Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The Relentless Idiocy of AdSense

Take a look at the ads AdSense is running on my left sidebar from my root page. It's all idiotic cat products. Every time I turn around, there's more of them. I keep grabbing their URLs and sticking them in my "remove" list on AdSense and more of them pop up. Here is my current "banned" list of advertisers.

acatdog.com
activexamerica.com
biz.googlepages.com
cat-hair-loss.big.com
catinthetree.com
doggonepain.com
ecattree.com
ga.icatfurniture.com
homeandpetcare.com
ormondvets.com
pacificpetcare.com
servedby.advertising.com
shop.robbinspetcare.com
shopping.netsuite.com
store.stabobspethouses.net
www.21publish.com
www.4-hmall.org
www.4yourcat.com
www.adbrite.com
www.alwaysbeprepared.com
www.angelicalcat.com
www.animalsinstitches.com
www.animalworldnetwork.com
www.armarkat.com
www.armhammerpets.com
www.armytents.com
www.askariel.com
www.attonroe.com
www.awnol.com
www.betterhuman.org
www.bloggingtothebank.com
www.blogladder.com
www.carefreepet.com
www.cat-fans.com
www.cat-furniture-plans.com
www.cat-interiors.com
www.cat-scratch.net
www.catbehavior101.com
www.catcaremadeeasy.com
www.catchannel.com
www.catclaws.com
www.catfaeries.com
www.catfurnituredirectory.com
www.catinthetree.com
www.catscratchingpostdirectory.info
www.catsreq.com
www.cattredirectory.com
www.cattreeplans.com
www.cdpets.com
www.centurybiotech.com
www.classypetshop.com
www.clawsharp.com
www.critter-repellent.com
www.darcynat.com
www.davidmorgan.com
www.diatect.com
www.dog.com
www.drcarol.com
www.duirights.com
www.equine-mega-store.com
www.ez4results.com
www.faster-results.com
www.felinefanatics.com
www.felinerina.com
www.freshstep.com
www.gentlecatdr.com
www.goodpet.com
www.greatlife4pets.com
www.healthfoodforpets.com
www.healthypetnet.com
www.healthypets.com
www.home-garden-rewardpath.com
www.homegarden-offer.com
www.imvu.com
www.jewish-dating.ws
www.kittenwise.com
www.kozykittyfactory.com
www.lifetechnology.org
www.litterkwitter.com
www.livedeal.com
www.longacresfarm.com
www.manicfish.com
www.monstermarketplace.com
www.moorepet-petdoors.com
www.muttropolis.com
www.nativeremedies.com
www.ncacleaning.com
www.newstex.com
www.onlynaturalpet.com
www.palm-meow.com
www.pamperedpetscatalog.com
www.pet-rageous.com
www.petdiscounters.com
www.petkin.com
www.petsbestrx.com
www.petsitterspurrfection.com
www.petsmart.com
www.petsplususa.com
www.petsupplies4less.com
www.pettags.com
www.petvetdirect.com
www.petzlife.com
www.playtimeworkshop.com
www.prettycatgifts.com
www.pricegrabber.com
www.purrfectfence.com
www.purrfectpost.com
www.qualitycatfurniture.net
www.scoopfree.com
www.scratchingpostdirectory.com
www.secretsofcattraining.com
www.seniorpetproducts.com
www.sleepytimepets.com
www.softpaws.com
www.sonypictures.com/movies/silenthill
www.spiritessence.com
www.spoilmykitty.com
www.squarespace.com
www.stepsforpets.com
www.strawhatdirectory.com
www.strictlypetsupplies.com
www.superbrewards.com
www.thecatandkittenstore.com
www.thecatkeeper.com
www.thefedorastore.com
www.thegodmovie.com
www.thepamperedpetmart.com
www.thesophisticatedcat.com
www.urine-off.com
www.vitalityscience.com
www.welcometosilenthill.com
www.wheatgrasskits.com
www.wikidemocrats.com
www.wolfcreekranch.net
www.yugisoft.com
www.zeroodorpet.com

I've banned all of those and I still get nearly 100% pet products listed on my left sidebar. AdSense is supposed to be incredibly smart and send you ads related to your content. How come it can't take a look at what I don't want, or better yet, ask me what I do want and then send me those ads.

The entire AdSense model runs contrary to the composable nature of the web. I should be able to pick out the ads I want to run and not constantly be playing Whack-a-Mole with AdSense.

2 comments:

mog said...

KT Cat, a hamster, Feline Theocracy, blog titled "The Scratching Post," pictures of cats would obviously lead AdSense to think cats. Google does cat ads too from the looks of it.

I think they do it by words, what's prominent and it looks like cats are it.

Anonymous said...

Today as I was fulfilling orders from our site, http://www.AlwaysBePrepared.com I checked to see what was the referring & your blog let to a sale.
I then read that you've placed us in your banned list.
We sell 72 hour survival kits, not cat supplies except for survival food for dogs & cats but, honestly...what's up with a ban on our site?
Either way, thanks for the sale; as they say..."I don't care what you say about me, just make sure you spell my name right."