What would cause you to dump AdSense?

Where do you draw the line?

[farmboy]

I read a couple of blogs today where the blogger claims to be dropping AdSense because of the news about Google's cooperation with the Chinese government.

This may sound cynical, but I'd wager those bloggers weren't earning very much with AdSense (but I could be wrong about that).

Anyway, I'm curious what would cause others to drop AdSense - when do your principles trump the paycheck?

What if Google cooperated with the search data request made by Uncle Sam?

What if you found out Google was accumulating your personal search history and selling the information to marketers?

What would it take for you to dump AdSense?

FarmBoy

[europeforvisitors]

I assume you were referring to my comment about this being a step towards greater openness in China?

No, I was referring to the hypothetical scenario of Google's gathering personal information on users and selling it to marketers.

I agree that China won't be able to suppress information forever. Things have come a long way since the days of jamming Voice of America shortwave broadcasts. The walls were already crumbling in 1980, when Chinese students used fax machines to communicate with the outside world during the demonstrations at Tianmanen Square;

[celgins]

Can't think of many reasons why I would dump Adsense. If their advertiser base became riddled with gambling, pornography, and racists ads, I would definitely look elsewhere.

I agree with others that affiliate links produce a lot more $$$ for leads and sales, butI see nothing wrong with combining both in your web pages.

[Wiley]

China is the largest country and the larget market for the rest of the world. Google has found a way to get to that market. Yes they had to restrict their product to do it but they are in the door. If you are a Adsense advertiser your market just got a lot bigger. There is nothing unethical about what Google did. If you think it is a sin to do business with the China then your about 20 years behind the rest of the world. You most likely have something in your closet that was made in China and the same goes for them too. We live in a global economy and if you sell advertising space on your website your opportunity to sell more space, with better margins just got better.

[zeus]

to low payout, like under 0.04 per click

[andrea99]

I agree with Wiley.

The American search engine that gets the best foothold in China will become, in time, the most powerful and influential entity on earth. Think about that.

Dealing with the crackpots that now make the rules there is a small price to pay--they will blow away like feathers in the wind once the internet penetrates the majority there.

There may be bloodshed along the way, isn't there always?

[vincevincevince]

As an update to my previous posts, I have found a way in which I am happy to continue using Adsense and don't feel that I'm somehow contributing towards things I really don't agree with - [webmasterworld.com...] (msg57)

[farmboy]

On a related note, I just read that post-China-decision Google has removed their statement about not censoring search results and "We believe strongly in allowing the democracy of the web to determine the inclusion and ranking of sites in our search results."

I guess I can't post a link, but the blog where this is reported shouldn't be hard to find. Interestingly enough, the blogger used the Google cache to extract the statement before and after removal.

FarmBoy

[surin_p3]

Hm,

I have just seen a V1agra ad in my adsense block....

My site is a real estate site and I was wondering if anybody else has seen weird things like this?

/P3