Wouldn't this be illegal?

[deronsizemore]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/technology/16ecom.html

The article is about Digital Point forums where "Any one of them [visitors] who starts a new forum discussion topic receives half of the advertising revenue paid to the site by Google for ads on the front page of that topic section. (The discussion's creator then splits his share with others who post messages.)"

I know google prohibites asking for people to click their ads...so isn't this an indirect way of asking people to click the ads? I mean, if the posters know that they are going to get a part of what is paid out, I'd say they are going to start clicking ads like mad and getting everyone they know to click. It's basically a win win situation for both parties involved.

Or am I wrong in my assumption?

[Sean]

If they were clicking on the ads it wouldn't be illegal but against the Adsense TOS. I don't see how the actual situation is against the TOS, but it could be.

[Todd W]

Google is not dumb they know all about this and cut DP Company large checks monthly. Google does have measures in to prevent cheating so if everyone clicked everyones ads (same people) over and over they will know.

[deronsizemore]

Google is not dumb they know all about this and cut DP Company large checks monthly. Google does have measures in to prevent cheating so if everyone clicked everyones ads (same people) over and over they will know.


Yeah I figured if Google is paying out 10 grand a month to them they are definitely watching, but it just seems like the whole thing would be fishy to me. I guess not or it'd be shut down eh? ;)

[Chris]

I do this on SavvyShopping.net... but its coded to never show someone their own ads.

[Blue Cat Buxton]

I do this on SavvyShopping.net... but its coded to never show someone their own ads.

Thats clever ! and I guess should keep Google happy, but... does that not increase the risk that if someone tries to fraudulenty click ads (thinking they are hteir own) that your account will be hit, and not theirs?

[deronsizemore]

I do this on SavvyShopping.net... but its coded to never show someone their own ads.


On digital point, it's not really the visitors own ads is it? The new forum poster just gets a percentage of what digital point makes off of the adsense ads on the front page of the discussion.

[Chris]

No, its their own ads.

Its a hack for vbulletin that allows someone to put their adsense ID in their profile and then it is shown a percentage of the time.

http://www.websitepublisher.net/article/vbulletin-optimization/3

[deronsizemore]

Oh, I see. Guess I read it wrong...twice. :)