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Comment by crispyambulance | Hacker News Reader

> But I think the difference is somewhere else. I don't think nerds are any less emotional.

Yes, this is it.

"Nerds" are just another collection of market demographics. They (whoever they may be) are driven by a complex mix of desires and emotions just like everyone else. I don't think advertisers even bother to have a bin that one would label as "nerd". We are FAR beyond such coarse distinctions in the era of surveillance capitalism. Isn't that the point these days? To market at such a fine granularity that it becomes individuals?

Sure, turn on your adblockers, fire up your pi-holes and make intricate ublock-origin filters. You're still being marketed to, and if you're buying stuff, it is working.

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> You're still being marketed to, and if you're buying stuff, it is working.

So you entirely reject the notion that someone might buy stuff for any reason other than marketing?

Sure, I suppose there are a few pure ascetic folks out there who make all their purchasing decisions like Spock from Star Trek. If you're one of them, good for you.

That's FAR from the norm, however.

Not sure if I can agree. The Baker with the good sourdough bread does not do marketing. Yes, I know the name and where the shop is, but I buy the bread because I like it. Maybe also because I like their philosophy, attitude to the resources they use and way to run the business. But all that I learner after I started buying their products. On non food consumer items I can go further with you though.

How did you find their product in the first place though, if they don’t do marketing?

Every bakery has a sign saying they are a bakery. You see it as you walk past. Knowing that bakeries are unique people go in and try different stuff looking for products they like. That is as far from marketing you can get. If you define that as marketing then you are in the "everything is marketing" camp and we can just stop talking right here.

> We are FAR beyond such coarse distinctions in the era of surveillance capitalism. Isn't that the point these days? To market at such a fine granularity that it becomes individuals?

As long as the marketing algorithms still go "hey, I see you bought a fridge. Here are ten more fridges you may be interested in", let me express some skepticism at their supposed intelligence.

Such algorithms don't necessarily KNOW that you bought a fridge. They certainly change tack, however, when you stop clicking on those ads or click on others, or any of countless and unknowable other cues.

Other than some small number of exceptions(). I am not convinced that marketing budgets are fluff.

() Huy Fong Foods (Siracha Hot Sauce) -- that's literally the only product company I can think of that doesn't do marketing, apparently?

Huy Fong marketed by networking within the Vietnamese immigrant communities of Southern California. Marketing is literally every action taken that results in sales - not merely paid advertising alone.

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