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After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

blog.ericgoldman.org

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Re: After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

#121

Post by oneeyedpigeon »

akoboldfrying wrote: post #115
bluefirebrand wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If everyone used 100% effective ad blockers, Alphabet (minus GCP) and Meta would not exist Sounds incredible. How do we make this paradise happen?

Remember the part about all the free-as-in-beer stuff on the internet that people find really useful, and that wouldn't exist if not for ads? That stuff doesn't depend on Alphabet and Meta specifically. It depends on ads . No ads = no that stuff. Are you happy for it to all disappear?

What about all the free-as-in-beer stuff that doesn't depend on ads? Like, er, this site?

Re: After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

#122

Post by allpratik »

namanyayg wrote: post #88
willio58 wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was dumb enough when I was 11 to sign up for Adsense under my Mom’s name and put it on a php-based meme sharing site I made that my fellow 5th graders used. Anyway, I noticed I could make a couple dollars a week. So I had my friends sit there and spam load the site. Made about 80$ until Google banned me (my mom) for life from Adsense

I have a VERY similar story about me adding AdSense to a Club Penguin hacks, tips, and tricks blog. But I think I need to correct you -- what you and I did wasn't dumb at all. It was quite innovative for our pre-teen brains. This was my first exposure to running a business and setting up a team and thinking like an entrepreneur. Just imagine all the ice cream and Pokémon cards we could have bought if it had worked...

Quite true. I was dreaming about more powerful computer and more computer games via that money. Sadly my mom pulled the plug!! ;)

Fyi, my account was registered under my father’s name (I had his permission ofcourse)

Re: After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

#123

Post by tonyedgecombe »

akoboldfrying wrote: post #115
bluefirebrand wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If everyone used 100% effective ad blockers, Alphabet (minus GCP) and Meta would not exist Sounds incredible. How do we make this paradise happen?

Remember the part about all the free-as-in-beer stuff on the internet that people find really useful, and that wouldn't exist if not for ads? That stuff doesn't depend on Alphabet and Meta specifically. It depends on ads . No ads = no that stuff. Are you happy for it to all disappear?

It's not free, we pay for it with our attention. I'd rather pay with money.

Re: After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

#125

Post by elorant »

cabaalis wrote: post #49

It seems with AI models this space is ripe for on-domain ad sales as a SaaS. Just pay an invoice to "advertise here" Have an AI make sure the links adhere to content policies. Don't track visitors or charge per click. Just pay a fee and get the banner.

It should but it’s a hard problem to solve. Programmatic ads require whatever check you’re doing to happen in sub-second speeds. No AI can solve this fast enough. Embeddings take forever to run.

Re: After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

#126

Post by shiroiuma »

akoboldfrying wrote: post #115
bluefirebrand wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If everyone used 100% effective ad blockers, Alphabet (minus GCP) and Meta would not exist Sounds incredible. How do we make this paradise happen?

Remember the part about all the free-as-in-beer stuff on the internet that people find really useful, and that wouldn't exist if not for ads? That stuff doesn't depend on Alphabet and Meta specifically. It depends on ads . No ads = no that stuff. Are you happy for it to all disappear?

For Meta specifically, what exactly would be so bad about all their stuff disappearing? I can't think of much. Messenger is the only thing of theirs that has any value as far as I can see, and there's many alternatives now.

Re: After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

#128

Post by lelanthran »

akoboldfrying wrote: post #60

> I never saw most of the offending ads because of my adblocker Using ad blockers is unethical. No one who uses one (probably 99% of people on HN) wants to hear this, but the conclusion is inescapable really. You may commence your downvoting. ETA: Why do I claim it's unethical? Every ad-supported page is an implicit contract: If you want the good stuff on this page, you need to pay for that by giving some of your att…

> OTOH, using an ad blocker to access the site without "paying" (with your attention) is violating the contract in the same way that hacking a parking meter downtown to park your car for free is.

It's not the same thing at all: I wouldn't hack a parking meter downtown, but I would if it was installed in my garage!

What runs on my PC is up to me.

Re: After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

#129

Post by GJim »

odo1242 wrote: post #113
addaon wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Their viewers always forgive them. Pretty strong selection bias there. And no way to know how many potential viewers avoided them after the first ad read.

Can you name a YouTube channel that experienced a drop in viewership, subscribers, any metric whatsoever, after a sponsorship read turned out to be a scam?

Heh

In the 1990's and for us GenX'ers, selling out was the worst thing you could do; to take the man's money instead of keeping your integrity. Calling people and bands 'sell outs' (sometimes without justification!) was to insult them.

Now with the rise of 'influencers' selling out is the norm, and people are praised for doing so.

This is a massive shift in the cultural landscape and is perhaps something many born after ~2000 are unaware of.

Re: After 20 years I turned off Google Adsense for my websites (2025)

#130

Post by eipi10_hn »

akoboldfrying wrote: post #60

> I never saw most of the offending ads because of my adblocker Using ad blockers is unethical. No one who uses one (probably 99% of people on HN) wants to hear this, but the conclusion is inescapable really. You may commence your downvoting. ETA: Why do I claim it's unethical? Every ad-supported page is an implicit contract: If you want the good stuff on this page, you need to pay for that by giving some of your att…

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