Why do websites exist that take you from one sketchy set of links and data to another and another and another? Who is this benefitting?
Your attention has commercial value. Every clickbait webpage you visit has some ads on it, and the publisher scores a fraction of a cent income from your visit paid by the advertiser, on the assumption that you notice these ads and there's a fractional chance you might buy the goods or services i…
The Short Answer
Your attention has commercial value. Every clickbait webpage you visit has some ads on it, and the publisher scores a fraction of a cent income from your visit paid by the advertiser, on the assumption that you notice these ads and there's a fractional chance you might buy the goods or services in question. To increase that income, the publisher might put 100s of ads on a page, but it turns out the advertisers don't believe that a reader would diligently read pages of just ads, so the next best strategy is to try and persuade you to go from page to page, each with a few ads on it… As Andrew Lewis said _'If you are not paying for it, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold'_ – your eyeballs are the product, the publisher of the "You won't believe what happened next..!" click bait pages is the seller, and the advertising agency is the customer.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Publisher, page, visit
This explanation focuses on publisher, page, visit and spans 159 words across 4 sentences. At 112% above the average Technology explanation (75 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “Your attention has commercial value.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 4 connected points.
How This Compares in Technology
Ranked #18 of 500 Technology questions by answer depth (top 4%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why websites exist that take you from one sketchy set of links and data to another and another and another? who is this benefitting?
Your attention has commercial value. Every clickbait webpage you visit has some ads on it, and the publisher scores a fraction of a cent income from your visit paid by the advertiser, on the assumption that you notice these ads and there's a…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Technology questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 159 words, ranked #18 of 500 Technology questions by depth. The key concepts covered are publisher, page, visit.
What approach does this answer take to explain websites exist that take you from one sketchy set of links a?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 159 words. It is categorized under Technology and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.