Your comment got me thinking about Jane Jacob’s work on creating great cities. The “old” model was you work in one place, live in another, and never the two shall meet. She argued (rightfully in my mind) that the best cities are the ones that getting everything mixed up together (though she said it far more eloquently ).

I wonder if you can apply this thinking to how we “live” online… the contrast seems to fit. A lot of people seem to argue that a line should divide social activity and work / shopping activity, and never the two shall meet. Facebook (and others) are trying to mix it all together…

Mike: I hear you. I find that the targeting is quite immature and repetitive as well, to say the least. Apparently for all the sophisticated technology, the only thing they can serve up to me is ads for engagement rings… which I assume is because “I’m in a relationship”.

My profile is complete, so there’s tons of info about me.

NOT ONCE I have I seen a targetted ad that has sparked an interest in me

People can break up on a city corner – surrounded by noisy buses and their ads, TVs blaring out of windows, maybe even a Time Square-esque blinking ads around.

People can also break up in the privacy of their home, completely shut off from advertising (unless you count the “Abercrombie” stamped across their shirt, or what have you). They’re still breaking up, and there will be pain, and advertising will be the absolutely last thing on their mind, no matter how flashy the ad is.

I know it’s just an example – but people break up where they break up, and it’s their choice. They can choose to ignore the ads or not.

Mostly, I ignore all ads, as I think a lot of my facebook-obsessed peers do. When will we find a better monetization strategy for (any definition of) media?