Michael Gray recently found a set of MFA pages created by Google for their users. In GMail when you click the 'more' link to the right sidebar under the Adsense ads, you are presented a page with 12 adsense adsin a 3X4 or 4X3 arrangement with a 'Related Pages' section underneath. While this 'Related Pages' section masquerades as legitimate content, every URL there runs through Adsense. The only links out of the page are the advertisements, or else via the 'Settings' or 'Log Out' links on the top right hand side. This is stupid, since Google does not allow their publishers to create pages like this. I guess they have different rules for themselves....
This is not really MFA, this is simply presenting user with more sponsored material, AS they've requested
Always the story with Google -- they are often the exception that proves their rules. Take the main Google search page PR9 but no with unique content and nothing but outbound links...how well would that rate if it wasn't their own page?
Perhaps, but the links in the Gmail sidebar don't really hint that the results are more sponsored material. Yes, I know, they are on the adbar, but many users don't notice that they are ads I am sure. I know that it seems that it would be more logical to me for such a link to point to a Wikipedia article or something on the subject...