Open Thread – Weekend 7 Dec 2024


On The Beach At Trouville, Claude Monet, 1871

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Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
December 8, 2024 9:34 pm

Open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: Do not let antisemitism take root in our societyMy parents came to Australia from Israel in 1958, hoping to give their children a safer, more peaceful, and prosperous life. The burning of a synagogue is a stain on our values, a chilling reminder of the dangers of unchecked hate.

From the Hun. Well said!

Gabor
Gabor
December 8, 2024 9:49 pm

Rabz
December 8, 2024 8:27 pm

Nice to see that Cats have a very low o’pinion of big fat braindead house sized backside muzza watt*.

Did you have post it?
Or more to the point, why did I have to click on it?
Never learn.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
December 8, 2024 9:52 pm

They’re sending out Muzza Low-Wattage?
One suspects that others see this as potentially career ending.

H B Bear
H B Bear
December 9, 2024 12:17 am
Reply to  Sancho Panzer

No one wants to go down with SS Albo.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
December 9, 2024 3:37 am
Reply to  H B Bear

With or on?

H B Bear
H B Bear
December 9, 2024 9:07 am
Reply to  GreyRanga

Both you suspect.

H B Bear
H B Bear
December 9, 2024 12:20 am

Plibbers has her own problems.

Indolent
Indolent
December 8, 2024 10:12 pm
Zippster
Zippster
December 8, 2024 10:50 pm

Google’s $200B Ad Empire Is Crumbling – Insiders Reveal The Full Story

Summary: The video discusses the declining effectiveness of Google Ads and the implications for advertisers and businesses. Over the years, Google has increasingly automated its advertising processes, leading to less control and transparency for advertisers. As prices for ads have risen significantly, many businesses are reporting poor results and struggling to maintain profitability. The video highlights issues such as Google’s artificial price inflation, lack of innovation in advertising, and the impact of competition, particularly from AI-based solutions. It stresses that unless Google adapts to these changes, its ad business could face serious challenges. ### Key Points: #### Intro (0:00) – Overview of the declining performance of Google Ads. – The increase in advertising costs and the struggles faced by businesses in recent years. #### Why Are Google Ads Going To Crap? (1:58) – Ads have shifted from turning $1 into $5 to losing money. – Average advertising costs for retail brands have risen by 40-50%. – Major agencies are reducing ad spending on Google without discussing the reasons. #### Google Performance Max (Pmax) (5:22) – Pmax allows advertisers to access Google’s ad inventory but offers little control or visibility over spending. – The platform aims to automate and optimize ads through machine learning but lacks transparency. #### The Other Insidious Thing That I’ve Noticed About Google (6:51) – Comparison of previous search experiences and current ad practices. – Ads are now harder to distinguish from organic results. – Shopping ads occupy a significant portion of search results, leading to confusion for consumers. #### The Main Reason Why Google’s Ad Business Is Collapsing (10:32) – Artificially increased ad prices due to lack of genuine competition. – Impact of AI from competitors (like OpenAI and Meta) making traditional search models less relevant. – Google’s focus on maximizing clicks might hinder its long-term sustainability as user interest in ads can wane. This summary encapsulates the video’s main arguments about the state of Google Ads and the challenges the platform faces in a changing digital marketing landscape.

—–
google has f*cked the internet with the endless dross of affiliate marketing pages and flooded everything with ads that follow you everywhere with data you have no control over from all major platforms. time for google to die.

H B Bear
H B Bear
December 9, 2024 12:24 am
Reply to  Zippster

Algorithms have killed the internet. Outside of Spotify they are rarely useful or helpful. The internet was better 10 years ago.

Steve trickler
Steve trickler
December 9, 2024 4:33 am

This takes me back in time.

—–

You are watching the official restored HD video for ‘Vienna [Live in St. Albans]’ by Ultravox. This video has been restored, re-edited and remastered from the original 16mm film reels.

The classic track captured live at the St Albans Arena in August 1980. The bands first full UK tour to promote the then, just released album ‘Vienna’.

Ultravox – Vienna (Live in St Albans 1980) [Official HD Restored Version]

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
December 9, 2024 8:34 am

I dont think the Syrian bit is going to end well.

On the other hand we get to see in real time a Middle Eastern dictatorship turn into a flourishing human rites protecting democracy!!!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/08/who-are-the-syrian-rebels-who-have-captured-damascus-explained-in-30-seconds

The rebels who have swept through Syria are led by Islamist alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, along with an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army.
Both have been entrenched in the north-west. They launched the shock offensive on 27 November with gunmen capturing Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and the central city of Hama, the fourth largest.

The founder of HTS, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, was once a participant in the Iraqi insurgency against the US as a member of the group that eventually became Islamic State.

In its former incarnation as Jabhat al-Nusra or the Al-Nusra front, HTS later declared allegiance to al-Qaida. It eventually publicly broke those ties in 2016 and rebranded as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, or Organization for the Liberation of the Levant.

HTS is now the most powerful rebel faction in Syria.
It is designated as a terrorist group by the US and there are serious human rights concerns in the area it controls, including executions for those accused of affiliation with rival groups and over allegations of blasphemy and adultery.
The HTS and Syrian National Army have been allies at times and rivals at times, and their aims might diverge.

The Turkish-backed militias also have an interest in creating a buffer zone near the Turkish border to keep away Kurdish militants at odds with Ankara. Turkey has been a main backer of the fighters seeking to overthrow Assad but more recently has urged reconciliation, and Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement in the current offensive.

Keep out
Close the borders
Not one cent or drop of blood to “fix” the joint.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
December 9, 2024 8:41 am

Comment on the Syrian “winners in moderation.

Heres just the link, I cant see what in the posed bit set off the spamminator.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/08/who-are-the-syrian-rebels-who-have-captured-damascus-explained-in-30-seconds

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