Does anyone else think this is ridiculous?

[NJMAN]

I'm sorry, but I just have to say something about this. There are at least 2 links that I saw on this site (in the Ads by Google above this thread list) where photographers are paying to advertisement/promote their business/ services.

Does anyone else here think this is incredibly stupid and a huge waste of resources? Do they realize this site is for photographers and NOT where clients go to look for photography services?

Oh, and my favorite one is the link for JCPenney portraits! Wow... Don't most of use here regard department store studios as the rapists of the photography world?? Penneys and all the rest like them try to take business away from us!! We are the ones who are trying to make people understand that custom photography is the right choice, not settle for some bland cookie cutter chain store studio shots!

What are the administrators thinking when they agree to accept money to post these links on this forum???? It's just not right. It makes this site look stupid and the photography businesses who advertise on here look stupid.

 

[Josh66]

LOL, I haven't noticed those - but it does sound pretty stupid to advertise a department store portrait studio on here...

If it's in the "Ads by Google" thing, I think that's all random.

The only one I see up there right now is an ad for PS actions.

 

[William Petruzzo]

Well, if it's ads by google, then it's probably that the automated google system has misunderstood what the site is about it. It also may be relative to what the actual forum thread is about. It's possible that Google thinks the thread is something possible leads are likely to read.

Google almost never hand delivers ads to websites, nor to advertisers usually hand pick sites to advertise on.

If they did, I would have to agree that it is very stupid.

 

[NJMAN]

LOL, I haven't noticed those - but it does sound pretty stupid to advertise a department store portrait studio on here...

If it's in the "Ads by Google" thing, I think that's all random.

The only one I see up there right now is an ad for PS actions.

Thanks for the input Josh. Go to the Pro section, and you will see those links above the thread list. Ads by Google may be random yes, but shouldn't the admins be a little more responsible and see what is actually being posted on their site?

Well, if it's ads by google, then it's probably that the automated google system has misunderstood what the site is about it. It also may be relative to what the actual forum thread is about. It's possible that Google thinks the thread is something possible leads are likely to read.

Google almost never hand delivers ads to websites, nor to advertisers usually hand pick sites to advertise on.

If they did, I would have to agree that it is very stupid.

Yes, I'm sure Google does not hand pick, but as I stated above, I think the admins here should be a little more aware of what is actually visible on this site.

 

[KmH]

Most of the people who view the website are not members. (4 to 1)

 

[William Petruzzo]

Most of the people who view the website are not members. (4 to 1)

ohh, so maybe google isn't so off base afterall.

 

[NJMAN]

Most of the people who view the website are not members. (4 to 1)

Members or no members, this site is for photographers, not potential clients of photographers. So, advertising photography services on here is pointless.

 

[KmH]

Well, there are photographers, and there are photographers. Particularly when it comes to using something other than 'natual light' and making presentable portraits.

 

[musicaleCA]

Googles AdSense works in tandem with the Google Bot (the almost disgustingly huge number of servers that crawl the web). AdSense interprets the text of the ad to be presented (trying to derive meaning and other important information using complex algorithms based on their search engine), then searches a page's text and metadata and tries to match the page to an appropriate ad. It's not programmed to derive the entire over-all intent behind posts on a forum or a forum's population of members. That would both be amazingly complex (meaning I bet Google would need a BlueGene or three to offer such a service) and enter the realm of data collection on users that's borderline creepy.

It's no wonder, then, that it matches an ad for department store portraits to a forum about photography.

Also, the admins of this site have little to no control over exactly what ads are displayed, short of removing AdSense.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Since I don't pay attention to advertisement, I didn't notice but, frankly, I don't get what is so stupid.

1/ Not everyone here is a pro

2/ Pros also need photographers at times. I shot the wedding of a pro once. He told me he had friends who could probably do a fine job of it but he wanted them to enjoy his wedding. Then he told me to not be nervous about shooting for a photographer because all he did was product photo, he had no idea how to do a wedding but he had been told by a friend he would like my work...

A lot of non-wedding photographers really don't know any wedding photographers. Those are different worlds. The way this guy was talking, I'm pretty sure that if he hadn't been told about me, he would have gotten someone out of the yellow pages. Kind of the same as those ads you're talking about.

 

[Jim Gratiot]

Most of the people who view the website are not members. (4 to 1)

Members or no members, this site is for photographers, not potential clients of photographers. So, advertising photography services on here is pointless.

While generally true, not always. I'm a marketing strategist/author, and in fact am not a photographer. And believe me, if I want to contract a photographer to do a picture for one of my advertisements or book covers... this is going to be one of the first places I visit.

 

[Overread]

As others have said the ads are just random selections based on key words that google ads finds in the forum titles and posts - so yes often they can be way off base with what they display.
The admin have no control over these ads save to request removal of certian ads if they are found to be offensive or to "adult" for members of their site.