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I think of Amazon as an e-commerce company that uses a lot of proprietary business software to sell physical goods and digital content to customers. And I include the Kindle lines in that e-commerce infrastructure. They're running a proprietary, closed fork of Android that replaces Google's e-commerce infrastructure with Amazon's.

So yeah, I'll stick with (most of) my original statement:

You can stick with what you want, it won't change reality
 
96% of Google's revenue comes from ads

No, I'm saying what I have said. Android doesn't have ads and collecting information is opt in exactly like iOS.

Sophistry. Typical Android apologist tactic.

Android may not have built-in ads.
But the Android experience is a massive ad and spamware festival.
As you well know. As we all know.

Sources:

"Ads within Android apps found to consume 75% of the app's power"
http://www.gsmarena.com/ads_within_android_apps_found_to_consume_75_of_the_apps_power-news-3993.php

"AdMob Ads Arrive on Android"
http://mashable.com/2009/01/27/admob-ads-android/

"Sneaky Mobile Ads Invade Android Phones"
http://www.pcworld.com/article/245305/sneaky_mobile_ads_invade_android_phones.html

"How to Block Ads in Android Browsers and Apps"
http://lifehacker.com/5851038/how-to-block-ads-in-android-browsers-and-apps

LOL at "If you're sick of giant ads taking up space on your tiny phone's screen, there are a number of ways to banish them from your phone. Here's how to do it...."

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You can stick with what you want, it won't change reality

There. I knew I was right.
 
Sophistry. Typical Android apologist tactic.

Android may not have built-in ads.
But the Android experience is a massive ad and spamware festival.
As you well know. As we all know.

Sources:

"Ads within Android apps found to consume 75% of the app's power"
http://www.gsmarena.com/ads_within_android_apps_found_to_consume_75_of_the_apps_power-news-3993.php

"AdMob Ads Arrive on Android"
http://mashable.com/2009/01/27/admob-ads-android/

"Sneaky Mobile Ads Invade Android Phones"
http://www.pcworld.com/article/245305/sneaky_mobile_ads_invade_android_phones.html

"How to Block Ads in Android Browsers and Apps"
http://lifehacker.com/5851038/how-to-block-ads-in-android-browsers-and-apps

LOL at "If you're sick of giant ads taking up space on your tiny phone's screen, there are a number of ways to banish them from your phone. Here's how to do it...."

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There. I knew I was right.

I forgot with whom I was talking, I regret wasting my time.
 
Originally Posted by iGrip

""Apple both sells you a phone at a huge profit margin AND mines your data. Anything for a buck...""

"Thank you!, I knew that, I hope the rest of the fanboys realize apple is no angel compared to google"
+1111!
 
Advertisements are not a bad thing, in theory. In practice, its often a highly manipulative act that invades our lives with mostly meaningless junk. That said, I understand some otherwise decent organizations rely on the advertising model, and I accept advertisements in free apps, publications, etc. as a "minor evil".

But when it comes to collecting information about me, without any way for me to opt-out other than simply not viewing the content, I'm not okay with that. Having targeted meaningless junk is no better, and in fact, is quite worse than general advertisements. It's more manipulative and invasive to privacy.

So if this is what Apple is getting into, with no real opt-out (and collecting information on me and THEN asking what I want done with it is not truly an opt-out), I am greatly disappointed and saddened with Apple. This long-time customer is already getting tired of some of the other recent Apple trends. This would definitely be one of the "last straws" for me as a loyal customer.
 
I don't know how ads can be worth anything without atleast location!! Try advertising an Indian supermarket without it. Surely the current ad implementation at least includes access to location?

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Advertisements are not a bad thing, in theory. I
So if this is what Apple is getting into, with no real opt-out (and collecting information on me and THEN asking what I want done with it is not truly an opt-out), I am greatly disappointed and saddened with Apple. This long-time customer is already getting tired of some of the other recent Apple trends. This would definitely be one of the "last straws" for me as a loyal customer.

Where would you go?
 
I don't know how ads can be worth anything without atleast location!! Try advertising an Indian supermarket without it. Surely the current ad implementation at least includes access to location?

By way of what App Store the user is signed into marketers could target the user's country. Even identifying the user's country via IP would be okay. You're in the U.S. and it gives you U.S. advertising- OK.

What I find problematic is the tracking of users and assigning a profile to them. With a unique ID users can be identified personally. But even without a unique ID, users could be identified by their software/hardware profile or simply their application usage. I would find such adverting invasive. But even worse, you have no idea how this data will be used against you, considering data such as this is often sold to the highest bidder. You might think this data is trivial, but not when its plugged into more data about you.

In this age of digital surveillance and identify thieves, we should all be doing all be can to avoid giving out unnecessary information and having it fall into the wrong hands.


Where would you go?

I wouldn't necessarily "go" anywhere, but it would certainly change my relationship with Apple, and I would indeed be much more likely to "go" someplace else if need be.
 
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