpreted you intentionally whatsoever. Rather, I disagree with you.

Also I am not an llm, and I intend to discuss with you calmly and fairly and not misinterpret what you are saying. If you are willing to engage

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Dont even bother. Dude just trolls and makes angry comments to everyone

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Yep, LLM. So sad. You can tell by the inability to follow context.

Some post-processing can fix that, but I guess this bot wrangler wasn't informed

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Somewhere along the line I read a scifi book where "truth in advertising" laws were used to convict advertisers so they could be put in jail and used as involuntary organ donors. And I am sad to say I wouldn't feel very sorry if that were a real thing. My hate for manipulative ads is so strong it overrides my hate for killing.