Google Adsense Account Disabled

Cheat · October 18, 2014, 01:01:57 AM

As you are probably aware, our pals at Google dumped us. I'm sort of still in shock and I don't know a lot, so I'll just give you the facts.

At 1:02PM (17 Oct) I was sent this single email:

Spoiler

Hello,

With our advertising programs we strive to create an online ecosystem that benefits publishers, advertisers, and users. For this reason we sometimes have to take action against accounts that show behavior towards users or advertisers that may negatively impact how the ecosystem is perceived. In your case, we have detected invalid activity on your AdSense account and as a result it has been disabled.

We are limited in the amount of information we can provide about your specific violation. We understand that you may want more information about your account activity. However, in order to protect our proprietary detection systems, we are unable to provide further details.

In some cases publishers can make significant changes to correct the violation and are willing to comply with the AdSense program policies. For this reason, we offer an appeal process as an opportunity to work with you to resolve the issue. Please be sure to provide a complete analysis of your traffic or other reasons that may have generated invalid activity in your appeal. Submit your appeal using this form and we will follow up accordingly. Before submission, please review the list of the top reasons for account closure.

Thanks for your understanding.

Sincerely,

The Google AdSense Team

To summarize, we were not kicked for our content. That's not the issue here currently (although it was probably what made them look into us again, but that's just conjecture). We were disabled for invalid activity which is basically code for "clicking the ads just to click the ads".

Personally, I don't buy it. I can't prove that Google is making this stuff up (especially since I can't even see the site's previous stats through the Adsense backend), but if you do a search for "adsense disabled invalid activity" and add the word bullshit afterward, you can see some very strange and interesting stories.

I have appealed to Google about this but to be honest I would be downright shocked if they overturned their ruling. If I go without a week of hearing from them, I'll appeal again. In the meantime, we are serving Adversal ads, which are a bit more obnoxious.

Some of you have been complaining about the audio ads. One in particular I know only plays a sound if you hover or brush your mouse over it. I haven't experienced the other one, but I would assume it is likely the same; if it isn't, let me know and send me a screenshot so I can deliver it to Adversal.

Sorry about this, folks, but I think you probably knew Adsense wasn't going to last forever. I'll update the OP when and if I know more.

CIS · October 18, 2014, 01:40:37 AM

Spoiler

It's time

BaconShelf · October 18, 2014, 04:34:08 AM

No more profanity filter then?

Mat Cauthon · October 18, 2014, 05:02:36 AM

It's such bullshit, but at least there's a fallback.

Nascent Email · October 18, 2014, 09:26:52 AM

At least I'm finally getting the ad at the top of the page.

Juuzou · October 18, 2014, 11:07:27 AM

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gats · October 18, 2014, 04:15:15 PM

Wow google suck

Comet · October 18, 2014, 10:00:41 PM

so what, they think we made a bot to click ads or something?

cxfhvxgkcf-56:7 · October 19, 2014, 02:22:35 AM

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Flee · October 19, 2014, 04:59:54 AM

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Mat Cauthon · October 19, 2014, 09:46:47 AM

Quote from: Flee on October 19, 2014, 04:59:54 AM

Well, at least we can swear again now. Right Cheat?

Fuck.

Flee · October 19, 2014, 09:58:17 AM

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Sandtrap · October 19, 2014, 11:36:14 AM

Aren't you happy I've started putting five bucks a day away now?

Flee · October 20, 2014, 08:17:19 AM

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Sandtrap · October 20, 2014, 08:59:01 AM

Quote from: Flee on October 20, 2014, 08:17:19 AM

Quote from: Sandtrap on October 19, 2014, 11:36:14 AM
Aren't you happy I've started putting five bucks a day away now?
The "save sep7agon fund" project is officially a go?

No. But ever since this ruckus started, I've been putting five bucks a day away in case Cheat has to open up for donations.

There isn't a fuckin' chance in hell I'd let this place sink, not if I had it in me to stop it. So, if things hit the fan, and donations are needed, it won't hit the fan for very long.

TB · October 20, 2014, 09:25:04 AM

Quote from: Sandtrap on October 20, 2014, 08:59:01 AM

Quote from: Flee on October 20, 2014, 08:17:19 AM
Quote from: Sandtrap on October 19, 2014, 11:36:14 AM
Aren't you happy I've started putting five bucks a day away now?
The "save sep7agon fund" project is officially a go?

