Not many people profess a love of advertisements on the internet. Among people I follow, particularly on the indie web, few really like Instagram, either. There’s a distaste for big web companies like Meta who make their money on data harvesting and targeted ads.
At the risk of turning this blog commercial, I confess that I’ve really benefitted from the ads on Instagram. I got a pair of my all-time favorite shoes after seeing ads for custom leather converse. Wired Magazine writer Martin Cizmar refers to the Henson Razor as the best he’s ever used — I agree, and discovered that product on Instagram. hanks to that razor, and some tips from [@jack](https://micro.blog/jack), I’ve got a whole “shave like your grandfather” thing going on with a ceramic bowl, shaving puck and brush. It’s a wonderful ritual even if it sets me apart from most of the men at my church.
I only visit the Meta-owned site about once or twice a month, but I have to admit I sometimes feel like the advertisements are one of the strengths of the service.
