Goodbye FLoC, hello Topics [LWN.net]

Goodbye FLoC, hello Topics

Posted Jan 28, 2022 2:50 UTC (Fri) by developer122 (guest, #152928)
In reply to: Goodbye FLoC, hello Topics by felixfix
Parent article: Goodbye FLoC, hello Topics

"Most appropriate for the page" means nothing. If I'm an auto mechanic I'm most likely to buy tools so you shouldn't show me baking supplies the one time I visit a recipe site. I won't buy them.

The theory goes that google can overall produce an accurate profile of "you" and what you're most interested in buying, or what you're susceptible to that's most willing to pay for ad space. Then they plaster that *everywhere.* The mechanics forum, the baking site, your search results, every website you visit.

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Goodbye FLoC, hello Topics

Posted Jan 28, 2022 3:18 UTC (Fri) by felixfix (subscriber, #242) [Link]

On the contrary: an auto mechanic on a recipes page is more likely to already have all the job tools he needs and more unlikely to have the cooking tools.

Auto mechanics use a lot of specialty tools that very few other people will ever know about, let alone use. They are also more likely to already have sources for new tools and not likely to respond to ads for new sources. They are also not likely to google for how to repair pages in the ordinary course of business.

Or to put it another way: the people most likely to google for how to repair pages are the amateurs who don't already have a vast collection of repair tools, not the professionals who do have that vast collection. Similarly, the people most likely to google for recipes are the amateur cooks who might be interested in new pots and pans and implements of cooking, not the professional chefs who already have almost everything they need, and if they do buy something new, it will be from a friend's and/or colleague's recommendation.