Adwords in the Forums?

[Aaron Stanton]

So, I just wanted to throw this out there at the start of the weekend, and see how things stand by Monday.  We have no intention at the moment of putting Google adwords or anything of the such on BookLamp.org's main access pages, and I reject any such things for CanGoogleHearMe.com because I refuse to try to make money off of the good will people have fired my way through that site.

However, I don't have much worry about maybe throwing a Google adwords up under the BookLamp links in the forum - there on the left - if no one has a large complaint against this.  While Google adwords almost never generates much money, it might buy Paul and I a pizza someday, and can't hurt.

Anyone have serious objections to it?  Ruin the fun for anyone to have an adwords thing over on the left, there?

Aaron

[Stephen Rollins]

Hey, if it's unobtrusive and it'll buy pizza, why not? 

Seriously, though, I don't know how everyone else feels but I greatly appreciate you not putting any ads in more annoying places (such as the main page or on a banner on the top of the forums), so I guess I'm okay with what you're suggesting.  Not like I'll ever click it anyways. 

[Soren Morton]

I honestly don't think people mind ads on a page as long as you don't reduce the working space to display them or show inappropriate images. I probably won't ever click on them either, but maybe Google's changes to put more relevent ads on pages will work and they will be useful?

[Andy]

on forums like this I dont see it being a problem. The words may even be useful, I click on the occasionally too, sometimes run into good sites!

[Therin]

I don't mind adwords, they're no way near as intrusive as the banners across the top of the page.  They can also be helpful if they do strike the right focus.

Though for some strange reason right now they're trying to sell me lighting??? 

[Stephen Rollins]

Yay reading lamps!  I guess it's the site's logo...

Oh!  And a "World Famous Book Holder".  o.O

[Therin]

You want hilarious?  When I came back in to see what you'd said, Stephen, it was actually advertising itself!!!! 

How to boost adword's profits!!!  Bwahahahahahaha

And at one point it was selling me holidays to Isreal.  But it did offer me a bookcase which I thought was most helpful.

[Aaron Stanton]

Currently it's selling me a 401K Retirement plan...  now, if I saw one that actually advertised book lights, I'd be happy.  Instead, all it sees right now in this forum is us talking about Adwords... so apparently it's advertising adwords.

Speaking of which, I should go check to see if I've made a grand total of more than 7 cents since they were turned on.    Probably not. 

I've never found Google Adwords to really generate any money, really.  But they're so easy to install, and I figured, "Why not?"  Otherwise it was just empty space.  Now, instead of empty space, I can read about Christianbook.com.... or about Print on Demand books.

Hmm....

[Stephen Rollins]

Do you get payed by the click?  If so I'll sit here some day and just click on random links. XD

[Mandi Taylor]

Question...  Have you changed to other ads on some pages, or does Adwords sometimes make block ads on its own?  Not that it really bothered me (because it looks like a cool website), but here's a screenshot of the ad.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a54/lynxdaemonskye/blockad.jpg

[Aaron Stanton]

That's entirely dependent on adwords - they sometimes add in block and graphical ads.  I'm not going to spend much time playing with the adwords area of things - that's not our focus right at the moment.  It's one of those things that I threw in because... well, because I couldn't think of a good reason not to. 

And Stephen, please do not click on the ads unless you see something there that you are truly interested in.  If you do, it's likely to freak out for having a single IP address click the ad too many times - so, just ignore them until something catches your eye - make Google work for your clicks. 

Aaron

[Therin]

They're getting better.  I clicked on a few last time.  One wanted to sell me books, some wanted to publish my manuscript.  Quite interesting reading, actually.     I was pleasantly surprised.

[Stephen Rollins]

And Stephen, please do not click on the ads unless you see something there that you are truly interested in.  If you do, it's likely to freak out for having a single IP address click the ad too many times - so, just ignore them until something catches your eye - make Google work for your clicks. 

Heh, alright, that's good to know, thanks for telling me.  Haven't really seen any that truly interested me yet - right now they're trying to sell me lamps.  XD

[Mandi Taylor]

I'm not going to spend much time playing with the adwords area of things - that's not our focus right at the moment.  It's one of those things that I threw in because... well, because I couldn't think of a good reason not to. 

Yes, I know that...  But as long as you're being mysterious and cryptic, we don't have much else to nitpick.   
I'm constantly lurking on these boards, so any change at all, no matter how slight, catches my attention.  (Aka I'm bored in class and have nothing better to do.)

[Therin]

I was just in the statistics section and it was offering me a free book...  That's quite cool, I'm all for that