Ads in Dash degrading

[Påvel Nicklasson]

Background: I am a scholar in the History of Science and I am working on some papers on Charles Darwin (a rather well-known natural scientist). I have several files named something with ”Darwin”.

When I search for ”Darwin” in the Dash (super+Darwin) I find my files.

The Dash also suggests that I want to listen to or buy some obscure (for me) pop music by the artists Darwin Deetz and Darwin Hobbs.

Despite the superficial similarities between the names, the ads have nothing whatsoever to do with what I am looking for. I find the suggested connection between my research on Darwin (Charles) and the pop music:

1. Totally misplaced
2. Degrading for me
3. Embarrassing for Ubuntu

I have no interest in some pop music just because the artists are called ”Darwin”. I am not going to listen to it or buy it. I don't want to see the suggestion that I might be interested in it every time I open a file.

I therefore suggest that advertisements in the Dash should:

1. Be removed (Preferably)
2. Make the ads an opt-in option (There are people who actually work on their computers and are disturbed by advertisements)
3. Mirror the interests of the user and offer products that I am interested in or that could be useful in my work

I am testing Ubuntu 13.04 beta.

[Ads20000 (ads20000)]

Fair enough, but that isn't a bug, merely a feature that could be improved.

The ads make Canonical quite a bit of money I suspect (so many people use the Ubuntu Dash) which they can then in turn spend on improving the Ubuntu Dash.

The search could be improved but how could it really know that you wanted Charles Darwin not Darwin Deetz? They are going to improve it with their '100 scopes' scheme but that was dropped from 13.04 recently and will hopefully be added to 13.10.

And I think you mean Ubuntu 13.04 Release Candidate not Beta, otherwise you are quite a bit out-of-date.

I hope that explains things.

[Ads20000 (ads20000)]

Oh and maybe you won't buy it, but some people will (who are interested in it and just happen to come across it). The same argument applies to Free-to-Play games. Some people say 'WHO WOULD BUY THAT ITEM!!!???' and then someone goes and spends £5000 on multiple copies of the item because they want to get a headstart on other (effectively paying for cheats).

[Påvel Nicklasson (pavelnicklasson)]

Could you please explain how Canonical makes money by showing me unwanted ads that make me angry and disappointed?

If searches can‘t separate between different Darwins (or other superficially similar things), the feature should be dropped or be an opt-in option. It would even be better if it just showed random ads, not pretending to have anything to do with my work. I suppose that the revenue for Canonical would be the same.

I don‘t consider operating systems drive-by-shops. It‘s my working tool and ads are distractions.

I am not interested in what other buy or their preferences. The point is: I don‘t want to see ads when I work and I find it degrading to be seen as a customer for anything that may or may not have something to do with my work.

Since you see the bug as a ”feature” and I can‘t imagine myself looking on advertisements I guess have to find myself another OS.