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back to article AOL slaps on 'online Nielsen ratings' to lure advertising fat cats

AOL hopes to steal a march on its online competitors in the US over the next few weeks, when it shows off its use of metrics – which are the closest Nielsen can get to comparing the results of online video based ad campaigns with TV campaigns. AOL has announced the use of this new model, which uses the Nielsen gross rating …

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  1. Dave Rickmers
    FAIL

    The greasy underbelly of the internet

    If the internet becomes another ratings-driven venue for "safe" content, I will be saddened. The TV model sucks. TV is designed for weak-minded people who actually buy the garbage on the ads. Smart people don't fall for the ads, so no TV for smart people. There is already too much fascism in media. Studios should not control cable TV systems. News media cannot be driven by profit motives; people need unpleasant news, even if the numbers sag. You have a smaller audience, but a smarter one.

    We cannot have a society organized around Quarterly Earnings Reports. The internet is about chaos, not 22 minute 3 act safe padding between the ads.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The greasy underbelly of the internet

      The smarter ones, while richer, also tend to be more discerning. That makes it less cost effective to chase that group of people for anything other than premium content. Apart from a few broadcasters/charities with a non-profit mandate, the sole reason for a company to exist is to make money. If companies were making lots of money producing "smart people's" TV, then you can be sure there would be a few more thumbs trying to get into that proverbial pie. Smart people are a minority, just like any other. Just ask Michael Bay...

      Unless you are going to remove the profit motive from news media (only to replace it with political motives), then the status quo will continue.

      Yes the internet is about chaos, but the chaos only exists for the people who actively seek it out. Not for the people in the self imposed walled garden, who only visit a handful of sites - each with the same political views, and assume the whole internet agrees with them.

      "We cannot have a society organized around Quarterly Earnings Reports."

      er but we do. It's called capitalism. As I assume you live in a democracy, you are free to start/vote for a different system. If you wish to put your own money into a business that isn't profit motivated, (or at least looks at yearly instead of quarterly), then there are many arts projects for you to be a patron of.

      While I don't disagree with your sentiments, there is the chicken and egg situation where big media are big media because they can afford to be. Thankfully, the tide has been slowly changing over the last ten years, but implying that people are stupid (i.e. 'weak-minded') isn't going to encourage them to see whats outside of the walled garden that they are perfectly happy with.

      For that, you need an advertising budget, and an idea of where that money is best spent.

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      1. Gene Cash Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: The greasy underbelly of the internet

        I've voted with my money. I just canceled my cable TV.

        I'm a late night person, and I'm *so* damned tired of the "nothing but infomercials" 3am TV. Out of 32 channels that I watch on a regular basis, only one was not showing a paid infomercial. I'm paying for this?? No, not any more.

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    AOL still exists?

    I didn't know. They haven't sent me a CD for yonks.

    Probably just means I'm not the right sort of person to include in their ratings.

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    1. N2
      Reply Icon

      Re: AOL still exists?

      I had to Wiki them

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    us tv sucks and AOL are irrelvant.

    I watched the F1 GP earlier today on Speed. Some of the Ad breaks went on for two frigging laps.

    The ads on other channels are just as bad.

    It is little wonder that I record everyting I want to watch on my PVR and fast through the ads. I'm not in a target demographic for 90% of what is advertised anyway.

    As for the internet, AOL is IMHO like YAHOO. i.e. increasingly irrelevant in today's world.

    With things like Adblock+, NoScript etc I don't see adverts anyway.

    Sadly in the US you can't get away from Advertising. I'm in the US on busines. I bought a PAYG Sim Card. It had only been activated an hour or so when I got a call from some marketing droid asking if I was going to vote for Obama or whoever. They could not handle the 'I'm a visitor and don't have a vode. They tried to get me to register. I just hung up. The same thing happened the nenxt day.

    IFmy ISP starts injecting Ad 's into my HTTP stream then I'll give move ISP in a shot.

    As far as I'm concerned ALL Advertisers should be lined up against the wall and shot. Just after all the lawyers that is.

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