I am boycotting Local news videos.

People don't want products shoved in their faces when they aren't shopping for that particular item (I'm not buying a car anytime soon, and I already know what I want, so I don't ever need to see another car ad again). Making them see pop-ups, or commercials prior to news or YouTube videos is obnoxious. I love the concept of having advertisers on forums like this where we contact them when we need that service or product or just have a question (I like to ask the experts!), and can have a conversation with them without leaving our homes (saves on gas!). It gives us consumers a chance to get to know and trust local vendors, and gives local vendors an opportunity to build a trustful relationship with members of the community. In addition, it improves customer service because businesses have to stay connected and answer promptly online, and make sure to satisfy customers as well as they can when they do go to use them, because consumers can then post about their experience - local word of mouth is always best! Of course, there will always be dissatisfied customers, or business owners who have a bad day once in a while, but with thousands of people in a community chiming in, you can get an overall feel for who's worth going to and who isn't.

For businesses, it's a great way to get your name out there and give people info about your products that maybe they didn't realize they would need, build trust, and bring in customers! Businesses have the expertise and knowledge, but keeping that to themselves/not disseminating it, does a disservice to the community members that they serve. Forums like this offer that opportunity, because what they post stays up there forever, and much of it will remain relevant despite the passage of time. That way, they don't have to repeat themselves (efficiency!), and the customer can find the info easily, and when they want it.

We have become a society that is information overloaded, but not in a good way. There's lots of misinformation floating around out there, and it's often difficult to decide what's reliable/credible and what's not. Often, relying on friends/family/neighbors who have gone through the same experience, say dealing with a health issue, or where to get your car serviced, is the starting point. Asking experts is another popular route to go. Forums bring that all together in one place. Winning!