I'm a sell-out

* * * * *

I'm a sell-out

About two weeks ago, I received the following email:

> **From:** “XXXXXXX XXXXX” <[email protected]>
> **To:** <[email protected]>
> **Subject:** Google partnership
> **Date:** Wed, 9 Mar 2005 14:50:48 -0500
>
> Hello Sean,
>
> Google is interested in advertising on your website, the Boston Diaries.
> Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss further.
>
> Below is an example of two of our current blog related sites.
>
> http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000073035159/ [1] (text ads running
> vertically)
>
> www.tommcmahon.net [2] (text ads running at bottom of page.)
>
> I look forward to hearing from you soon.
>
> Best regards,
>
> XXXXXXX
>
> * * * * *
>
> XXXXXXX XXXXX
> Google Inc.
> 1440 Broadway
> New York, NY 10018
> (212)XXX-XXXX
>

Um … Google [3]?

Asking to advertise here?

I reply, and yes, it's legit.

Google wants to have advertising space here.

Well then …

Obligatory Sidebar Links about Google AdSense

* Phil Ringnalda [4]
* Jonathon Delacour—Before the Revolution [5]
* J-Walk Blog—Another AdSense Defector [6]
* Burningbird—Ads are Gone [7]

Buried deep in the main template was a small, commented out section for the
“Obligatory Text Ad” in the sidebar to the left. Now that Google wants to
advertise, that section has been uncommented, rechristened “Obligatory Google
AdSense” and away we go.

It's nice that Google allows you integrate their adversiting to match the
style of your site so they're less obtrusive than they could be, but I'm
hearing rumbles now as people are finding out that the filtering and matching
technology used to serve up ads is less than optimal, and are removing the
ads altogether.

I guess one way to look at that is that I'm late to the show and all the cool
kids are no longer using Google AdSense.

Another way, that means less competition for me.

There is nothing in the AdSense policies [8] or terms and conditions [9] that
forbid one of being critical of AdSense while using AdSense which is good
(and if it seems I'm biting the hand that feeds me, the only investment I
have is time, not monetary so if AdSense goes, big deal). It will be
interesting to see how much this actually brings in for about two hours worth
of work so far (most of that spent talking with a Google represenative about
this program).

[1] http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000073035159/
[2] http://www.tommcmahon.net/
[3] http://www.google.com/
[4] http://philringnalda.com/blog/2005/03/003347.php
[5] http://weblog.delacour.net/archives/2005/03/before_the_revolution.php
[6] http://j-walkblog.com/blog/comments/19205_0_1_0_C/
[7] http://weblog.burningbird.net/archives/2005/03/21/ads-are-gone/
[8] https://www.google.com/adsense/policies
[9] https://www.google.com/adsense/localized-terms

Email author at [email protected]