How to beat the ads
My brown dress shoes didn’t quite survive the wedding we attended a few weeks ago. So, I’ve been glued to the computer, looking at new shoes.
I haven’t bought any. But the happy result is that now, all of my browser’s banner ads show pictures of elegant, brown, leather or faux-leather shoes. This is more pleasing to have in the background than the usual eye-popping fare.
It also has provided me with an idea for making the web advertisements on one’s computer less painful to view – assuming, of course, that one’s ad-blocker doesn’t already keep everything out.
(1) You should choose something nice to look at.
(2) It has to be something you could buy (not, e.g., a fawn, or Mt. Fuji).
(3) But it should be something you have almost no desire to buy, so that it won’t distract you (much).
(4) Any one specimen should look like any other.
(5) Corollary: the object should come in a standard color (muted, not garish).
(6) Ideally, it should be a natural object. (Not a box of Brillo pads. Not a jug of laundry detergent. A transparent, full milk jug is better but not ideal; see, above, the third point.)
(This sixth point will be qualified later.)
(7) Visit lots of merchant’s websites and click on pictures of the object. Do this for several days.
(8) Voilà. This pleasant object, and nothing else, will appear where garish things once did.
I suggest looking at lots of merchant’s pictures of blue spruce Christmas trees. After a few days, your screen will be flanked by a lovely forest instead of by the Las Vegas Strip. If you can’t stomach anything to do with Christmas, browse cacti or cilantro or firewood instead. You get the idea.
Now I’ll qualify (6). You can get away with looking at artificial Christmas trees because they resemble the natural ones. Not all beautiful, natural merchandise has this characteristic, however.
I haven’t bought any. But the happy result is that now, all of my browser’s banner ads show pictures of elegant, brown, leather or faux-leather shoes. This is more pleasing to have in the background than the usual eye-popping fare.
It also has provided me with an idea for making the web advertisements on one’s computer less painful to view – assuming, of course, that one’s ad-blocker doesn’t already keep everything out.
(1) You should choose something nice to look at.
(2) It has to be something you could buy (not, e.g., a fawn, or Mt. Fuji).
(3) But it should be something you have almost no desire to buy, so that it won’t distract you (much).
(4) Any one specimen should look like any other.
(5) Corollary: the object should come in a standard color (muted, not garish).
(6) Ideally, it should be a natural object. (Not a box of Brillo pads. Not a jug of laundry detergent. A transparent, full milk jug is better but not ideal; see, above, the third point.)
(This sixth point will be qualified later.)
(7) Visit lots of merchant’s websites and click on pictures of the object. Do this for several days.
(8) Voilà. This pleasant object, and nothing else, will appear where garish things once did.
I suggest looking at lots of merchant’s pictures of blue spruce Christmas trees. After a few days, your screen will be flanked by a lovely forest instead of by the Las Vegas Strip. If you can’t stomach anything to do with Christmas, browse cacti or cilantro or firewood instead. You get the idea.
Now I’ll qualify (6). You can get away with looking at artificial Christmas trees because they resemble the natural ones. Not all beautiful, natural merchandise has this characteristic, however.