Has anyone every been successful in arguing

with the Adsense folks?

[dickbaker]

From the beginnings of my website plan, I'd always figured that I could incorporate some Adsense advertising into the mix.

I was really surprised when I got a reply from those folks saying that my site deals in a prohibited subject: guns.

(Moderators, I hope this post doesn't violate terms of service).

I don't sell guns on my site. All I do is provide pages of information about individual models of firearms, and give retailers a place to advertise their products and services. Their advertisements include bragging about how much fishing tackle, archery equipment, hunting and camping clothing they stock, as well as the number and brands of guns they sell.

If every site that touched on the subject of guns was prohibited, I'd say "ok, fine."

However, I constantly run across Adwords or Adsense ads for a magazine that does exactly what I do: show photographs and manufacturer descriptions of new guns.

And I see Adwords ads that promote certain manufacturer's clothing and accessory online stores. But the URL's point directly to the gun manufacturers' sites.

It's in my DNA to question the answer "no."

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had any degree of success challenging Google's ban on certain subjects.

[Lagamorph]

There is a difference in an advertiser selling guns and a publisher selling or promoting guns. Google is not making a moral decision they are catering to what their clients want.

[edited by: Lagamorph at 6:50 am (utc) on Dec. 28, 2006]

[BigDave]

You have no chance of winning the argument with them on this one.

If you push too hard, all you will do is risk never getting an account, even for an approved purpose.

[koan]

I think "arguing" put people in positions of being right or wrong, while this is not the matter with adsense, as they are in a position of wanting your business, or not. Questionning their preferences is like questionning your culinary tastes. The discussion would go nowhere.

Unless it is a matter of them misunderstanding the nature of your site, then you could give another shot at explaining the details, but I wouldn't go further than one reply, or you could appear unreasonnable and lose your chance with another site in the future.

[netmeg]

I had a similar situation with the Yahoo network regarding a site about fireworks, and these weren't even consumer fireworks (illegal in many places), but the big commercially shot displays that people go see on the 4th of July. Never could get anywhere with them either.