But Today, We Don't Collect Ads

Eric Clemons, Professor of Operations and Information Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania writes a smart piece titled Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet. I agree with him completely. Advertising presented the world of commodities to consumers and now that they no longer need it, it will disappear.

It’s been fifty years since Alison & Peter Smithson wrote

Gropius wrote a book on grain silos,Le Corbusier one on aeroplanes,And Charlotte Periand brought a newobject to the office every morning,But today we collect ads.

“But Today We Collect Ads,” Ark, no. 18 (November 1956)

Grain silos are abandoned.Le Corbusier’s aeroplanes were covered in canvas, ours are built of composite.Charlotte Perriand would be selling her objects on eBay.Today there are no more ads.Instead we surf 4chan.