August 19, 2015

Apple And The Interruption Factory


The mobile web should be renamed The Interruption Factory.

There is no more frustrating or infuriating experience than trying to accomplish something on a mobile device. We are constantly interrupted, misdirected, and hijacked.

It has become almost impossible to read a simple news article on a mobile device without winding up somewhere you have no interest in visiting and no way to get back from.

Clicking on a mobile link has become a form of Russian roulette brought to you by your friends in the advertising industry.

We have taken the promise of mobile advertising and turned into a cesspool of stupidity and annoyance. There is no form of intrusion too grotesque.

But there may be hope.

According to published reports, Apple's iOS9 -- due to be released next month -- will allow certain plug-ins that can block ads and other unwanted mobile content.

Of course, nothing in techland is this simple. The vagaries of Apple's new system are way too technically daunting for a dumb-ass blogger to understand. And it seems like Apple has a lot to gain while filtering out advertising platforms other than their own.

Nonetheless, enabling the ability to use mobile devices without the constant interruptions and annoyances may turn out to be a big win for Apple and its aging iPhone.

Big losers may be agencies and publishers. By their relentless stupidity, they've earned it.

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