Why am I seeing Openx where Adsense should appear?

sometimes adsense banners being replaced by openx

[wanderingmind]

I have recently been searching for cloud hosting services in Google and visiting sites.

Since then, I am seeing a lot of ads for a cloud hosting service, being served by Openx.org where Adsense banners should appear.

This happens on my own site as well as many other sites where I normally see Adsense.

When I run the cursor over the banner ad, I see an openx.org url -- not google or doubleclick.

Is this Google normally targeting me based on my recent browsing, or is it some kind of virus hijack of my PC which replaces Adsense with openx...?

[coachm]

My guess: a company or companies are using adwords and serving ads but using openx to serve ads to adwords, which then serves them to you. Maybe? Just a wild*ss guess.

[mack]

This happens on my own site as well as many other sites where I normally see Adsense.

Do you just paste the Adsense code into your page, or use any form of ad serving script?

You need to check your site to ensure the ad code hasn't been altered in any way. If your sites code is, as it should be, then you need to think along the lines of an infection on your system that is pointing all ad views to another companies ads.

Try viewing the sites from another computer.

Mack.

[rash]

Most probably you opted for openx market ads. There is an option in zones to disable serving openx market ads.

[wanderingmind]

@Mack

No ad serving scripts, just direct pasting of adsense code.

Also, I see them on many sites - though today I haven't seen any at all.

@rash
What zones?

[IanCP]

Since then, I am seeing a lot of ads for a cloud hosting service, being served by Openx.org where Adsense banners should appear.

Sure you weren't simply seeing "interest based ads"?

Openx might well just be the people who are part of the ad network, I certainly don't know.

[wanderingmind]

Precisely what I thought first - that they were interest related ads.

But their sheer numbers and appearing in sites where I am used to seeing Adsense made me wonder. Then I ran the cursor over them, and saw Openx. Very unlikely so many sites would suddenly start using openx - unless google has some tie-up with openx...

Anyway havent seen a single one of them today - even though I have been browsing hosting sites again.

[hasimsg]

Can it be that openx recenly become a third party advertiser for adsense?

[celgins]

OpenX is a part of the Google certified ad network. More than likely, it is related to that.

[wanderingmind]

@ celgins

Ah then probably there is nothing to be worried of. Seeing the Openx URL which hovering over the banner ads was what scared me - I have seen doubleclick urls before, but did not know openx had anything to do with Google.