Two questions.... google TOS violations ?

First, My site (see sig) has a browser detect for people running IE. If you are running IE a little bar at the top says "Best viewed in Firefox!". This is because firefox supports a few CSS effects IE doesn't (p:hover). Now, I have a google firefox product referal. Sure I want to make the money off their firefox download but it's mainly about them seeing the page as I designed it. I don't target opera users or other browers (opera handles the css properly), just IE users.

Is this a problem ? Am I not suppose to encourage my users to get the fullest experience out of my web site ?

Secondly, I'm worried about my friends/girlfriend clicking my ads. They are trying to support me and I've explained to them this could get me in trouble. They don't click the ads from my PC but from work, or their home PC. They aren't like, mass clicking the ads but I get the feeling they are still doing it.

Is this a problem ? From the google TOS it seems to be one. What do you do about your friends who obviously support you ? Be an ass to them and tell them not to click the freaking ads ? I see this as being a problem no matter who I tell that is a friend or family. Even if I explain it to them I think they'll want to support me and click them anyhow.




Thanks in advance !

-Me

 

I told family and friends not to click on any ads when they visit my sites.

Just explain to your family and friends why you do not want them clicking.
They will understand.
And keep in mind, if they are at work or home and clicking away on your ads, at some point google is going to call it invalid clicks (you won't get paid) or worse, click fraud and there goes your adsense account.

 

yeah- someone else suggested don't even tell your friends you get paid per click- that's the safest way... But short of that, tell them clearly and strongly not to click- explain it could COST YOU making anymore money with adsense EVER, and so it is NOT worth it (aside from taking an advertiser's money...).

 

showing your FF referral to only IE users should not (I would say, IS not) a problem.
Your friends clicking on your ads WILL get you banned though!
Rule #1 - Tell NO ONE about your site! I've read dozens of threads here and at other forums from people banned because their stupid friends were 'trying to help'. if it was ME, i would block them from my site by IP - because i can bet you, the next time they go to your site - today, tomorrow, 6months from now, they wont be able to resist as they CLICK, thinking "Google will never know" .... They're wrong..

just my .02..

 

Um, first of all, are your friends and your girlfriend idiots? If you told them that them clicking can get you kicked out of the program, and they shouldn't do it EVER, and they are still doing it... I mean, did you sit them down and told them with a straight face, with full seriousness, that they shouldn't do it, and you know (or believe) that they're still doing it? In that case, I'd get new friends and a new girlfriend, because you're hanging around with dumbasses. No offense.

But here's how Google will catch you (if you're right, and your GF/friends are really still clicking): they'll get a couple of clicks from one IP, but they'll let it go; then someone from the same IP clicks the next day; okay, they'll let it go, but then a third day, a fourth day, a fifth day -- you get the idea? Google will easily spot the pattern and ban you.

By the way, I never tell my family and friends about my site, and if it slips out and I accidentally tell them, I grab them by the head and scream into their faces, "Don't you ever ever EVER click on my f'-in ads, man!"

No, seriously.

 

I hate to say it... but JB is right..

I'm going to have to try that head-grabbing thing.. it might be easier than blocking them by IP ..

 

Hehe..
Fresh from just a few minutes ago.. "friends".. gotta love 'em:
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=98907

 

I explained it to my GF tonight, she got it. I just didn't explain it very comprehensively the first time.

Any feeback about my "best viewed with firefox !" banner for IE users??

thanks in advance,

-me

 

What's your URL? It'll be easier to tell if we can see it in action.

 

the url in my sig

 

So you've had a total of 900 uniques in all? If your GF/friends have clicked more than 10 times, and have done it more than 2 days in a roll from the same computers, you're screwed.

 

she did it less than a dozen times from her job, which is behind a proxy of a very large company. who knows what IP it spit out. but that problem is solved, she wont click them any more.

 

What about your friends?

 

Haven't had this problem with them yet but Ima be mega clear with them about it. I told my GF to tell her friends not to click my ads.

 

Oh geez, man. You GF has done it, she's probably told her GFs to "help" her out, and they've probably been doing it. I dunno, I think you should just wait until the end of the month and see if Google pays you. If you've earned more than $100 last month, you should get a check/direct deposit later this month. Google pays you for the previous month that you hit at least $100 in your account. Once you get paid, that means Google has "cleared" you, and you can continue making money with them. But man, I'd just wait to see if you get paid first, because you might just be working your butt off for nothing because Google looooooooves to send the dreaded "You have been banned for invalid clicks!" at the end of the month -- when you're about to get your first paycheck.

 

That's an aweful lot of ads for a simple blog site. Does anyone even visit your site besides your family and friends?

Whenever I see sites like yours I get scared away by an over abundance of ads and donate images.

 

Blog site ? Where. That's hand written HTML. No blogging or word press invovled here. Not to mention most of the sites "stuff" is composed of hand crafted CSS (oh wait, I did mention that).

Secondly, there are approx. 3 ads on the page. One is an obvious ad block, the other two look like software downloads.

Thirdly, I put two pay pal buttons at the top for balance, with just one it looks silly to me. I put the one at the bottom so they can see it when they finish reading. I've done a few test on this type of thing and a link at the end of the text will get clicks the link at the top of the text didn't.

Lastly, my friends and family don't visit the site. I've just relaunched it with this URL and have about 400-500 visitors or so in the past week or so.