Bring back THE DECK
For the uninitiated, The Deck was a niche ad network. The Deck provided passive ads that supported the open web of creative, web, and design culture. If you like a good story then you should read their backstory. Another important tidbit about The Deck, they refused to implement invasive user tracking in the network. This matters. Companies that value privacy need an advertising option that does not support the surveillance state of Google and Facebook.
To exemplify the need for change, let’s consider this recent hacker news discussion on an ad on Stack Overflow: “Why is Stack Overflow trying to start audio?” Essentially, someone discovered that an ad on Stack Overflow was starting audio files for no apparent reason. But it gets worse — there was no straightforward way to track it down. Nick Craver, Architecture Lead at Stack Overflow, said: “It’s not very straightforward to find where it’s coming from, but we are working on it.” This is where ad tech has jumped the shark. If the tech-focused publishers and platforms are having this sort of trouble, the rest has little hope. Indeed, ever heard of malvertising? Malvertising is when criminals inject malware, malicious code, into ads on legitimate advertising networks. Malvertising has affected high-profile websites like The New York Times, the BBC, and Spotify. Internet advertising needs a reset. Bring back The Deck.
We can envision a new version of The Deck network with a committed inside sales team that will focus on working with companies like Basecamp, Apple, Salesforce, Disconnect.me, the Helm, Proton.mail, and other companies that value people’s privacy. It’s interesting to note that Basecamp is already on this path. Basecamp is a Facebook-Free Business and their marketing spend is focused on “paying customers, not not paying Facebook, Google, or Twitter.” As a founding member of the original Deck, a member who plans on actively advertising, Basecamp can help. I’ve applied to work for the head marketing position at Basecamp, and if I’m hired, bringing back The Deck is a priority project proposal.
The new Deck Network will also expand its publisher network beyond the creative and design culture. The payment structure will be different as each publisher will set their own rate. This has to be a viable alternative to AdWords for various content categories and platforms.
The ads on The Deck network focus on “native ads” that often require a human to directly administer. This method is better: better for consumers, because the ads don’t execute code or track your online activities; better for advertisers because the ads are not automatically blocked, the ads are seen and often read. The advertising copy by John Gruber of Daring Fireball exemplifies what ads on The Deck should look and feel like, and he’s the right talent to lead the way.
The Deck network will make use of technology in various ways, but technology will never be used to invade peoples’ privacy. Obviously, that would defeat the purpose.
Sure, there are numerous things to work out. There are people to call, code to write, contracts to sign. Nothing worth doing is ever easy but if there’s a will there’s often a way, so cliché but true.
It’s time to begin, isn’t? Bring back The Deck.
