Hi guys,
A member or two (as well as a Poirot) recently asked me about the advertisements being displayed on the site. Some reported seeing ads which were... well... not exactly objectionable, but certainly questionable. Their question was -- in essence -- "can't you keep them from coming up?" The answer isn't quite an easy black-and-white or yes/no but let me try to explain why.. In order to support this Web site's hosting and other fees (like software upgrades), we run Google's Adsense program. This works for us and is a LOT more "guilt-free" than begging you guys for donations every month...
So.. Why the "bad" ads?
Several years ago, Google ads used to display advertisements based solely on the content of the page you were viewing. They did this by reading something in the site's HTML code called a "META tag" and "META description". This works great if you happen to be viewing a generic site like one concentrating on car parts, or gaming because there are a LOT of those type of advertisers.
Now though, Google's grown up a bit and combines a bit of "contextual ads" (based on the site) with what they see as your own "browsing and search history". In other words, it tries to figure out what YOU are interested in by displaying advertisements based on other sites you've visited.
For example, recently I made the mistake of visiting a "fine furniture clearance" site called One King's Lane (DON'T make that mistake unless you want to get spammed). Now, about 40% of the ads I see are not only One King's Lane ads, but they contain links to the few items I viewed on their site during the 5 minutes I was there. Other people might see advertisements based on Weight Watchers, or TV shows, or... whatever Google can tempt you with.
So.. Ummm... Why the "bad" ads?
Here's the rub. The "gotcha". The "catch-22".
When you get a new computer, or whenever you clear your browser's cache and browsing history, Google ads don't have anything to go by. This is both a blessing and a curse, as deleting that stuff is definitely good for security, but it means you might get ads that have NOTHING to do with your interests. Advertisements, as long as they aren't annoying, aren't a bad thing and can actually lead to discovery of new interests.
Heck, even *I* have seen a couple of ads for WW cookbooks and such that I want to follow.
In the end, I technically *can* try to block specific adverts if I know the URL. Since I don't SEE those ads however, there's no way for me to know what you're seeing. If you see an advertisement that you find objectionable, let me know the URL or site in question but PLEASE understand that it has little to do with the SalemSpectator.com, and it's certainly not something that we endorse.
So-called "Personal History Ads" are just based on your own personal habits. If you browse naughty sites, you might get naughty ads, so... Stop that before you go blind...
Wayne
A member or two (as well as a Poirot) recently asked me about the advertisements being displayed on the site. Some reported seeing ads which were... well... not exactly objectionable, but certainly questionable. Their question was -- in essence -- "can't you keep them from coming up?" The answer isn't quite an easy black-and-white or yes/no but let me try to explain why.. In order to support this Web site's hosting and other fees (like software upgrades), we run Google's Adsense program. This works for us and is a LOT more "guilt-free" than begging you guys for donations every month...
So.. Why the "bad" ads?
Several years ago, Google ads used to display advertisements based solely on the content of the page you were viewing. They did this by reading something in the site's HTML code called a "META tag" and "META description". This works great if you happen to be viewing a generic site like one concentrating on car parts, or gaming because there are a LOT of those type of advertisers.
Now though, Google's grown up a bit and combines a bit of "contextual ads" (based on the site) with what they see as your own "browsing and search history". In other words, it tries to figure out what YOU are interested in by displaying advertisements based on other sites you've visited.
For example, recently I made the mistake of visiting a "fine furniture clearance" site called One King's Lane (DON'T make that mistake unless you want to get spammed). Now, about 40% of the ads I see are not only One King's Lane ads, but they contain links to the few items I viewed on their site during the 5 minutes I was there. Other people might see advertisements based on Weight Watchers, or TV shows, or... whatever Google can tempt you with.
So.. Ummm... Why the "bad" ads?
Here's the rub. The "gotcha". The "catch-22".
When you get a new computer, or whenever you clear your browser's cache and browsing history, Google ads don't have anything to go by. This is both a blessing and a curse, as deleting that stuff is definitely good for security, but it means you might get ads that have NOTHING to do with your interests. Advertisements, as long as they aren't annoying, aren't a bad thing and can actually lead to discovery of new interests.
Heck, even *I* have seen a couple of ads for WW cookbooks and such that I want to follow.
In the end, I technically *can* try to block specific adverts if I know the URL. Since I don't SEE those ads however, there's no way for me to know what you're seeing. If you see an advertisement that you find objectionable, let me know the URL or site in question but PLEASE understand that it has little to do with the SalemSpectator.com, and it's certainly not something that we endorse.
So-called "Personal History Ads" are just based on your own personal habits. If you browse naughty sites, you might get naughty ads, so... Stop that before you go blind...
Wayne
