(Not) slaying the dragon

by Jennifer on May 11, 2008

Yesterday afternoon, after discovering that in the month of April I earned exactly 1 cent from Google AdSense, I decided to investigate my ad options. Was there something more? better? brilliant? I could be doing to maybe earn 2 cents this month? Because by the end of the year, if I double my income every month, I could be earning $2.56/month! The bounty! The windfall!*

So I tweaked and expanded my ad options, settling in the end on some large image ads to run in the sidebar.

A while later, I was in front of my computer as usual and talking on the phone with my friend Ms. W.

Suddenly, I gasped. “NOooooooooooo!”

“What?” she asked.

There, right in my sweet, feminist sidebar was an ad for an international d*ting website. (I’m afraid to type the word, in case AdSense manages to find it and target my site again. For the record, it’s NOT doting, or duting, and not even diting or deting.)

I have a big problem with Google funneling ads like that to sites that haven’t asked for it. They definitely got that one wrong. All they have to do is troll my site and figure out that I’m only interested in runnings ads for hot cowboys or guys that look/sing/kiss like Gerard Butler. Research, people, research! (Girls and maybe even some of you guys, take note…I just saw Gerard Butler in P.S. I Love You. Hot damn. He carries the movie. Though it didn’t kill me to see Harry Connick, Jr.‘s sweet face, or Jeffrey Dean Morgan‘s ass . Not necessarily in that order.)

And, to be honest, I wouldn’t reject an ad that featured Angelina Jolie or maybe Jeri Ryan.)

Anyway, I apologize to anyone who saw the ad. I assure you that I selected no ad category that would line up at all with that kind of thing. I’m no prude, but it’s not the sort of service I envisioned promoting from this site. (Again, reference the above paragraphs for ad topics I DO support.)

So. You might be wondering why I don’t permanently remove my AdSense ads? I thought about it. But in the last month, that’s the first offensive ad (in my opinion) I’ve noticed, and I hope that I’ve managed to filter out more of the same in the future.

I went into my account and changed my ad format so that future ads would be selected from content on this site.

Satisfied that I had managed to slay the dragon, I reloaded my site and sat back to watch the show.

Want to guess one of the first ads to pop up on my liberal-leaning, Hilary Clinton- (or Barack Obama, when/if he takes the nomination-) supporting blog?

Yep, first thing, an ad for the Republican candidate, whose name I won’t print.

I did a search of my site. Never once have I mentioned his name. I have discussed the Presidential race, and the primaries, but I have never mentioned our Senator from Arizona. Nor would I ever want to run advertising for his campaign.

I can’t decide which ad was worse. So, my thanks to Google. Way to help me out, there.

Friends, I fear the dragon just slayed me.

_________________________________________________

*If I’m violating some part of Google’s Terms and Conditions by revealing my ad revenue (cough), guess what? I don’t freaking care.

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{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }

Carolyn May 11, 2008 at 12:43 pm

LOL. You’re the best. And I’d take my Asian girlfriends any day over a REPUBLICAN. Ick.

Oh Lord. I just spoke too soon. There is currently a picture of George W. Bush holding a rather phalic looking peice of corn on your sidebar. I think I’m going to barf.

Call me when Gerard’s hot bod, Jeffrey’s hot ass, Harry’s sweet face or, condidering my penchant for hot (Asian) woman these days, even Angelina or Jeri are on your sidebar. Until then… Adios amigo.

(Kidding… even George W can’t keep me away.)

Carolyns last blog post..on how much i love you and scoring more goals.

Carolyn May 11, 2008 at 12:44 pm

Ooops. Condidering? I meant to say Considering…

Carolyns last blog post..on how much i love you and scoring more goals.

Jennifer Harvey May 11, 2008 at 12:48 pm

Condidering is funnier.

Seriously, George W was on my sidebar? (Tomorrow on Martha Stewart: How to turn your computer monitor into a dartboard in 3 easy steps!)

Brenda May 11, 2008 at 12:58 pm

OK, now the ad is a little more tame. It’s for Good Nights. Whatever.

As for the other things you’d like to see, I’m with ya! Jeri & Angelina??? These are the only two women I can think of that are just HOT! I can think of lots of beautiful women. Lots of attractive women. Lots of women I admire. But they are just hot. (They’re on MY “list” as well as my husband’s!)

Jennifer Harvey May 11, 2008 at 1:04 pm

Brenda–It’s the ad below the top one that you have to watch out for. All sorts of questionable goings-on down there!

Those two women? Definitely on my Secret Girlfriends list. (With thanks to Mrs. G for promoting Secret Boyfriends and Secret Girlfriends.)

Mary Alice May 11, 2008 at 1:30 pm

Yeah I have a friend who is a bristish naval wife…she writes about kids and cooking, husband and PTO …google adsense keeps sticking ads up for people who are wanting to bang a married woman…affair match dot com…and various things. UGH.

