23 November 2009

Why Sarah Palin's Book is a "Best Seller", or More Stupid Google Adsense Tricks

Yes, once again, the good folks at Google Adsense are serving up an advertisement for Sarah Palin in response to something that I posted (just the image, no link, not ever).

My disclaimers are below, but in this case, I clicked through, something that Google Adsense frowns upon if you do it routinely, to see what exactly this offer was.

Well, here is a screen-shot of the page from Newsmax:

(click for full size)


There, is, of course, a pattern here. You have people who are rich because of dumb luck in the genetic lottery, people with names like Scaife Olin, Bradley, Coors, and Koch, who are spending huge amounts of money that they inherited from daddy, or grand daddy, or great-grand daddy on the right wing machine.

They subsidize the publisher that prints the Palin book. They subsidize the propaganda sheet that offers the book free with a 1 year subscription, or for $4.95 (plus $5.95 shipping and handling, which means that they must use a unicorn to get the book to you) with a 4 months of Newsmax free.

What does this get?
  • Inflates Newsmax circulation numbers artificially.
  • Increases Newsmax ad revenue.
  • Inflates the sales of Going Rouge artificially.
  • Generates buzz for Going Rouge because its sales numbers looks high.
All of which adds credibility to both the book, and to the magazine, because, much like the late, unlamented New York Sun, their claim to credibility is based on circulation, and their circulation is based on paying people to take their parakeet cage liner.

In any case, back to the ads.

Please note, once again: once again, that I do not vet, nor do I endorse any ad that appears on my site, and I reserve the right to mock both the ads that appear on my site, as well as the advertisers who purchase those ads through Google Adsense.

Also, please note, this should be in no way construed as an inducement or a request for my reader(s) to click on any ad that they would not otherwise be inclined to investigate further. This would be a violation of the terms of service for Google Adsense, even though it would make me money, and cost them (Palin's Publishers and Newsmax) money.

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