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Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

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Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#121

Post by pwinnski »

tpxl wrote: post #106
nomel wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One thing I don't understand is why Google continues to try to use algorithmic solutions for content moderation. I don't mean to sound condescending, but I think the answer to this question would be much clearer to you if you took a moment to try to comprehend the scale that google operates in.

Some random source on the internet tells me Alphabet made around 7 billion profit in a quarter last year. That's 28 billion per year. At 100k/year per person you get 280 000 people doing moderation for you to breakeven. According to another random source Alphabet has about 120k employees. The scale is not the problem, the profiteering is.

Somewhat ironically, the very site at issue has long claimed that content moderation at scale is impossible[0].

[0] https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20191111/23032743367/masni...

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#122

Post by stevesearer »

chris_f wrote: post #118
stevesearer wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what my company does and it works well enough, though your site would need a reasonable amount of traffic or industry clout before an ad-buyer would take your email/call seriously.

>...though your site would need a reasonable amount of traffic Any insight on what a reasonable amount of traffic amounts to based on your experience?

My knowledge is primarily for professional industries as opposed to consumer, but it would likely depend greatly on your target audience.

I don’t remember specifically but I feel like we probably moved off Adsense when we were around 50k uniques/mo, but for a fairly specific niche.

One idea is to investigate who advertises on similar sites and examine their traffic/rates to see where you match up.

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#123

Post by sandworm101 »

scottrogowski wrote: post #116
sandworm101 wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> videochat Big red flag. If you are connecting random people via video chat you open yourself to all sorts of abuse. I'm not saying that it is happening on your service, just that advertizers (and therefore google) are wary of videochat.

I am not connecting random people via video chat (the site generates a unique url that is meant to be shared among friends). However, even if I was connecting random people, I think it would have been appropriate for them to specify why they suspended my account. I doubt it had anything to do with the video chat aspect though. This is the link they pointed me to in their suspension email https://support.google.com/ad…

"Counterfeit" might be the issue. Do you have any method of reporting copyright violations? If you are offering a streaming video service they might think that it could be used to stream copyrighted material. Maybe the problem is as simple as having an appropriate DMCA contact info displayed on the homepage.

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#124

Post by thewebcount »

throwaway_1299 wrote: post #15
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It seems one could even argue that Google's focus on algorithmic rather than human solutions is a kind of harmful ideology It's the kind of ideology that you often find in people who think they are smarter than everyone else.

As someone who is in a similar domain / company, no one knows how to do this at planet scale unless you narrow it down to a very short list (which is typically very large sums of money). My back of napkin math from another comment: I work in a similar space and it is significantly complex and expensive to do this. Back of the napkin math - * Lets say on average customers contact Google support once a year for each pr…

I don't think they need a human to handle every single case you mention above. If advertisers had specific actionable steps to take when there's a problem and a way to say, "We've done those things," (and I'm sure Google can automate checking that they actually have), "and it's still not working," they probably wouldn't need to have as many humans working on this as you're saying above.

A lot of the problem is that when Google screws up, there's no recourse. We don't hear much about when Google gets it right because those people's problems were solved. Surely some significant portion of the incidents you mentioned above fall into that category.

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#125

Post by BoorishBears »

sandworm101 wrote: post #123
scottrogowski wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not connecting random people via video chat (the site generates a unique url that is meant to be shared among friends). However, even if I was connecting random people, I think it would have been appropriate for them to specify why they suspended my account. I doubt it had anything to do with the video chat aspect though. This is the link they pointed me to in their suspension email https://support.google.com/ad…

"Counterfeit" might be the issue. Do you have any method of reporting copyright violations? If you are offering a streaming video service they might think that it could be used to stream copyrighted material. Maybe the problem is as simple as having an appropriate DMCA contact info displayed on the homepage.

You do realize this person's entire point is you shouldn't have to play these guessing games right?

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#126

Post by sandworm101 »

BoorishBears wrote: post #125
sandworm101 wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Counterfeit" might be the issue. Do you have any method of reporting copyright violations? If you are offering a streaming video service they might think that it could be used to stream copyrighted material. Maybe the problem is as simple as having an appropriate DMCA contact info displayed on the homepage.

You do realize this person's entire point is you shouldn't have to play these guessing games right?

Nobody should, but the reality is that we must. At least until we are rich enough to purchase a controlling share in google.

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#127

Post by 9HZZRfNlpR »

tinus_hn wrote: post #98
mvn9 wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the other way round? How do you make your business known if you cannot buy the top search result position?

Be the best, get some seed customers and get them to do your grass roots advertising?

The problem is that real world doesn't work like that, you might as well start playing lottery instead.

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#128

Post by nraynaud »

throwaway_1299 wrote: post #15
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It seems one could even argue that Google's focus on algorithmic rather than human solutions is a kind of harmful ideology It's the kind of ideology that you often find in people who think they are smarter than everyone else.

As someone who is in a similar domain / company, no one knows how to do this at planet scale unless you narrow it down to a very short list (which is typically very large sums of money). My back of napkin math from another comment: I work in a similar space and it is significantly complex and expensive to do this. Back of the napkin math - * Lets say on average customers contact Google support once a year for each pr…

does that means that we have to throw the baby with the bathwater and just forbid any company from being this big, because they could not possibly add value to the world in general past a certain scale?

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#129

Post by iseanstevens »

sandworm101 wrote: post #126
BoorishBears wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You do realize this person's entire point is you shouldn't have to play these guessing games right?

Nobody should, but the reality is that we must. At least until we are rich enough to purchase a controlling share in google.

If people keep accepting it we must. If enough people complain loud enough they will change. Posts like this help move the needle.

Re: Why are currently no ads on Techdirt? apparently Google thinks we're dangerous

#130

Post by sebastien_bois »

jasonv wrote: post #64
esperent wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know much about adding ads to a website like this. Is there really no alternative to Google?

I've been reviewing self-service ad sales & serving plugins for Wordpress sites and my conclusion would be: no, there isn't.

Monopoly it is, then.
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