No. But ever since this ruckus started, I've been putting five bucks a day away in case Cheat has to open up for donations.

There isn't a fuckin' chance in hell I'd let this place sink, not if I had it in me to stop it. So, if things hit the fan, and donations are needed, it won't hit the fan for very long.

So how much so far? $15 since 3 days ago? =/

Sandtrap · October 20, 2014, 10:12:41 AM

Quote from: TBlocks on October 20, 2014, 09:25:04 AM

Quote from: Sandtrap on October 20, 2014, 08:59:01 AM
Quote from: Flee on October 20, 2014, 08:17:19 AM
Quote from: Sandtrap on October 19, 2014, 11:36:14 AM
Aren't you happy I've started putting five bucks a day away now?
The "save sep7agon fund" project is officially a go?

No. But ever since this ruckus started, I've been putting five bucks a day away in case Cheat has to open up for donations.

There isn't a fuckin' chance in hell I'd let this place sink, not if I had it in me to stop it. So, if things hit the fan, and donations are needed, it won't hit the fan for very long.
So how much so far? $15 since 3 days ago? =/

25 if you count my generosity of couch change I dug up. If I remember right, One week of of five bucks from me every day would keep this place roughly funded for about half a month I believe.

TB · October 20, 2014, 10:13:55 AM

Quote from: Sandtrap on October 20, 2014, 10:12:41 AM

Quote from: TBlocks on October 20, 2014, 09:25:04 AM

Quote from: Sandtrap on October 20, 2014, 08:59:01 AM
Quote from: Flee on October 20, 2014, 08:17:19 AM
Quote from: Sandtrap on October 19, 2014, 11:36:14 AM
Aren't you happy I've started putting five bucks a day away now?
The "save sep7agon fund" project is officially a go?

No. But ever since this ruckus started, I've been putting five bucks a day away in case Cheat has to open up for donations.

There isn't a fuckin' chance in hell I'd let this place sink, not if I had it in me to stop it. So, if things hit the fan, and donations are needed, it won't hit the fan for very long.
So how much so far? $15 since 3 days ago? =/

25 if you count my generosity of couch change I dug up. If I remember right, One week of of five bucks from me every day would keep this place roughly funded for about half a month I believe.

Aw dude.. You don't have to...
You're such a cool guy. :3

Flee · October 20, 2014, 10:14:05 AM

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Sandtrap · October 20, 2014, 12:16:18 PM

Quote from: Flee on October 20, 2014, 10:14:05 AM

Quote from: Sandtrap on October 20, 2014, 08:59:01 AM
Quote from: Flee on October 20, 2014, 08:17:19 AM
Quote from: Sandtrap on October 19, 2014, 11:36:14 AM
Aren't you happy I've started putting five bucks a day away now?
The "save sep7agon fund" project is officially a go?

No. But ever since this ruckus started, I've been putting five bucks a day away in case Cheat has to open up for donations.

There isn't a fuckin' chance in hell I'd let this place sink, not if I had it in me to stop it. So, if things hit the fan, and donations are needed, it won't hit the fan for very long.
You're a good man. If it were to come to the point that donations were necessary to save the site, I doubt many would contribute as much as you would.

I have to think about what this place means to me. Because it does mean something.

I walk a very fine line, borderline, technologically dumb hermit, and technolgy addicted regular person. A middle ground. I avoid social networking sites for the most part, and all the other technology based addictions and distractions. I don't text, have no cell phone, don't watch TV, and aren't abosrbed completely into a computer screen all day.

So this site, this one place, has always been my internet home. I have nowhere else to go that I would feel comfortable with. And I'm sentimental. I've made friends here. Had good moments with people. Learned new stories, new perspectives. I get a portion of my news on events in the world here.

This is my true home for everything internet related. And although it isn't the place I originally started in, Bungie has gone down a road that goes against everything I stand against. Social media and the pushing of products. Their site used to be a place for more than just a video game. You could do more than just talk and discuss their video game.

I mean, I've met artists. Muscicians. Hell, even a fucking glass blower. Do you know how much of a dying art glass blowing is? And on a gaming site, of all the fucking places, I met one. I've met different people from across the world all with different stories to tell, and new outlooks for me to study.