Mary Alices last blog post..The Post About Your Mama

Jenn @ Juggling Life May 11, 2008 at 2:00 pm

Maybe for a penny a month I won’t bother looking into it. If my site advertised a Republican candidate my head would probably explode (a la katydidnot)!

Jenn @ Juggling Lifes last blog post..Things My Momma Done Told Me . . .

Madge May 11, 2008 at 2:05 pm

dude. at 2.56 a month it won’t take you long at all to buy yourself your very own webkinz!!! isn’t that exciting??? don’t you want a chicken?

Madges last blog post..My 21st Post!!!!

Daryl E May 11, 2008 at 2:52 pm

Okay .. is it possible some innocent commentor commented on those others who shall not be named in the event we’re being oogled by Google .. okay now you know I am a conspiracy theory chick

and why did you decide on Google ads again?

Daryl Es last blog post..Sunday Afternoon

Jennifer Harvey May 11, 2008 at 3:00 pm

Daryl–I’m giving it another month. If nothing better comes of it, then I’ll find something else. ‘Cause anything is better than Our Current Occupant appearing in my sidebar.

Kelley May 11, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Hmm… There’s not much mention of d*ting on my site either, but not for lack of trying. Where’d that banner go?

😉

Kelleys last blog post..Adventures in Atlanta: 11 May 2008

suburbancorrespondent May 11, 2008 at 3:55 pm

I gave up on Adsense – I kept getting ads for dog obedience schools every time I posted about potty training my 3-year-old. And, of course, I wasn’t making any money whatsoever. I think you need more than 200 readers a day to do that. Oh, well…

suburbancorrespondents last blog post..Friends Don’t Let Friends E-Mail Drunk

flutter May 11, 2008 at 5:31 pm

oh nooooooo A REPUBLICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

flutters last blog post..Therapy Notes: Mind, body and haircuts

D / Momma May 11, 2008 at 5:33 pm

You know, I think that AdSense is just a way of Google getting us to put their ads out there. I signed up for AdSense too and have earned exactly nothing.

That’s ok. It wasn’t ever the reason I blogged, but doggone – getting paid to do this would be nice, wouldn’t it!? It might make all the time I spend online worth it! 🙂

Peace – D

D / Mommas last blog post..Happy Mothers Day!

Just Jamie May 11, 2008 at 5:39 pm

Shut up! Nuh-uh?

My husband begs me to try and make a profit out of “that blogging thing” I do. If the brilliance and poise of your posts generate that kind of crap for that kind of crappy pay … I’ll stick with my big fat zero paychecks.

Just Jamies last blog post..1

Just Jamie May 11, 2008 at 5:40 pm

(duh) just fixed my url.

Just Jamies last blog post..I Almost Became A Republican

Kellan May 11, 2008 at 6:02 pm

Happy Mother’s Day Jennifer – see you later – Kellan

Kellans last blog post..Happy Mother’s Day!

Landon May 11, 2008 at 7:11 pm

“I don’t freaking care.”
Love it!
Hope you had a wonderful and relaxing Mother’s Day.

sauerkraut May 11, 2008 at 7:30 pm

you got an ad for angry johnnie?? hahahaha… too blessed funny.

adsense is a joke.

but you might make something if you targetted the most sensational item on the news each day and posted a blog about it using the most inflammatory buzz words about that story. when i posted my half- thoughts on that cheerleader beating from a few weeks ago, I had over 30,000 hits in a little over a week’s time. but no income from adsense because it’s a ton of work for very little monetary return.

so I just keep my blog boring and read other people’s instead.

like yours 😉

meow

sauerkrauts last blog post..Lovely day ends in near disaster.

Jennifer Harvey May 11, 2008 at 7:35 pm

I gave up and took off the AdSense ad. Dragon 1; Jennifer 0

Still, I’m way ahead if I’m not advertising for that senator, or for GW.

AMomTwoBoys May 11, 2008 at 7:41 pm

HA! I’ve earned approx. $1/per month from adsense. Sucks big time.

I’ve noticed the Deting ad on other sites too…so it’s not just you!

:0)

AMomTwoBoyss last blog post..It’s Official…I’m AWESOME

Meg May 11, 2008 at 7:59 pm

Google ads are the worst! I took mine off a long time ago..yuk!

Happy Mother’s Day beautiful, hope it was grand!

Megs last blog post..To All My Beautiful MOM Friends!

