The best forms of advertising don't give a user what he is already looking for, they give him what he doesn't know he needs. By manually curating what ads you like, chances are you'll miss stuff that is actually relevant. I'm a developer, but I have no desire to "learn javascript", because I know it already. Someone who is really into vintage cars will ignore car ads all the time; they have an existing network of sources and information and aren't as interested in changing that unless the story is very compelling.
Contrast that with the idea that FB knows about a 55-year old man that makes ~90k and has few hobbies, but has recently started reconnecting with all his buddies from high school; that type of person is now a profile for someone in whom an advertiser might create a NEW interest for vintage cars. The best part is you don't have to use forensic psychologists to create these profiles; simple statistics would be enough.
Contrast that with the idea that FB knows about a 55-year old man that makes ~90k and has few hobbies, but has recently started reconnecting with all his buddies from high school; that type of person is now a profile for someone in whom an advertiser might create a NEW interest for vintage cars. The best part is you don't have to use forensic psychologists to create these profiles; simple statistics would be enough.