A reader shared an interesting observation with me, to wit:
Pat:
Internet scammers steal money with 'click fraud.'
Advertisers once bid pennies to place their links prominently
alongside searches for words like "refinance." With traffic to
the search sites skyrocketing, last week's bid for that word
was $12 a click.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6830802/site/newsweek/
Better than poker.
Faithful reader
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Dear Faithful reader, you and I have
chatted a few times about my feelings in general about advertising
on the net and about Google specifically. I am *not* enamoured with
the concept of advertising on the net in general. Much of it is very
crude, in bad taste, and detracts from the value of the web **as I
used to know it.** (key, operative phrase 'used to know it'). Neither
have I very much enjoyed asking (really begging) for pennies from the
readers here. It would appear that advertising (ala Google-style) is
the best way to do my publishing. Call it, I guess, the lesser of two
evils, given my disposition to do my own thing and speak my own mind
on many social issues, and its not like I was born with a silver spoon
in my mouth or I have a department head/supervisor (university, other
place of employment) willing to look the other way while much of my
work day is spent on this Digest, as I could say of certain other Usenet
moderators, etc. My ultimate source of largesse comes from the fine
folks at Social Security Disability, what there is of it, but at least
*they* don't expect anything of me (such as work) except to accept
their monthly dole as they hand it out. Google Adsense supplants that
quite nicely, better (but not much) than the old 'public radio' model
(pitch your pennies at me when you wish) I was using.
Google says they have problems with click fraud; well, we all have
problems in life. I just wish they were a little more responsive to
the web publishers who agree to hand out their ads, and that they were
a little more prompt in making small payments; for persons like myself
who deal almost exclusively with plastic and computers from home; very
little *actual cash*. I also wish they had alternate pay methods such
as PayPal or direct deposit to bank accounts like Social Security
does. I guess I will stick with Google Adsense for now. PAT]
TELECOM Digest Editor (ptownson@massis.csail.mit.edu)