GOOGLE Gotcha

All those who wanted to monetize their web sites had a big boost a couple of years ago when Google rolled out their AdSense program. I jumped on board, just like I jumped on the new upstart named "Amazon" when they first appeared on the scene. Amazon has cut its affiliates commissions back to near-oblivion, in the interest of their profits -- why did we think Google wouldn't do the same?

But, as it goes on the web, most players weren't content with running an honest web site with honest content. I've complained and complained to deft ears about how so many sites are 'cheating' by stacking their links and all manner of other tricks to increase their clicks. Google finally caught on.

AOL Gone Bad... when to cut and run?

Herein is the long and sad story of how spam and online crime have driven some ISPs to blind, extreme measures which threaten the very usability of the internet. AOL, one of the world's longest trusted providers can no longer be trusted. Their overzealous quest to sell accounts by offering "spam blocking" is having the effect of isolating their user base from other web users. The following is a saga I've followed first hand -- so I know it's sad but true.

Drastic measures to shore up user base

According to news sources, America Online is considering offering its services, including e-mail, free to customers who already have a high-speed internet connection. Now we can understand why.

 

Net Neutrality... or, The Bandwidth Wars

BIG CHANGES ARE AFOOT IN THE WAY THE INTERNET WORKS and 'net neutrality' is a conundrum with so much misinformation, confusion and media lip service floating around that no one seems to really know what's going on. Two things are for sure: it is NOT going away, and it IS going to be a media feeding frenzy.

Upside-down pros and cons

This is going to be a long, miserable, and potentially damaging struggle; primarily because the two sides of the argument have gotten themselves upside-down. Those in favor of neutrality are crying: please don't regulate so the 'little guy' and everyone else can be free to do as they please. Yet those are the ones currently exploiting and profiteering off 'the little guy.'

 

Giving up on Google Ad Sense

[Fred says: If you've surfted to web sites that seem to be only Google links, or clicked on a link that took you somewhere you didn't want to go, then welcome to the club. Google's reach has grown to astronomical proportions. With their recent 3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick they are poised to be one of the biggest players in the internet advertising business. But not all is well in paradise... ]

Giving Up on AdSense

by Sramana MitraSramana Mitra

I am a painful critic for Google's AdSense program, as it pertains to Content (not Search). My beef is that it doesn't take into account any understanding of the target audience of a publisher, nor does it take into account Context or Intent.