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I just checked and the download page on getpaint.net still has a deceptive "Start Download" AdSense ad. That site came to mind because, a few months ago, I trie

by mc808 11y ago

I just checked and the download page on getpaint.net still has a deceptive "Start Download" AdSense ad. That site came to mind because, a few months ago, I tried to be charitable and disabled ad blocking for a few days. That was the site where I decided enough was enough and started blocking again.

cableshaft 11y ago
I just went there and saw a fake start download button, but it was with the 'AdChoices' network, not AdSense. EDIT: I guess AdSense is involved with AdChoices somehow. My mistake.
- cbr 11y ago
  Pretty sure it's an AdSense ad: http://imgur.com/OBy1PFR http://imgur.com/OBy1PFR The AdChoices icon is used by many ad networks, not just Google's, to indicate that there's per-user targeting happening. [1] But if you click on that "AdChoices" button and you get an AdSense help page. [1] http://www.youradchoices.com/faq.aspx http://www.youradchoices.com/faq.aspx
  - acqq 11y ago
    When I click the > I get https://support.google.com/adsense https://support.google.com/adsense . The link from the ad is to https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net I don't see how it can't be a Google-sold ad.
- mc808 11y ago
  I'm not too familiar with AdSense vs. DoubleClick vs. AdChoices, but when I hover the ad it shows a link to DoubleClick, the little triangle icon points to an AdSense support page, and the JavaScript to load the ad comes from googlesyndication.com. From what I understand, that all points to it being an AdSense ad. I suspect the reason that kind of ad is allowed (despite being deceptive IMHO) is that it's not just a download link. It also indicates that it's an ad for a driver update site (which makes it even shadier to my eye, but probably not violating any policies).
sleepychu 11y ago
You're not being charitable disabling your ad blocking. You're just perpetuating a system where egregious invasion of privacy is 'the deal' for using the internet. I understand that some sites might struggle for income without advertising but if they want me to view their ads they had better find some partners who don't stalk me across the web.

by mc808 11y ago

cableshaft 11y ago

I just went there and saw a fake start download button, but it was with the 'AdChoices' network, not AdSense. EDIT: I guess AdSense is involved with AdChoices somehow. My mistake.

cbr 11y ago
Pretty sure it's an AdSense ad: http://imgur.com/OBy1PFR http://imgur.com/OBy1PFR The AdChoices icon is used by many ad networks, not just Google's, to indicate that there's per-user targeting happening. [1] But if you click on that "AdChoices" button and you get an AdSense help page. [1] http://www.youradchoices.com/faq.aspx http://www.youradchoices.com/faq.aspx
- acqq 11y ago
  When I click the > I get https://support.google.com/adsense https://support.google.com/adsense . The link from the ad is to https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net I don't see how it can't be a Google-sold ad.
mc808 11y ago
I'm not too familiar with AdSense vs. DoubleClick vs. AdChoices, but when I hover the ad it shows a link to DoubleClick, the little triangle icon points to an AdSense support page, and the JavaScript to load the ad comes from googlesyndication.com. From what I understand, that all points to it being an AdSense ad. I suspect the reason that kind of ad is allowed (despite being deceptive IMHO) is that it's not just a download link. It also indicates that it's an ad for a driver update site (which makes it even shadier to my eye, but probably not violating any policies).

sleepychu 11y ago

You're not being charitable disabling your ad blocking. You're just perpetuating a system where egregious invasion of privacy is 'the deal' for using the internet. I understand that some sites might struggle for income without advertising but if they want me to view their ads they had better find some partners who don't stalk me across the web.