This place has given me so much. And I owe a debt for what has been given. So I will not let it sink. And I have the ability to keep it going if it's going under. I have the ability to help, to do something. So long as this place is alive and well, then I will stand up for it because I owe a debt for what's been given to me here.

If this light goes out, then I go out with it. So I will repay my debts to what I've been given here over the years, and if I can help to keep what this place is to me alive and well, then no matter how poor I am, I will find money to keep it going, because it's worth it, and money well spent.

Cheat · October 20, 2014, 01:34:02 PM

Quote from: Sandtrap on October 20, 2014, 12:16:18 PM

Quote from: Flee on October 20, 2014, 10:14:05 AM
Quote from: Sandtrap on October 20, 2014, 08:59:01 AM
Quote from: Flee on October 20, 2014, 08:17:19 AM
Quote from: Sandtrap on October 19, 2014, 11:36:14 AM
Aren't you happy I've started putting five bucks a day away now?
The "save sep7agon fund" project is officially a go?

No. But ever since this ruckus started, I've been putting five bucks a day away in case Cheat has to open up for donations.

There isn't a fuckin' chance in hell I'd let this place sink, not if I had it in me to stop it. So, if things hit the fan, and donations are needed, it won't hit the fan for very long.
You're a good man. If it were to come to the point that donations were necessary to save the site, I doubt many would contribute as much as you would.

I have to think about what this place means to me. Because it does mean something.

I walk a very fine line, borderline, technologically dumb hermit, and technolgy addicted regular person. A middle ground. I avoid social networking sites for the most part, and all the other technology based addictions and distractions. I don't text, have no cell phone, don't watch TV, and aren't abosrbed completely into a computer screen all day.

So this site, this one place, has always been my internet home. I have nowhere else to go that I would feel comfortable with. And I'm sentimental. I've made friends here. Had good moments with people. Learned new stories, new perspectives. I get a portion of my news on events in the world here.

This is my true home for everything internet related. And although it isn't the place I originally started in, Bungie has gone down a road that goes against everything I stand against. Social media and the pushing of products. Their site used to be a place for more than just a video game. You could do more than just talk and discuss their video game.

I mean, I've met artists. Muscicians. Hell, even a fucking glass blower. Do you know how much of a dying art glass blowing is? And on a gaming site, of all the fucking places, I met one. I've met different people from across the world all with different stories to tell, and new outlooks for me to study.

This place has given me so much. And I owe a debt for what has been given. So I will not let it sink. And I have the ability to keep it going if it's going under. I have the ability to help, to do something. So long as this place is alive and well, then I will stand up for it because I owe a debt for what's been given to me here.

If this light goes out, then I go out with it. So I will repay my debts to what I've been given here over the years, and if I can help to keep what this place is to me alive and well, then no matter how poor I am, I will find money to keep it going, because it's worth it, and money well spent.

I'm not about to stop you from donating money when the time comes that we open up that option to you guys, but you really don't have to give that much. Hopefully we can get ad advertising solution that isn't obnoxious and actually makes me more money that it costs to keep the site up. But like I said before: we can keep running until June or July, so there's no real reason to hurry and dump money into the site just yet.

I am going to be applying to some more advertising sites, so I may (will) be putting the filters back into place for a bit while they crawl the site.

Tyger · October 20, 2014, 03:32:13 PM

I like the new ads better...
the old ads were always borderline pornographic for me and now it's just ebay.

On a more serious note, I hope this all gets sorted out. I can tell you've (Cheat) put a ton of work into this and it means a lot to people

Septy · October 20, 2014, 04:06:56 PM

Do these Ebay ads give us more money?

Cheat · October 20, 2014, 04:10:12 PM

Quote from: Septy on October 20, 2014, 04:06:56 PM

Do these Ebay ads give us more money?

Just started putting them up, so I have no idea yet. They're not pay-per-view, though, so I don't think it's a good long-term solution.

I'm actually applying for another ad service right now and we'll just see.

challengerX · October 20, 2014, 05:28:33 PM

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Erives · October 20, 2014, 07:37:45 PM

If you ever get to the point of donations. Just remember Im more than willing to help. This place means something to me. Dont know exactly but its a part of my life. I want it to stick around.

Prototype · October 20, 2014, 09:01:45 PM

Its a good thing you've got here, so I'm completely willing to donate money if the time comes.