TechTonic vs. AdSense!
Some commenters warned me that I could be violating the Google AdSense terms of service with the first ever “contest” post on this blog.
However, I felt otherwise and emailed AdSense support for some guidance. I got an unhelpful automated response and decided to leave it at that. Today though, I received an email from them threatening to shut down my account:
Publishers are not permitted to encourage users to click on Google ads or bring excessive attention to ad units. (Full email here.)
Here is my email response:
from Abhimanyu Radhakrishnan mail {at} techtonic {dot} info
to adsense-support@google.com,
date Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 3:51 AM
subject Re: Issue # 372209 Google AdSenseDear AdSense Support,
Firstly, I’d like to remind you that I voluntarily brought this to your notice through query #258677301 some days ago.
Secondly, I have decided NOT to change the content of my post because in no way does it (in my opinion) violate the spirit of the ToS. It is clearly a sarcastic statement in a humourous context, clearly related to the content of that particular post: (http://www.techtonic.info/2008
/03/01/march-08-contest/). It is blindingly obvious to anyone who reads the post that there is no malicious intention to direct readers to clicking the ads. Nowhere else on the site, is there any attempt to encourage readers to click ads. My site has all original content and is not in the SEO business. I have no intention of changing the content and will gladly face the consequences.
Best Wishes
Abhimanyu
Agree with my stance? Disagree? Comments?
Tags: adsense, google, online ads
April 9th, 2008 at 5:14 am
I agree with your stance?
I’m also really fed-up with the support system. My friend lost his goog-acc password and when asked for help, they disabled his account, sayin “For your Safty”
April 9th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Same thing happened for my frnd…he lost his account on violating some ToS(but not sure which one)…
April 9th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Not surprising considering Google’s modus operandi akin to Bush-ism
Might is right here although some of the Adsense Protocols are actually needed.
Nevertheless it’s a catch-22 but I’d gun for sticking to your stand and move yr content elsewhere
April 9th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Hi Abhimanyu,
I would remove that 1 sentence from your contest blog post immediately. Or replace Google Adsense with private ads on your blog.
And here is why: Google can’t make exceptions on such cases. An incentive is an incentive.
Imagine if TechCrunch writes something like you did and offers real prizes like a day with Arrington if their ad profits increase? They’ll receive millions of clicks without any of the reader buying anything from the advertisers.
Also, if Google finds a very high percentage of your readers clicking on ads again and again, they may block your a/c. (Ask any forum owners - they’ve had to deal with Google so often because their members are loyal and will keep on clicking on ads even if they aren’t asked.)
Google’s ToS makes sense. Because they will obviously put in more effort to safeguard the advertisers rather than the publishers. Because advertisers are the people with the money.
Google is a bit bad with their customer support though. And their backend scripts are sometimes nasty: suspending your a/c without giving warnings or letting you explain your position. But I’m with them when it comes to preventing click fraud (which is what your kind of incentive would lead to if an overzealous fan of yours takes your post to heart and clicks on 20 Google ads everyday).
April 9th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Such things are expected & always cause of concern specially when you got big bully of Online Advertising involved which virtually rules the online Ad Space.
Google is just safeguarding its business interests & that of its advertisers who are the money spenders & their source of revenue.Its again one of those issues where ultimate consumer/user is sidelined by so called Policies or ToS.Just like I came across a number of suspended accounts stating your account does not meet our guidelines & it has been disabled/suspended by Orkut with no clear reasons.
I believe you have raised the right issue but its the wrong party on the other side.
April 10th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Any reply from google?
April 15th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I agree with Ankesh here.
The question is what would you do if you were Google. Do you have the time and resources to go and police each and every site that is flagged by your system for policy violation?
With the amount if sites that use Google Ad Sense, they cannot possibly worry about the intent of every publisher and spend resources in identifying the fraud ones. They would rather err on the side of safety.