Sunday, July 27, 2008

Google is reading my mind

We don't yet have any real ads on this site that people pay to have placed, but I did sign up for a couple of the automatically generated ads that earn money when people click on them. So far, we're making about four cents a day on that. I've noticed something strange lately, though.
I don't know about the display our readers get, but mine again and again shows some camera on the right that Amazon is selling. As long-time readers know, I dropped the little digital camera that I take pictures with (video, too). It's taped up with black electrical tape, and it basically still works, though. Thing is, it's a little pocket camera, with a tiny zoom, so every time the ad for nice camera comes up, I pause in temptation.
The other thing that's displayed is a little Google text ad right over the top of where the posts start. It's been advertising LASIK eye treatment lately, and I've been thinking about that, too. I'm nearsighted, and usually wear contacts, but they are a hassle. I'm kind of a weenie when it comes to any surgery, though. Wounds on the soccer field are ok, because those are battle scars, but scalpels are a different matter. I've never had any surgery before. I suppose it's mostly done by lasers anyway, but I keep reading about some people who get halos or weird white spots and then I start to think "Contacts not so bad".
I haven't decided what to do yet. However,I just think it's funny that rather than making us much money, the ads seem to be mostly baiting me into spending mine.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean I just saw one of those Google ads Lasik ads in NY and NJ saying $399. Thats super cheap but also scary b/c my eye doctor says that NEW Lasik machines cost you about $1-2K an eye. So seeing an ad for $399 makes me think they are using a really old machine. I'm super blind without my glasses but don't like putting things in my eyes.


I've actually clicked on the digal camera ad but that sucker is $1,500 which is way out of my price range.

A.C. said...

Eeek, that's it - I'm convinced now that neither is a good idea.

The Hammer said...

The ads are probably reading your cookies to see what kind of stuff you've googled in the past.

L.B. said...

I got lasik four years ago. Best thing ever.

Adam R. said...

Google targets ads depending on the content of your site.

If you have g-mail, they'll even target ads depending on the content of your inbox! It's a bit creepy at first, but I actually met someone who writes the code for this stuff. It's Google innovation at its finest.

Anonymous said...

Don't click on your own site's ads! that will mess up your accounts.

A.C. said...

I didn't click on them! I was just posting here about how they tempted me, but I haven't clicked on one yet.