Forum Moderators: martinibuster
One of the top 3 results offered me a list of the commercials that had aired today on the radio station I entered. It wasn't a football score, but I thought it might be interesting to view. So I clicked.
I ended up on a page that had an ad for a personals site on the left column, followed by a wide AdSense skyscraper. Then the main column to the right had a few links and then another AdSense block.
My first thought was that this was a new & clever MFA approach. Then I saw a link that took me to a "Commercials" page and I thought maybe it was legit after all. I clicked on that link and ended up on a page with some search options that promised to show me all the commercials on the radio station of my choice.
I checked my state and the AM frequency and surprise surprise - not a single AM station in my entire state was listed. It may not be a first-tier MFA site, but it's a close cousin.
I like having AdSense to bring in revenue from the sites I have built over the years, but is it too much to ask that they have some quality control so that AdSense don't end up being viewed as the equivalent of a gung-ho Amway rep? Couldn't AdSense survive and thrive if some quality control was implemented?
Sorry about the rant tonight. I used to not want to tell people about my involvement with AdSense because of the "loose lips sink ships" factor. Now I'm beginning to wonder if by telling someone I'm an AdSense publisher I will become a social outcast.
FarmBoy
Edit/Update: It was actually the number one Google search result.
Now I'm beginning to wonder if by telling someone I'm an AdSense publisher I will become a social outcast.
I do not think this must be the case. It really depends on the single question whether YOU feel comfortable with what you are doing, and whether you still feel comfortable if you showed your site(s) to people. In other words: Can you be proud of your sites? If the answer is yes, then please be proud!
Now I'm beginning to wonder if by telling someone I'm an AdSense publisher I will become a social outcast.
Hm. Hehe...
I'm just watching the wheels go round and round...
Imo, if MFA's weren't making money I think you'd see the lot of them blow away.
******
But now I start to worry about that is not a simple situation. MFA may stay there *** NOT *** because of they could make any benefit from the system, guess what?
AdSense can survive without MFA's. The Internet would be a better place. But of course, that wouldn't benefit G any.
MFAs are like popup/popunder ads and e-mail spam: When they reach the tipping point, there'll be a reaction, and the reaction won't be good for AdSense. Google knows that, which is why Eric Schmidt (the CEO) has spoken publicly about the undesirability of click arbitrage.
It wasn't long ago that affiliate spam was the bane of the Web. Now automatically-generated made-for-AdSense sites are in the driver's seat. A year or two from now, something else will be polluting the Web. Plus ce change, plus ce meme chose.
Plus ce change, plus ce meme chose.
Absolument...:-)
I think we are essentially operating in a klondike environment. During the Klondike goldrush 100,000 people made the hazardous journey to Dawson city to prospect for gold, only a handful made it rich. Same way there are lots of people who will build and invest in MFA sites, Affliate sites, email spam etc who will never make back their investment or make more than a few $$$.
Same way there are lots of people who will build and invest in MFA sites, Affliate sites, email spam etc who will never make back their investment or make more than a few $$$.
And that is exactly why there are so many.
They are not there because all of them make money, they are there because they think they will make money.
They come and they go. At any given point in time you get loads of MFA results after doing a Google search, but they are very likely not the same as a few months ago. The ones who burned all their cash have come and gone.
Let them. Their cash is good enough for me.
to take up the original question:
it's kind of a dilemma: short-term, mfas add big bucks to google revenue, long-term they damage the reputation of the whole system, dwindle the acceptance and lessen earning possibilities for all participiants. and yes, mfas *are* making money. you don't believe that? remember you are not joe surfer! mfas are for idiots. and there are some idiots hanging around on your website. idiots click on many things. they don't know the difference between ads, content, links, mfas. they do not penalize evil mfa pages by not clicking on their ads. heck, they have severe difficulties in distinguishing between quality and crap. you'd be surprised about a part of your audience.
you know jamba? or "jamster" in the uk, i believe. it's an infamous german ring tone provider. 99,9% of recipiants are totally annoyed with their repetitive stupid advertisements. their business is shady because they are supposed to persuade dumb people to buy their cellphone gimmicks. for the most part, commercials on music television (here mtv and viva) nowadays only consist of jamba advertisements.
does it hurt mtv? not necessarily, if they are able to spice up their brand name otherwise, for example outdoor events and other music business. but i'm sure it hurts the bottom line of eyeballs viewing this crap on tv. they are gradually destroying their core competence.
[edited by: moTi at 6:41 pm (utc) on Sep. 22, 2006]
