The Ethics of Advertisement

Zillah

I know the ads on boards are connected to google somehow so I'm not sure how the system works, but I was wondering if boards has a policy on what kind of ads it shows?

The one that caught my attention (and ire) was one on the Atheists and Agnostics forum. It links to a website that is essentially a Creationist front where they twist and warp the truth, misrepresent science and essentially disingenuously forward nonesense as scientific truth.

Those of you with an understanding of science, prepare to vomit into your own scorn:
"Proof that DNA was designed by God"
"Do your own Darwinian Evolution experiments with the Random Mutation Generator "
"We have proof that life on planet earth was designed by a mind"

While I understand that I personally care more about this than most might, is that the sort of stuff boards wants to support? It greatly saddens me to see this sort of nonesense on Board's banner.

Boston

Well google scans the content of the page and changes banners accordingly. The sites may be all bull****, but they are relevant. Also Boards management have no ethical duty to insure the the members aren't exposed to stupid ideas. It happens all the time on boards.

Zillah

Boston wrote:

Also Boards management have no ethical duty to insure the the members aren't exposed to stupid ideas. It happens all the time on boards.

True. But there is a difference between that and promoting it on the Board's banner in exchange for money.

Again, I know this isn't that big a deal but I wanted to see what others thought.

6th

I zone out from advertising (though I work in the industry) so personally I couldnt care less. *Of course Zillah, who's to say that those particular links are wrong and that science is right?









*I already know you wont bite & I hope you note I'm taking the píss

Zillah

6th wrote:

*I already know you wont bite & I hope you note I'm taking the píss

I'll kill you 6th, I swear to God, I have your mobile number and several email addresses, I'll hire a private detective and track you down.

Asok

Science damn you time child!

Sparky

Is my ad doing ok?



(notices no replys)

6th

Zillah wrote:

I swear to God

Thats the bit that made me laugh!

challengemaster

uhm.. adblock plus ?

just dont see em then

Zillah

6th wrote:

Thats the bit that made me laugh!

Tis just an expression. "Oh my God", "Damn you!" or "Oh hell!" are all expressions I use out of habit, it doesn't mean anything. I also occasionally say "By the Gods!", doesn't mean I'm a polytheist

challengemaster wrote:

uhm.. adblock plus ?
just dont see em then

Again, I'm not complaining, just pondering. Personally I find such links amusing cos they're so retarded and weird, but I worry about people being duped if they don't know any better: "Huh...Honey, did you know that science has proven that God created life?"

henbane

If you click on the ad, it makes boards money and costs the creationists (who are deliberately paying for inappropriate adwords) money. Win-Win! Or rather than committing click fraud, you could click on the "ads by google" link and explain why that ad is inappropriate for the page in the feedback option at the bottom of the page.

Is there an admin option within google ads to ask google to stop serving certain ads?

Terry

challengemaster wrote:

uhm.. adblock plus ?

just dont see em then

As a non-subscriber, I do my duty to boards.ie by clicking on the ads.
I did adblock one of the christmas ones, but it wasn't an ad. It was a happy christmas message and it was flashing and I hate flashing messages.
I'll get around to subscribing one of these days. I swear.

Stark

Zillah wrote:

Again, I'm not complaining, just pondering. Personally I find such links amusing cos they're so retarded and weird, but I worry about people being duped if they don't know any better: "Huh...Honey, did you know that science has proven that God created life?"

Right. Because 14 years of Irish schooling won't fool people into believing in God, but clicking on a Google ad will.

Sparky

Like "download 24 episodes" in 24.

For shame, for shame.

Asiaprod

Zillah wrote:

I'll kill you 6th, I swear to God:D

That sure made me laugh.:D

Beruthiel

Zillah wrote:

I swear to God

Thanks for making me laugh this early in the morning

seamus

As Boston points out, the ads are essentially automatic. Google looks at the content of the page and uses some of its fancy-pants ranking and comparision and puts up ads which it may feel are relevant to the discussion at hand.

Since it's automated, I personally feel that the issue of micro-ethics* is moot because there's no quality control (i.e. nobody scanning to check what ads appear on what pages), hence there is no-one making any ethical decisions.

The combination of threads and ads can be hilarious at times.

*When I say micro-ethics, I'm talking about ethical issues that aren't of much significance, such as this. Proper ethics such as "Do we show porn ads?", do come into play even with automated systems, because one has the option to ban an entire category of advertising.

Vexorg

I think Seamus put it quite nicely, thank you.

If we allow the Creationist's to come and discuss their ideas in a polite and civilised way, then I think a google advert, that is served based on the content of a forum, is OK. We did not choose specific adverts.

Adverts served that go against the some of the basic principles of boards.ie, promoting pornography, racism, abuse, etc. while unlikely to happen would be removed.

V.

popebenny16

Is that the programme? Apparently it looks at what the theme of the board is and inserts appropriate ads. As I'm not technically minded at all I just find the technology wonderful. Pity I cant get a programme to write my posts for me.

Vexorg

Thats the one.

I should also point out that we would perfer that you only folow a link if its something of interest to you. We would perfer not to get any revenue than have to click on something you have no interest in. Thanks for thinking of us in that way, but its not somthing we are happy with.

Hobbes

Boston wrote:

Boards management have no ethical duty to insure the the members aren't exposed to stupid ideas. It happens all the time on boards.

Google is though. If an ad goes up that doesn't match the content of the page you can complain to google. For example lets say we had an AA board and google was spamming adverts for alcohol. Then you have the right to complain to google and they will look into it.

Hobbes

tbh I haven't paid much attention to the adverts, suppose I should. A quick look at each forum seems most are trying to get people hooked up.

Hobbes

Hmmm... Intresting the Eve forum is posting Adsense adverts that would get you banned from Eve online if you used them. They would also get you banned from the Eve forum if anyone else posted those links.

tba

Creationists and Advertisements are both the same,

ignore them and they will go away.

5uspect

But you can't adblock an annoying creationist...

tba

Im sure somebody will make an extension for FF that will allow that.

Boston

Hobbes wrote:

Google is though. If an ad goes up that doesn't match the content of the page you can complain to google. For example lets say we had an AA board and google was spamming adverts for alcohol. Then you have the right to complain to google and they will look into it.

Only because that's not suitable content for the forum. Would creationist topics be unsuitable for the forum in Questions?

Hobbes

Boston wrote:

Only because that's not suitable content for the forum. Would creationist topics be unsuitable for the forum in Questions?

TBH I see the eve forum adverts as a bigger threat. Someone gets interested in Eve via boards.ie. Sees the advert to buy a bit of cash, clicks the link, pays for the cash and then through an audit by CCP gets banned from the game.

Hobbes

Strange now that I checking the eve forum at home its showing Irish based adverts. In Work they were all "Buy Isk!" sites.

Boston

You should report the add to the admins. I mean if it links to content that would otherwise not be allowed, then it's pretty clear cut what to do. Provided of course the admins have control over the type of adds allowed.

DeVore

challengemaster wrote:

uhm.. adblock plus ?

just dont see em then

<edit> too annoyed at someone rubbing that in my face after the week I've had to respond reasonably.</edit>



Thanks for your support.

DeV.