Milena May 11, 2008 at 8:36 pm

I actually came in, saw the ad for he who must not be named (you guessed it, Lord Voldemort himself) and I just jumped right out. Just kidding. Never saw anything offensive and to tell you the truth, I never even check out what is put on my ads but I wouldn’t mind having any of the promos you yourself are angling for ESPECIALLY anything that includes Gerard Butler. Love that name. Gerard…
Anyway, I am also here to wish a very happy Mother’s Day. By my Houston clock count, it is not yet midnight though I think I might be late where you are. I’m sure you’ll cut me some slack on the tardiness.

Milenas last blog post..1

the mama bird diaries May 11, 2008 at 9:26 pm

Well.. I had just talked to my husband about how we both should be dating more, particularly internationally. I guess you’re site won’t be a resource for us. Sigh…

the mama bird diariess last blog post..mother’s day

Hatchet May 11, 2008 at 9:31 pm

A whole penny! Look OWWWWW-tuh! Um…30 years ago you could have bought penny candy with that.

Do they still sell candy for a penny somewhere? Other than a bubblegum machine, that is. Anyone?

Yeah. I’m dating myself, aren’t I? Eek!

Anyway! I’d heard much the same thing about G-Ads and decided not to clutter up my look for the amazing 1 cent return. Instead, I am paid in fun comments at the moment. Not too shabby!

Hatchets last blog post..Weekly Winners VI

JCK May 11, 2008 at 11:20 pm

Happy Mother’s Day, sweet lady!

Your post made me laugh. I have to figure out my Google adsense thing, too. I have earned a total of 2 cents a month. If that! 🙂 Although, you are making me scared here.

JCKs last blog post..I used to hate Mother’s Day

Crazycath May 12, 2008 at 4:09 am

Jennifer what a nightmare! The cheek!

I think the way to slay the dragon is cancel the ads. After all, they are getting FREE advertising space (I mean, come on, 1 cent? To me, they are getting free space) So cancel Adsense then it is Jennifer 1, Dragon 0.

Sorted.

Crazycaths last blog post..Camera Critters #5

Dave May 12, 2008 at 4:26 am

You might ask your readers to subsidize you, a la PBS? Happy Mothers Day, BTW! : )

Daves last blog post..Put this on your mantle, Stephen Stills!

cce May 12, 2008 at 6:40 am

I’ve made all of 15 cents off my ad revenues as well and I’ve also learned to be entirely amused by the ads running in my sidebars. A healthy dose of the absurd…always good for a hearty laugh when not otherwise weeping helplessly. Who is in charge over there at Google Adsense?

cces last blog post..1

melissa May 12, 2008 at 10:41 am

You crack me up. I shall never judge you by the ads on your blog, I promise (now that you’ve kind of explained how that all works). I shall, however, judge you by the movie clips you put up and that Bull Durham one? Kicks all sorts of romantic booty.

melissas last blog post..Nostalgia is a funny thing

Dharmamama May 12, 2008 at 1:51 pm

I watched PS I Love You this weekend, only to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan.. sigh… Wish there’d been more of him. I mean, wish he’d a bigger part. I mean… never mind (blush).

Dharmamamas last blog post..My Latest Internet Crush…

Tootsie Farklepants May 12, 2008 at 2:58 pm

I would be seriously worried if I ran ads that featured content from my site. There would be a lot of stuff about vaginas.

Tootsie Farklepantss last blog post..The Post That Makes You Say Awwww….and Maybe Ack!

Lisa May 12, 2008 at 5:36 pm

Crazy, just crazy :0
I know my site has been famous for bad singing voices (I figured out Google analytics–shocker I know–and I seem to get daily hits for that) so I wonder if I will ever get American Idol auditions on my site?
Also, I had one friend who had a picture ad for g#y ch#bby d@ting–and she is neither AND married lol–go Goggle 😉

Lisas last blog post..6 Uninteresting Things About Me

Melinda May 12, 2008 at 6:11 pm

Yeah, I am getting to the point of ridding that nasty Adsense. They are totally taking advantage of blog space. Heck, it might take about 100 years you can afford yourself a cup of coffee!

Melindas last blog post..3 Ways to deal with Someone who pisses you off

Sandy (Momisodes) May 12, 2008 at 8:39 pm

Oh honey, adsense is now on my blog purely for entertainment purposes. It’s like opening a cracker jack box with every page load on my blog 🙂
$1? Yep, sounds about where I’m at too 🙁

Sandy (Momisodes)s last blog post..I Quit

Grandy May 12, 2008 at 8:57 pm

I just put AdSense on my blog last week. Go ahead… ask me why…

I’m a glutton, and was curious I guess. It was like that button that said, “Don’t Touch”.

I have so much to learn.

In the meantime, I can’t wait to earn my first penny.

Grandys last blog post..Commuter’s Emergency Kit

Louis la Vache May 19, 2008 at 6:25 am

The irony of Google placing the R-candidate ad on your site is that Google is notoriously hard-core radical left in its politics.

Louis la Vaches last blog post..Chocolat à l’ancienne

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