Could I just test my theory that the above ad will appear in a thread, if and only if a sm*ley is used in that thread?
Let’s see 
I don’t see them.
Of course, the title of this thread may lead to a somewhat biased result :smack:
Interesting. The Google ads say, “Colophon only thinks he’s funny, find out why!”
Google knows all!
Heh. It says Veggie GoGo now. I’ll add a smiley and see if that makes a difference.
Today’s ads are for creative writing classes. (?)
Monkeys.
Ham sandwich.
Refrigerator.
Alarm clock.
Chlamydia.
New Jersey Ethel Chicken
Look, we’re talking about a board here where people think “Rio, by Duran Duran” and “1920’s style death ray” are funny.
Of course humor writing workshops would be a good idea.
If it’s any consolation, Google probably isn’t specifically targeting the SDMB. That ad might be popping up on all boards given the nature of Internet “humor”.