Okay, go back to my "stealing from a store" example. If I personally saw that someone was cheating a business out of money, I would report it even though it didn't affect me at all. And that's exactly what you're doing... cheating businesses out of money. Or it could mean kids are click on your ad for no reason other than to "support" some other web site. Those "leads" never convert into sales... and that's not the advertiser's fault. The funny thing is, if these people put as much effort into improving their web site as they do cheating the system, they'd make a lot more money.
Google has some features for adword users to get detailed stats of their ads traffic. Adword users are asked to report to Google if they think something is wrong. Shouldn't that be enough?
Hmmmm...what if someone decided to write, Do you (I'm asking everyone here) think that this would be a TOS violation? Above quoted text is copyright © 2005 by American CyberSpace--haha! AmCy
I don't know why are so many people against reporting Adsense cheaters. "Why should I report a thief? That business has a security camera... shouldn't that be enough?"
It might not be a bad idea for Google to do two things: first, always issue a warning/cease and desist notice before cutting someone off. Second, make it a two day takedown rule with no clicks counting from the day the email is sent. It is quite possible that, unlike the store example, the people violating the TOS really are clueless. Banning them seems too severe and discourages us from turning in the violators we see. Imagine if the penalty for theft was hanging...think you'd turn in a kid taking a Hersy bar??
I'm almost positive the penalty is a warning... as long as it's not blatant click fraud. Any time I reported someone the ads were still there but the message asking people to click the ads were gone.
...is a violation if you ask me and a bit of a sarcastic joke. Maybe G. doesn't like this. G. says - Publishers may not label the ads with text other than "sponsored links" or "advertisements." This includes any text directly above our ads that could be confused with, or attempt to be associated with Google ads. ...and if the text is placed somewhere else on the page might be trouble too... G. says - You agree to direct to Google, and not to any advertiser, any communication regarding any Ad(s) or Link(s) displayed in connection with Your Site(s).
But the text I made up doesn't ask anyone to click anything. It is simply an apology followed by an explanation. I don't think it would be a violation (IMO.) AmCy
It can be a question of interpretation but... G. says - You agree to direct to Google, and not to any advertiser, any communication regarding any Ad(s) or Link(s) displayed in connection with Your Site(s). When you place this text you're directing to visitors and advertisers alike about Googles Ad(s) in connection with your site and its a form of communication. Hence the wording "any" ...
I see your point. I guess it is covered in the TOS. I need to make copies of the AS TOS and paste them on my wall here in my office. AmCy
check out juicyduff_dot_com. Designer is using layers or something to mask the "ads by goooooogle" text in the top ad unit. I am not reporting it or anything; it makes no difference to me. I'm just wondering what people in here think about it. AmCy
I saw that duff site on someone's signiture. It might be a design mistake because everything is Ok on FireFox on a Mac.