Sometimes I do. There have been a few times when the ads were placed well within the content (matching font, colors, etc) and I didn't realize I was clicking on an Adwords link until I was redirected to another site.
Very, very rarely do I click on adsense ads. Only when something particularly catches my interest (which isn't very often since I tune out to them anyway). I think most internet savvy users are in the same boat.
Under one of three circumstances: -If I like the site and want to reward the webmaster I'll click an ad or two. -If I'm interested in one of their products. -If I click on accident. But other than that, no.
I've clicked a couple, as a few have interested me, and I've actually found some decent products through adsense ads.
Hmm .. I almost never get to see ads because I run a lot of ad filters except for some sites I like. I usually click on ads if I like the website and want to support them. Nothing excessive, just a friendly click once in a while.
This is what I was talking about. This is just not right. You're rewarding the webmaster, but you're ripping off the advertiser. I said it before and I'll say it again. We don't want to piss the advertisers off or there won't be anymore Adsense!
I'm with tenfourstudios. If you can tell that a person has sincere and well written content but hasn't really learned proper SEO teqniques to optimize traffic I give them a click on their adds to encourage them. I usually do take the time to read what the advertised website has to say and sometimes I have signed up for their programs. Yes it is bad for an advertiser but I wouldn't mind if someone used $.10 of my adwords budget to keep a helpful and likable site on the net. May seem like a bad ethical stance, but thats how I see it
Interesting set of responses - especially the two main categories: those who NEVER click ads, and those who OCCASIONALLY click ads. Perhaps it was a wording thing, but I wonder why fewer people said "rarely"? About this clicking on people's ads to reward them - I think it is just worth bearing in mind that Adwords is not a "voting", or "rewards" system. I don't want people clicking on ads on my site for that reason - I want it to be because I have some irresistible content that draws people to the site who are interested in the subject in question, and in the advertised products...