Google ads on Mudcat

Subject: Google ads on Mudcat
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 12:53 PM

If we MUST have ads; do they have to be so tacky?
Dating sites already, WTF relevance does that have to a so called Folk and Traditional Music website?
C'mon Max, Mammon is mocking you!

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Tig
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 01:30 PM

Sorry to say this John but I don't think Max has a lot of choice about what is put up.

I hope you did your bit for Mudcat and clicked on them - if they were THAT bad you can complain, if you didn't bother why this thread?

Quite a lot of the ads are relevant and the income helps to keep this place going. It must do or they would have been taken off.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 03:35 PM

Sorry to say this John but I don't think Max has a lot of choice about what is put up.
He does up to a point. The Adsense website says:

You can block ads from the following categories:

    * Cosmetic procedures and surgery: Includes lifts, suctions, lasers, hair removal and restoration, tattoos and body modification.
    * Dating: Includes dating services and online dating communities.
    * Drugs and supplements: Includes pharmaceuticals, vitamins, supplements and related retailers; does not include resources providing information about drugs.
    * Get rich quick: Schemes promising fast earning.
    * Politics: Includes politics or controversial social issues; does not include ads for news organisations that are not generally associated with a partisan viewpoint on issues.
    * Religion: Includes religious ads and ads advocating for or against religious views; does not include astrology or non-denominational spirituality.
    * Ringtones and downloadables: Mobile add-ons including ringtones and other downloadable goodies such as screensavers and wallpapers for desktop PCs and profile layouts and graphics for social networks.
    * Sexual and reproductive health: Includes sexual function and fertility ads; does not include normal pregnancy resources.
    * References to sex & sexuality: Includes ads that are sexually suggestive, ads relating to sexual and reproductive health and ads that refer to sex and sexuality.
    * Video games (casual and online): Includes video games, online games and downloadable games; does not include video game consoles.
    * Weight loss: Includes weight loss, dieting and related products and programmes; doesn't include healthy eating or general fitness ads.

He can also block specific advertisers.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Tig
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 03:44 PM

Fair enough. Thanks for the info. No doubt Max has looked into it but I wonder how many people realize why the ads are there.

It was decided some time ago that we would 'put up' with ads on Mudcat as each 'click' meant the sponsor paid a (tiny I know, but better than nothing) bit to help the 'cat keep running.

PLEASE click - you don't actually have to read what comes up if you don't want to :-)

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: DrugCrazed
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 04:39 PM

DO NOT JUST CLICK THE ADS

Google have a habit of noticing whether people are "just clicking to help out" and thus don't throw money at you.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: gnu
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 04:51 PM

BTW... just as an FYI... John Giok MacKenzie donated a large portion of the Mudcat annual operating expenses back in the day as did others... and they were bloody few (yes, read cheap bastards... sorry, but that is the way it was). When he posts about these ads, as DrugCrazed has explained, it's no wonder he's a bit pissed off.

Now, even tho Scotsmen have a rep for being tight with their coin, Giok never was when it came to helping Max out and I think his protest has much more meaning than most MudCatters realize.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: gnu
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 07:31 PM

Hmmm... sorry if that post sounded poorly. I assume Max doesn't have the ablity to dictate any constraits on the ads. I just wanted to add my two cents as to why John MAY be preturbed.

And, my apologies to John if I "shared too much"... sorry bud.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 07:55 PM

The Google ads you see tend to be influenced by the pages you read and the Google searches you do. We're not all seeing the same ads. You must be doing something in your everyday searches that the Google heuristics take to mean you want to see online dating sites.

SRS

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 07:56 PM

Looks to me like the ones listed by Adsense have been blocked.


Those I have noticed are pretty routine- if they help pay the freight, fine by me.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 10:12 PM

The poster, of course, is gargoyle.

