Dave Winer has posted a thought-provoking piece on the future of advertising. According to Dave:

“When they finish the process of better and better targeted advertising, that’s when the whole idea of advertising will go poof, will disappear. If it’s perfectly targeted, it isn’t advertising, it’s information�

Which jives nicely with Google’s thinking, and switched-on Adsense advertisers: Adsense IS content, and it is good content if it provides information at the point the user wants it. A shame, really, that Google won’t give us webmasters more control over that content.

But Dave doesn’t think that we’re quite there yet.

“Targeting� customers is the wrong metaphor for the future. Instead make it easy for the people who lust for what you have to find you. How? 1. Find out what they want, and 2. Make it for them and 3. Go back to where you found out about it, and tell them it’s available.�

Ah - you don’t need me to contextialize it :) Read it now. I’d be really interested to hear your comments.