02-03-2010, 01:45 PM | #61 |
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The devices can give feedback to the advertisers on the reach and effectiveness of the ads themselves. The ads would probably have click-through capabilities at some point. The advertisers would be able to know how long certain ads are really in view of a live person in addition to how many times the ads were actually visible. I am certain that the learned model from Internet Advertising and payment would easily apply to the usage in eBooks.
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02-03-2010, 01:47 PM | #62 |
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I would not pay for an ebook with ads inside.
And if I somehow did, I'd do what I always do what an ad annoys me: make it a point NOT to ever buy that product. |
02-03-2010, 02:04 PM | #63 | |
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1) Those ebook readers become more desirable because they drop the ads, or show limited versions of them, OR 2) They become non-functional with ad-laden ebooks, which cause frozen screens or other errors. Neither of these options is good for the future of ebooks, because #1 means publishers (or whoever's making money off the ads) doesn't want their books read on those devices, and #2 means customers can't use ebooks they bought on some devices. And no ad system is going to work equally well on an Astak reader, an iRex, a 21" desktop monitor, a 10" netbook, an iPod, a Blackberry, and an iPad. All these can read ePub files (I think BB's can read epub?), but not all are going to deal with ads the same way--unless those ads are basic text blocks. Advertisers want to reach *all* readers of the book, not only those who read on desktops; they're not going to pay (as much) to put their ads in books that will be read in ways that strip out half the content of the ad. |
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02-03-2010, 02:31 PM | #64 |
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Not all ads would work in all places. That is plain out obvious. But say the eBook simply had an xml tag at various places which indicate where an ad could go. The xml tag could have attributes as to advertisement classification and content genre. Since it is simply an xml tag, the eReader determines how or if to display material related to it. Each display medium would have advertising which best fits for that use. When indicated by the markup, the device takes advertising from its library which fits the tag and which is already designed for it and incorporates it in the display. Dual display devices could leverage the additional display to offload the advertisement away from the reading area. Some devices could disregard the xml all together depending on how the material was purchased and if ads were available. As far as the end user is concerned, one viewing of a book on one device would look different when viewed on a pc, etc. As far as the end user is concerned, he never sees the xml markup only the devices use of it.
Last edited by paulckennedy; 02-03-2010 at 02:34 PM. |
02-03-2010, 02:42 PM | #65 |
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02-03-2010, 03:10 PM | #66 | |
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The issue isn't, "how could ads be included in ebooks?" That's a minor, technical question with a dozen potential simple answers, and a hundred possible complicated ones. The issue is, "how could ads be included, in a way that was profitable to the advertisers (so they'll subsidize distribution of the book) and non-annoying enough to readers that they won't boycott the books or the advertised product?" |
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02-03-2010, 03:24 PM | #67 |
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A marketing department would pay the Agent for the views of his Ads as reported back from the devices. And I agree that the technical side is the easier part of the problem.
Unfortunately, the technical specification is the start of the process. If the wrong technical specs get out for advertising without the proper thinking done before hand, you could have the same problem happen to eBooks as has happened to HTML. Right now, programming for the web is painful simply because the HTML standard grew too quickly and was adopted into practice poorly by the various Browser manufacturers. A little standardization at the first would have seen the web light years ahead of where it is now. Unfortunately now, a good web designer has to try to program to every type of device which views his pages. The ePub standard is still in its infancy so NOW is the time to do the thinking. I see advertising coming whether we like it or not. Since it is coming, shouldn't the mechanics of how it could emerge be thought out so that the standard allows for its inclusion? If we will have to deal with it, shouldn't we get our two cents worth in as to the proper way to do it? |
02-03-2010, 03:25 PM | #68 | |
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It's part of the equation of ad placement: There are always a percentage of people who ignore them, or leave the room when they are on; but the majority of people just stay and watch, ignore the ads they are not interested in, and pay attention to the ads they are interested in, depending on the quality of the ad. It's not rocket science... it's ad science. And judging by how long this particular science has been successfully practiced, I think it's safe to say that they'd figure out how to make it work. |
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02-03-2010, 03:50 PM | #69 |
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I find the threshold for advertising to be very interesting. My threshold on the web is moderate - but when sound/video/'flash' distract me from the main content, the website or the ads vanish; I either stop going to that site or I turn on adblocker for that site.
For TV, I'm now so used to watching shows without commercials via DVD sets, some streaming, pvr, etc, that I can't be bothered to watch them 'live' on TV, even when the opportunity arises. 1/3 of the show is just commercials. Sorry - I'm paying to watch the show, not to have you profit from me on top of that. Blatant product placements - those have actually driven me away from some shows as they become so distracting that any suspension of disbelief is impossible. I've got friends who'll sit there channel flipping (usually missing the start of the next part of the show), or mute, but most just sit there. Movies in the theater, well, it's hard to escape the commercials at the beginning unless you risk arriving late. I'm one of the rare folks who don't think movies in the theater are necessarily a social event and I'm happy to go on my own, usually with my ebookwise in hand, and tune out the commercials on screen. I can still remember watching Return of the Jedi when a "Hero" cologne ad came on - to much ridicule and booing from the audience. At that early age is when I started to loathe most advertisements when I am forced to pay big $ (IMHO) for something. I've been to movies where my party talks through them, and others where the person I'm with pays attention to every second. Radio, though, is different for me. Bar the really loud ads, I don't channel flip etc. I'm one of the few people I know who doesn't change the station the second an ad comes on. So in this instance, my threshold is higher than others. The science behind all this is fascinating, and obviously the advertisers are making good money. |
02-03-2010, 04:00 PM | #70 |
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Exactly. Like it or not (and many people purport to not like it, but sit through it anyway), the ad system works, and there's absolutely no reason to expect it could not be properly adjusted and effectively ported into e-books.
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02-03-2010, 04:03 PM | #71 |
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Though I think advertising has gotten out of control - so many voices yelling louder and louder, so many fingers waving in the air to grab our attention, etc.
This has caused more of a backlash against advertisers and is driving people to greater and greater effort to remove/avoid/ignore ads. And it increases the cost of everything we buy. Reduce advertising costs and insurance costs (a whole other issue!) and we'd be looking at much lower costs for everything. |
02-03-2010, 04:09 PM | #72 | ||
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02-03-2010, 04:18 PM | #73 | |
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I will probably also be one of those ones who strips out the ads but if it is done properly, I would find myself less likely to take the time and effort. I proposed this discussion to bring question how it should be done properly. I don't want to have to deal with another Internet Explorer type fiasco and I really want the ePub standard to survive. |
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02-03-2010, 04:26 PM | #74 | ||||
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Most of the time I'm watching a movie in the home theater, and skip over the previews on the DVD. Quote:
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02-03-2010, 04:27 PM | #75 |
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In that case, since the current ad system works so well, I would propose we use an equivalent ad system for eBooks that we have in place for pBooks.
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