I run Google AdSense on my site, which purports to run “relevant ads” based on the content of the site. Of course, AdSense has no clue about irony, sarcasm, or even humor. So they often run an ad for a politician next to an article where I’m condemning or making fun of that same politician. Most of the time this is ironic, so I leave it alone. Besides, if you click on their ad it costs them money! But at one point it got so bad that I had to ban some annoying ads for “she who must not be named” Palin that were being run constantly on my site (either that or I had to stop posting stories that mentioned her — the solution of course was to do both).
Presidential campaigning has begun, at least on the Republican side (on the Democratic side the Obama campaign is already asking me for money, even though they likely won’t start campaigning for a while). In the short term, I’m sure my site is going to be awash in ads for Republicans.
I’ve been noticing an ad for Mitt Romney the last few days. With any luck, if I mention the name Mitt Romney enough, it will appear next to this post. I can already see the major theme of Mitt Romney’s campaign. The ad just says “Obama isn’t working” followed by “Believe in America” and the URL of Mitt Romney’s campaign site. There are also images of people in unemployment lines that look like they are from the great depression. Wow, this ad is ironic all by itself, since just a few days ago Mitt Romney made a weak joke about he himself being unemployed (Mitt Romney didn’t mention whether Mitt Romney was taking that opportunity to receive unemployment insurance). However, Mitt Romney doesn’t say what he would do about unemployment, but what did I expect from the Party of No? I guess if I “Believe in America”, click my heels together, and cut taxes, everything will get better.
I’m also making this post because sometime soon I’ll probably start receiving emails from people complaining about the constant ads for Republican candidates on my site. Yes, I could just remove all ads from my site (yesterday, I received the huge sum of $2.69 from AdSense, so it would not be much of a sacrifice). But most of the time I just enjoy the ads and their often unintentional irony. Besides, it is their money — who am I to turn it down?
17 Comments
Ironically, the ad that came up beside your post was, yet again, Parah Salin – she who must not be named.
I never thought about the fact that if I click on an ad for someone I can’t stand, it costs that person money. This just might be worthwhile going into “anonymous browsing” mode and disabling my ad blocker to boot!
Believe in Real America, Click your bootstraps together, maverick, cut taxes. IK 2012.
Ironically, the ad that came up for me was an ad for Google AdWords, the sister service of Google AdSense.
Would it help if we all mentioned Mitt Romney in our comments? I got an ad for Supporting Isreal – not Mitt Romney. I’d love for IK to get a bit more than $2.69 from Mitt Romney. 😉
Don’t get carried away, guys. Google doesn’t like it when you try to game them, and I’m certainly not encouraging you to do that.
I get Pet food ads. They know I shop for my numerous animals on-line. Guess I’d better check out each site for you.
Obama Phone Plan
Free Phone & 250 Min. Government Assisted Cell Plans. Activate Now!
BudgetMobile.com/Obama_Phones
Satirical self-help book
HowToLoseFriendsAndIrritatePeople by Daniel J. Barach
http://www.irritatepeople.com
just a few choice ads that popped up on the front page today. 😀
I think if AdSense can figure out who you are (like from what you read on Google News, what you search for, etc.) then it tailors the ads it displays to you. So not everyone will be seeing the same ads.
It’s been Glenn Beck all day for me. Just seeing his pudgy “I look like a black guy who’s been painted in whiteface” countenance makes me want to drink poisoned wine.
Not to “think” google is tracking us. If I have just been to a store online and go to AP news, an ad pops up for the store I’ve just been. Google is tracking everything now. Since I do all my shopping on-line except some groceries and some hardware, I know the extent of their tracking which really is no different than going in a store and giving you the store care to get points or something. They are doing the same thing in regular stores and sending you ads in the mail.
What comes up on nearly all sites are the NewsMax ads against anyone who is their puppet. Google must get very rich from the Conservatives.
AdBlock here.
As a long-term unemployed person, the last thing I want to see is what I can’t shop for. *shrugs*
OMG! I’m suddenly seeing a ton of ads from Glenn Beck. I hadn’t heard much from him lately, and was hoping he had crawled into a hole somewhere.
When will it end? So Iron Knee, you get paid when we click on the ads? It would make me so happy to have the wacked out right send you money. Hmmm, time for me to start a website, a good number of the people that read the paper I publish are habitual Republicans. I could turn the money around donating to progressive causes.
Now THAT would be the way to do it! Create a website and fill it with wing-nut news and lots of ads, and then take the money and donate it to progressive groups. How subversive.
I’m getting ads for AARP. 🙁
Can I get a restraining order?
I use AdBlock too. I’ve never seen any of the ads on this site. I just don’t like to be bothered with them.