# Who Picks Your Banners? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 24, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940 "2008-02-24T12:46:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/1 "2008-02-24T12:46:53Z")
I really must protest the anti-Israel propaganda banner ads at the bottom of the screen (via Google, is that correct). I’m not trying to start a debate. They simply have no place here. Can’t you of the Straight Dope and Chicago Reader simply select less inflammatory sponsors??? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/2 "2008-02-24T13:37:01Z")
My understanding of the way GoogleAds work is that the subscriber (the Straight Dope) doesn’t have any control over what appears, and that other than obviously XXX-rated ads, the subscriber is not allowed to block them. This is because the merchants and other interested parties who are paying Google to have their ads appear are not happy to hear that some subscribers may be blocking their ads. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/3 "2008-02-24T14:50:32Z")
We have no control over Google Ads. (Or any other ads, for that matter.) ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/4 "2008-02-25T22:18:17Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] We have no control over Google Ads. (Or any other ads, for that matter.) [/QUOTE] Out of curiosity, who does? According to Google, [their ads can be filtered](https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=9716&topic=154). Do you mean that the filtering has to be decided from higher up? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/5 "2008-02-25T22:23:05Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee] Out of curiosity, who does? According to Google, [their ads can be filtered](https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=9716&topic=154). Do you mean that the filtering has to be decided from higher up? [/QUOTE] Have you seen the work involved? You have to add each ‘prohibited’ URL individually. The amount of hassle that would involve to please the political mores of particular dopers would be absurd. Me, I just use Firefox with AdBlock and I never see anything. Suggest the OP does the same. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/6 "2008-02-25T22:29:10Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Have you seen the work involved? You have to add each ‘prohibited’ URL individually. The amount of hassle that would involve to please the political mores of particular dopers would be absurd. Me, I just use Firefox with AdBlock and I never see anything. Suggest the OP does the same. [/QUOTE] I’m sure it is a lot of work, and I don’t pay attention to the ads either - I was just curious as to where the “control” over the ads rested. I understand that it would probably be more effort than it was worth. I was just wondering whether the reason for not blocking them was “It would be too much trouble and it would be impossible to make everyone happy anyway,” or “The decision to filter or not filter ads rests with powers above us.” ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/7 "2008-02-26T13:06:04Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] We have no control over Google Ads. (Or any other ads, for that matter.) [/QUOTE] Only following orders? ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/8 "2008-02-26T15:12:27Z")
I don’t see these ads. What sort of anti-Israel propaganda is it? ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/9 "2008-02-26T15:44:50Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Have you seen the work involved? You have to add each ‘prohibited’ URL individually. The amount of hassle that would involve to please the political mores of particular dopers would be absurd. [/QUOTE] I have indeed seen the work involved. It’s about ten seconds per URL, and I can think of maybe five or six URLs that need to be blocked here, so we’re looking at about 60 seconds. Standard disclaimer: I’m only commenting on how Google AdSense works in general. If the SDMB has some bizarro setup with them where they can’t block ads that are damaging to their stated purpose, I can’t comment on that. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/10 "2008-02-26T17:02:09Z")
I’m with \*\*Jinx \*\*on this one. I understand that SDMB is a commercial venture, yet it also purports to be a community with restrictive standards that are intended to be of benefit to the participants and reflect community values. Some ads cross the line and all ads are someone’s responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/11 "2008-02-26T17:29:46Z")
And the ads now refer to sites promising to block pop-up ads ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/12 "2008-02-26T17:31:07Z")
To be honest, I’d rather they left them completely untouched. It’s not really possible for them to keep track of all the ads that might appear on the thousands of posts, and which differ for different people. They can’t realistically keep the ads completely cleaned up, so I’d rather they just left them alone. If they moderate some ads, it gives the ones that remain a more official ‘we didn’t see this as bad enough to delete’ imprimatur, even though it probably means something more like ‘We’ve never seen this ad, and probably never will see it, and nobody who did see it happened to be both outraged and bored enough to bother reporting it to us.’ ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/13 "2008-02-26T18:22:29Z")
Once again, your staffers here at the Straight Dope Message Board have no physical control over any of the ads that run here. There is literally nothing we can do about them. I am sorry if they cause distress, I hate the idea that anything here has negative reaction. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/14 "2008-02-26T19:09:42Z")
I _LOVE_ my edited Hosts file 🙂 I added the google adwords to my blocklist, and haven’t seen any since editing the Hosts file is _strongly_ reccomended, at least by me ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/15 "2008-02-26T21:14:39Z")
Personally, I like the idea of clicking on ads you hate. Make those bastards pay to support the board! Admittedly trivial for one click, but it adds up and screws up their demographics a bit, too. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/16 "2008-02-26T22:14:01Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight] Only following orders? [/QUOTE] That was uncalled for. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/17 "2008-02-26T23:13:52Z")
[QUOTE=Slacker] I have indeed seen the work involved. It’s about ten seconds per URL, and I can think of maybe five or six URLs that need to be blocked here, so we’re looking at about 60 seconds. [/QUOTE] That’s only for the ads you consider offensive. Does everybody get to submit five or six objectionable ads? Or are you the final arbiter? ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/18 "2008-02-27T03:03:06Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] Once again, your staffers here at the Straight Dope Message Board have no physical control over any of the ads that run here. There is literally nothing we can do about them. I am sorry if they cause distress, I hate the idea that anything here has negative reaction. [/QUOTE] Fine. Then provide to the teeming millions the direct address to whom their objections can be sent. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/19 "2008-02-27T04:32:57Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] Fine. Then provide to the teeming millions the direct address to whom their objections can be sent. [/QUOTE] Well, I’m guessing this guy is the guy to send your objections to. He’s a stand-up guy who has provided his full contact info on here before. > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **jdavis** > This idea that Reader Management is unaware of the complaints and the frustrations of some on the SDMB and doesn’t give a shit about the membership is not correct. I read the SDMB almost daily checking ATMB for issues and concerns, I read it at home for personal enjoyment, I experience the occasional timeout while using it. I’m not unaware of what is going on. I also don’t have the attitude that I don’t give a shit about the membership. > > Who is responsible for the running of the SDMB and makes technical decisions about the hardware and day to day operation? I am. Here is my contact information: > > Jerry Davis > Information Systems Director > Chicago Reader, Inc. > 11 E. Illinois St. > Chicago, IL 60611 > > Phone: (312) 828-0350 > E-Mail: [jdavis@chicagoreader.com](mailto:jdavis@chicagoreader.com) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940/20 "2008-02-27T04:47:11Z")
Hell cut out the middleman and go to the [source.](http://www.google.com/corporate/execs.html#larry) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-picks-your-banners/438940.md?page=2)