---

so. joe ... how much to go add free

it is hard to imagine (five foods to thinner) can cover an electric bill

one hundred donations at ten....or ten donations at a thousand

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 11:15 PM

Well, garg, Max says the income from the ads is significant. I think most of them are targeted toward people with musical interests, but there are some odd ones that get through now and then.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Jeri
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 11:42 PM

Unfortunately, I miss them all. (AdBlock Plus). I didn't mind the Google ads, but the Amazon ones and some others made pages load s l o w.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 12:12 AM

Last week I noticed a couple of ads for Michelle Bachmann here at Mudcat. It's obvious that whoever places her messages doesn't know what s/he is buying, else s/he'd know that 97.37% percent of the folks here wouldn't vote for her until the second coming (or the first, depending on religious affiliation), and the other 2+% are unlikely to vote for her in the primary.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: J-boy
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 12:15 AM

Ads suck. But I think we can stand a few if it helps the mudcat.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 01:54 AM

Google have a habit of noticing whether people are "just clicking to help out" and thus don't throw money at you.
They have a habit of throwing the site out of the scheme altogether, without paying any outstanding commissions.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 03:27 AM

From my point of view, the ads usually reflect whatever thread I happen to be reading.

For example, earlier I was reading the "Friggin' In The Riggin'" thread, and I saw ads for rigging, packing and movers.

And if I'm perusing a thread in the BS section, the ads can get pretty ridiculous, IMO. It certainly doesn't appear that anything is being blocked.

Jay

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 04:40 AM

To clarify, I dislike all the ads intensely, however I will suffer them for the survival of Mudcat. However I do object to tacky ads, which is what I originally said.
As for the heuristic linking crap, I'm sorry but it's rubbish. I'm 68 not 16, and don't go looking at salacious pic's on the web. Nor does anybody else who uses this computer.
Thanks for the backup gnu, but I wasn't the only one raising Mudcat money, so don't forget them. However, as you said, there weren't enough of us, ergo Googlecrap.
So to any of the moaners, who never never sent any money, or bought any raffle tickets, donated raffle prizes, etc etc.
SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 05:28 AM

Unfortunately, I miss them all. (AdBlock Plus). I didn't mind the Google ads, but the Amazon ones and some others made pages load s l o w.

I'm afraid I block all adds these days as I dislike and distrust behavioural targeting. While I'm not sure this has happened at Mudcat (and I'm not sure if adsense does this one), at worst I've visited some sites and found the exact product and company I'd been looking at come up as an advert. I've even gone back and browsed other products to find them appear - to me anyway, that gives a horrible sort of "big brother" feeling.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 07:27 AM

Yup, me too Jon, Screwfix is about the worst. I assume it's because I have a cookie for them, and I use them regularly to buy materials for my woodworking. However it is extremely big brotherish, and scary, as you said.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 07:39 AM

Screwfix is one of the companies who's ads I've seen this way, John.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Andrez
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 07:49 AM

Yep, thanks to Adblock and Click to Flash, I have a relatively Ad free browsing experience on the Internet and thats the way its going to stay, no exceptions!

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 02:05 PM

Yep, thanks to Adblock and Click to Flash, I have a relatively Ad free browsing experience on the Internet and thats the way its going to stay, no exceptions!

Most sites are free because the ads pay the expenses. I know that many sites are looking at ways to keep out what they regard as "freeloaders" with ad-blocking.

(Before you start flaming me I said WHAT THEY REGARD!)

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 12 - 04:38 PM

Is it possible some of the ads are generated based on thread titles and/or content? I've noticed big banner ads for Romney but I do NOT go looking for him anywhere!Generally, I don't mind the ads, but I hate seeing his ads esp. with the empty slogans and the "donate now" button.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: GUEST,999
Date: 12 Oct 12 - 04:59 PM

I tried to donate, but the Post Office has restrictions against sending human feces through the mail system.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Oct 12 - 05:11 PM

No shit!

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: GUEST,999
Date: 12 Oct 12 - 05:19 PM

Exactly.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Oct 12 - 05:49 PM

I turn ads on and off at MY convenience. Sometimes I turn them on to help Mudcat.. sometimes off for my comfort.

Subject: RE: Google ads on Mudcat
From: Jack Campin
Date: 12 Oct 12 - 06:21 PM

I'd happily leave the ads on to help Mudcat, but they slow my browser down so much that Mudcat would be unusable if I didn't block them.