Google devalues sites that they consider to be spam yet Google is spamming the internet with Google AdSense. I'm sick of seeing sites plastered with Google Adsense. Google is creating more spam than affiliates ever did. And am I ever really getting to where I want to go when I click on those links? Or does it just take me to another site with Google Adsense on it?
Google doesn't make anyone run AdSense. Best thing to do would be to boycott sites that use it if you don't want to see them.
It is fairly easy to block adsense ads if you so desire. Before I started using adsense I had literally never seen an adsense ad in my life because I had them blocked. I didn't have any idea so many sites used them. So there you go if it bothers you that much. Do I think it is on par with spam affiliate sites? No way no how, not even close.
My main pet peeve with AdSense is all these damn link exchange requests i get from sites that are very OBVIOUSLY built only for AdSense and are completely useless to me. http://www.all-about-crap-that-i-dont-really-sell-please-click-on-my-ads.info Otherwise, i'm all for it. It's not like you can do much else in life without seeing advertisements, why should the internet be any different?
Adsense ads are one of the least unobtrusive types of ads available currently. I'd much rather stare at some Google ads, than some of the banners other ad companies have. Most of all, I'll tolerate Adsense ads, because I very well know that it is most likely keeping the website running at no or little cost to the user.
Then your pet peeve should be those webmasters and their websites, not Adsense. Google doesn't condone those type of sites, so no need to to take it out on them. I agree....and you know that most of the ads are relevant, so if you do actually click on one there is a good chance it will be of some use. Much better than free smilies
I'm not taking anything out on AdSense.. in fact, i was sticking up for the service. I was merely stating a side effect of AdSense that i personally do not like. And, now that i read your quote once more.. It seems to me that Google does condone this these types of sites by allowing them to display AdSense. Ever heard of quality control? What ever happened to that concept. I personally would not want my product being pushed by sites of this quality. So in essence, there is a little hypocrisy going on at Google in the sense that it publicly states its anti-spam stance while at the same time funding the spam sites through AdSense.. As long as it makes them money, eh? Sounds more like a government than a search engine to me.
Man, when did whining about everything Google does become popular? It used to be whining against everything Microsoft does was the "in" thing with geeks, now it's Google? I guess that means Google has surpassed Microsoft in many ways, huh?
Shoes on the other foot or something.. Anyway, to the OP, the problem is not adsense exactly - adsense is acceptably unobtrusive - imho, it is the prevalence of spammy sites in the search engines in general. Once (if ever) the search engines figure out how to reduce the seo effectiveness of ad laden content poor/irrelevant sites, things will be much better for the end user. If I google something and end up at a site with a lot of ads, and great content, I am happy. If I google up a site that is covered in ads and has crappy or no relevant content, that is a problem. If you want to complain about Google, I would say it would be more fair to fault their algo.