Google Wants Adsense Publishers to Give Them More Personal Info

[lexipixel]

New email from our friends at the plex tonight. They want to do us a favor, (well, at least me -- don't know if everyone else got the same "offer")...

We’re contacting you to let you know about a recent change within your AdSense account.

We understand that some publishers may prefer to receive AdSense-related messages at a different email address than the Google Account used as their AdSense login. From now on, every user on an AdSense account can specify a personal contact email, contact name and optionally a phone number.

Wow. How generous of Google.

Or is it that obtaining one of my other "personal" email addresses, another version of my name and a phone number will help them to connect all the dots and whomp up a nice profile to sell off to marketeers?

...I think they know who I am, they've been sending me checks for 8 years.

Thanks, but no thanks, (I didn't believe it when the constant nag screen at Adsense login asked me to give them my phone number to "protect my account").

I'll make a deal with Google; "Give me a phone number and the name and personal email address of someone over at the plex who I can call when I feel like chatting about garbage SEPRs, greedy bots, image and content scraping, loss of traffic and revenue -- and I'll give you mine.

[IanCP]

I also see this at present.

Did I give this information back in June, 2003? I can't remember.

Now? How many times have I seen it in the past?

Do I care?

[netmeg]

f you have to worry about having to "...contend with the violent crazies..." I'd say you're leading a life which draws them to you.

But - That is typically a woman and I suspect it is relatively rare that such a person is running a web site.

I suggest you don't know WTF you're talking about. And trust me, my first reply was a hell of a lot ruder.

[Leosghost]

I agree with netmeg..

[ken_b]

Well said Netmeg!

[loner]

Well, I got an automated phone call today from Google wanting me to advertise on adwords- press "1" to talk to a rep, press "2" to pass this on to your competition. The way adsense has been diminishing I should be out completely early next fall. Why would they think I'd kick them back a dime between now and then? Phooey on them.

[Edge]

Well said Netmeg!

Well, I had a crazy phone me today because they did not seem to like that we asked for (email exchange) proof that our data was wrong and they where right. You know the conversation - "I'm right your wrong, my saying it is proof enough".

Heck, they went as far as to call and ask for the manager! After a short talk it was clear that it was a one-way conversation - er I mean lecture with her doing all the talking. After getting cut-off several times I lost it, yelled and hung up on her. Of course she called and left a long rambling message about being amazed that I yelled at her and hungup.

I was wrong for yelling where simply hanging up on her was the right response.

So, I respect Netmeg's wish to not share a business or other phone line with the potential crazies and others out there.

Anyway, my business phone number remains published and easy to get to.

I'm off to verify my security system works!

[koan]

Elsmarc, way to blame the victims here, I thought your post was borderline rude to be honest. Is it really that hard to put yourself in someone else shoes who might be more vulnerable or imagine a world slightly more emotional from your own? Yes, some people may value (or even require) privacy more than you, shocking, isn't.

That being said, this seems to be a service from Google to send notifications to other emails than your Google account, which may be appreciated by some. And I consider my relationship with Google adsense to be a professional one, so I have no problem providing them with a phone number, as I do with most other ads / affiliate companies. It doesn't have to be my personal one.

Because my Google account is very important to me (Adsense, Gmail, Android account, Webmaster Tools) and contains so much personal info, I have recently adhered to their 2-step verification system to beef up security:

[support.google.com...]

Still don't have a Google + account though, and don't plan on ever promoting my person on the web, my web sites stand on their own, they don't need a mascot, lol.