Hacker News Reader

> The broad definition of "advertising" doesn't restrict it to commercial use,

Example: The Merriam-Webster for example defines "advertisement" as, literally, as "1 : a public notice".

Still,

> but I think the most common understanding of what it is would.

... is probably the reason for their "especially" paragraph and examples, right below the definition.

I understand that defining advertising is hard, but "1 : a public notice" is so broad as to be almost meaningless as a definition.

I personally don't find it that vague, but that might be my non-English bias.

It leaves a lot unsaid. Advertising has a lot of connotations and cultural significance. It can evoke strong feelings for one and be a livelihood for another. Simply stating that an advertisement is 'a public notice' doesn't do it justice.

I understand that dictionaries are not encyclopedias, but a little more is warranted IMO.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com