I’m curious about the system. Does it work selectively from both sides? Would you promote your site through AdSense? If you’re pro-choice then can you avoid being paired with pro-life? If you’re for adult readers (I don’t mean dirty) then can you avoid that being mistaken?

When the tsunami hit across Asia, some lesser news web sites (computer sites that I read) initially got reports of the crisis adorned with Google ads for surfing equipment. I wrote in and somebody stopped it.

No response, no action taken. I still see the ad now and then .

As for AdBlock I don’t use it, I can see why people do but I’m of the mindset that this content wouldn’t exist without advertising so I try to avoid blocking it.

Yes, I’m one of those who mute the TV during the commercials. I also have opted out from receiving spam in my snailmail, I throw away all other hardware spam before reading, and I use AdBlock. But it still irritates me sometimes.

I got some pretty funny stuff just searching for things. While looking for ‘LaTeX’ it is actually quite surprising that maybe the first 2 results are relevant. One of the funniest hits I’ve had though was from a robot responder. I was searching for “atmospheric transmission” and got a mechanical overhaul site: “We guarantee the lowest price and satisfaction (lowest satisfaction?) on repairing your atmospheric transmission.”

I miss the Golden Age of MAD when Bill Gaines was running the show; getting my latest load of trash from the usual gang of idiots was the highlight of the month.

Personally, I got accustomed to that peripheral form of web advertising, but still they feel like a vendor pitching greasy snacks at a dieters convention!

“Purchase cancer at huge discounts!”

“New and used prostate search service!” <— Probably a link to the Igors out in Uberwald.

I’m sorry, but the trailer with the wave coming over the Himalayas was cool. But, yeah, I know with Emmerlich in charge there is little hope for the best.

Just like reading a newspaper. There are stories with empty space in between. Every Sunday I toss out 25 completely blank sections of a couple of pages each.

As for advertising on the web in general, I use ABP so I’m not subjected to it. Advertisers failed to realize that flashy, obnoxious, off-target ads were not welcome and making them more intrusive would not improve click-through rates. It is out of this time period that ABP delivered our salvation. Now, just as some advertisers are starting to deliver timely accurate advertisements, so much of the audience has blockers, it’s like herd immunity for ads.

OTOH, I like seeing product placements that naturally fit into the story; that don’t look like they were forced into the narrative just to push that product.