# Do you/will you click on the Google ads **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 12, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974 "2005-10-12T22:17:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/1 "2005-10-12T22:17:39Z")
Mods, if this is in the wrong place, feel free to move/lock/delete it just out of scientific curiosity, i was wondering what percentage of the SMDB will/has clicked on the google ads? this is to be a simple yes/no poll, nothing else, i figure it’d be a nice way for TPTB to see what percentage of the Dopers will/will not click on ads so i’l start; will i click on the google ads? no, never ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/2 "2005-10-12T22:27:16Z")
Sure, if they are interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/3 "2005-10-12T22:27:38Z")
I have and I will, when they’re relevant. ---
**Author:** ![squeekster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@squeekster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeekster)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/4 "2005-10-12T22:28:08Z")
Nope. But they do have a good side, at least for me. They give me practice ignoring things. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/5 "2005-10-12T22:34:58Z")
I’m using FireFox with adblock I don’t even see them, so no. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/6 "2005-10-12T22:41:11Z")
I will if they’re interesting enough. I clicked on one in a Great Debates thread that turned out to be a recruiting ad for a Libertarian commune in New Hampshire. Not that Libertarians would ever use a dirty word like “commune,” it’s pretty much what it amounted to. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/7 "2005-10-12T23:04:14Z")
I also do not see the ads. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/8 "2005-10-12T23:20:49Z")
Firefox user here, too, with Adblock – but I don’t do “click-throughs” anyway. I wouldn’t do it here. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/9 "2005-10-12T23:29:53Z")
When I think of it, I click on one or two. I’m not interested in what they’re selling, **but they pay the board for every click.** ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/10 "2005-10-13T02:57:30Z")
I’ve clicked on a few that looked interesting. Didn’t buy anything at the clicked-to sites. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/11 "2005-10-13T03:05:34Z")
I keep clicking in the general area of the ads by mistake, which has the same effect as actually clicking on an ad. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/12 "2005-10-13T12:46:41Z")
I’ve clicked on a few. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/13 "2005-10-13T12:59:20Z")
I never click on ads, whether I see them or not. If I want to buy something, I’ll go do my own search and pick from the ones that seem to be the best match. Ironically, I usually use Google for this… ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/14 "2005-10-13T13:44:37Z")
I’ve cliecked on a few that were relevant, e.g. tea mail-order shops in the tea thread. A couple of them made it to my bookmark, and I’ll definitely consider them next time I’m ready to make an online purchase. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/15 "2005-10-13T14:37:46Z")
I have never clicked on the ads and since I installed the “adblock”, that reduces the possibility of _any_ ad clicking to zero. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/16 "2005-10-13T15:20:10Z")
> [@VenusProbe](#): > > I’m using FireFox with adblock I don’t even see them, so no. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/17 "2005-10-13T15:29:07Z")
I think for once that the ads are amusing, so I actually prefer to see them. However, sometimes they scare me. Not the ads themselves, but the social impact of some of them: Molestation Records Info FBI Records, Sex offenders, & More Search our huge database today! [www.CourtRecords9.org](http://www.CourtRecords9.org) I don’t even dare click on them, but when I do, I suspect it will be limited to ips within the U.S. But I should think something like this skirts the limits of the law … or no, I should hope, at least. Scary stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/18 "2005-10-13T16:33:42Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > When I think of it, I click on one or two. I’m not interested in what they’re selling, **but they pay the board for every click.** But don’t encourage everyone to do this. I believe Google will yank the ads altogether if they think that people are trying to artificially raise SD’s commision. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/19 "2005-10-13T17:34:45Z")
No freakin’ way. They can kiss my ass. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974/20 "2005-10-13T17:34:50Z")
I have on multiple occasions clicked on ads deliberately, because of interest in the ad. In one case, it was even for a webpage I’d heard about otherwise, and had intended to check out anyway. I have also, on multiple occasions, accidentally clicked on the ads. Whitespace is no longer safe. This is really only an issue when I already have something typed into the reply box, since clicking an ad seems to clear that when I come back to the thread. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-will-you-click-on-the-google-ads/325974.md?page=2)