HACKER Q&A
📣 anthropodie

Why don't we have yellow pages for the Internet?


It seems like a centralized directory of ads with a search engine would be an easier and more ethical way to show users ads.

Currently, even with massive tracking, the ads are completely non-relevant and it's next to impossible to find a previously seen ad.

Additionally, this would automatically make other services subscription-based. Do you think a yellow pages-style directory for the Internet would be useful and successful?"

  👤 DamonHD Accepted Answer ✓
No*

Directories have been tried over and over.

Search engines show you possible shopping items eg above organic results.

*Amazon is stealing search from Google and Meta by effectively being a better yellow pages than they, when a user almost defintely is in shopping mode.