Google Ads [LWN.net]

Google Ads

Posted Sep 29, 2005 2:59 UTC (Thu) by corbet (editor, #1)
In reply to: Google Ads by mbcook
Parent article: An LWN status update

We do run Google ads - clearly they've made a big impression on you...:) The Google agreement doesn't allow talking about what you earn, so suffice to say it hasn't really changed our situation in any fundamental way.

to post comments

Google Ads

Posted Sep 29, 2005 3:04 UTC (Thu) by felixfix (subscriber, #242) [Link] (3 responses)

Google ads don't show unless javascript is enabled. I don't see ads on several other sites that would be useful for that reason.

As for other ideas, I personally would have no problem with a higher subscription fee.

About my only complaint about LWN is that cookies expire every month even for a one year subscription, and it always annoys me when that happens.

Cookie expiration

Posted Sep 29, 2005 3:07 UTC (Thu) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link]

Fixing the cookie thing has been on the list for a while. I don't want to put in a far-future expiration for various reasons, but occasionally updating it would have the same effect for regular readers. Fairly easy to do, just needs a bit of hacking time...

Google Ads

Posted Sep 29, 2005 4:10 UTC (Thu) by kirkengaard (guest, #15022) [Link] (1 responses)

Google ads also don't show if, for example, you use AdBlock in Firefox to block Google ads universally. I'm sorry, Jon. :/ I just find them to be useless to me because I keep no Google cookies, and they guess so wrong on content relation much of the time. But I do plan on upping my subscriber amount. I love the content; it's my homepage. Practically anytime I bring up a GUI, I read LWN. :)

Thank you!

Google Ads

Posted Oct 5, 2005 11:43 UTC (Wed) by skx (subscriber, #14652) [Link]

My understanding is that the adverts that google shows are unrelated to the cookies *you* might have.

Instead they are based upon the page contents, as spidered by Google.

Google Ads

Posted Sep 29, 2005 9:24 UTC (Thu) by ballombe (subscriber, #9523) [Link] (1 responses)

> The Google agreement doesn't allow talking about what you earn, so suffice to say it hasn't really changed our situation in any fundamental way.

Then start by removing them. Really. This will get you more subscribers, and
that will be one thing less your are not allowed to talk about, which is always a good thing for a reporter.

Providing a ad-free website to subscribers would also increase the number
of subscription.

Google Ads

Posted Sep 29, 2005 15:44 UTC (Thu) by smoogen (subscriber, #97) [Link]

It is doubtful that it will get more subscribers. Most people who are freeloading off of the site will free-load with our without ads. Having talked to several 'free-loaders' over the last year.. they are always going to get around to it... but never do. Ads have never been an issue with any of the 20 or so people I talked to.