[s1artibartfast]

I need a new dishwasher. I dont want to go knocking on doors until I find somewhere that sells them. Im glad they have signs, webpages, and info sheets.

Promotion and discovery are important. Advertising is the spread of information. Of course some can be bad or misleading, and that is bad.

[rcxdude]

Publishing information about your product on your own website is not really what most people consider advertising. Nor is being added to lists of similar products. Most people object to 'push' advertising, where attempts to persuade you to buy a product are inserted whereever your attention is, as opposed to 'pull' processes where you have a need and are trying to gather information on how best to solve it.

[s1artibartfast]

How about buying a spot in the yellow pages?

[_DeadFred_]

Your examples are of passive information gathering. Surveillance driven behavioral manipulation across every screen you own is a different than looking up the list of local appliance stores. I rarely see ads trying to compete on product specs. When there is information it is low value and distorted because it has huge holes from selective omissions.

[s1artibartfast]

yes, that is the point I am making. It is not advertising that is bad, but particular types of advertising that bother people. Those that are misleading or intrusive.

[BLKNSLVR]

That's the way I got all my stuff. Knocking on doors. If there's no answer then I see if the door is unlocked. If it is... new stuff!

I've tried to match the absurdity of your example.