FYI: About WordPress.com Ads

June 9, 2010

FYI: About WordPress.com Ads

I do not directly profit from the Google Ads you may see on my site. In fact, WordPress prevents me from putting many standard advertisements on the site, which I’m fine with — I don’t pay the hosting.

So, how do these ads appear? They are placed by WordPress, and are not shown to logged-into-WordPress readers. WordPress user accounts can be created for free (blog not required). This would avoid ads like this on my site:

a weight-loss ad I recently saw while NOT logged in — an ad I recently saw while NOT logged in

Logging into a user account would also avoid these ads on other WordPress.com sites.

There is an upgrade blog owners can purchase to turn them off, but it involves giving WordPress money. While I don’t begrudge WordPress the money — again, I’m not paying a dime for this blog — the methods available to get the money to WordPress all involve breaking anonymity. Currently I do not wish to do this.

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Living 400lbs

I blog about what it’s like to be live life at about 400lbs. :)

11 responses to “FYI: About WordPress.com Ads”

lifeonfats

June 9, 2010 at 7:15 pm

As a test, I logged out, and saw an ad under this post for a diet consisting of using oral drops that cost $99. It’s annoying to see weight loss ads on a fat-friendly site, but since 99% of fat-related content has to do with diets and weight loss, it’s not surprising to see them.

Reply
1. Living 400lbs
  
  June 9, 2010 at 9:12 pm
  
  It’s annoying to see weight loss ads on a fat-friendly site, but since 99% of fat-related content has to do with diets and weight loss, it’s not surprising to see them.
  
  Absolutely. I understand exactly why Google is serving the ads it is. For that matter, my site is linked to by several weight-loss bloggers. I’m not sure whether it’s for camaraderie, or they feel I’m wrong on diets but right on other things, or they like my exercise posts, or whatever—nothing wrong with reading! ;)
  
  FYI, I’ve also seen ads on your site, FatFu, Shapely Prose— that’s why I’m pointing out that it’s WordPress in general. Someone might not want to get an account just for my site, but this affects a lot of blogs. Some blog owners may want to purchase the “No-Ads” upgrade. I’m just not there yet.
  
  Reply
Erin S.

June 9, 2010 at 7:43 pm

And this is why I love Firefox. I know some site owners complain about adblock+, but as far as I am concerned it is in the best interest of my mental health to avoid having even more of our fatphobic thin at all costs diet industry propaganda shoved in my face than necessary.

I have a DVR so I can avoid those ads on TV, I use adblock+ to avoid (most) of those ads on the internet, and I have CDs and MP3’s of said CDs to avoid hearing those ads on the radio.

Not to mention the number that giant flashing red CLICK HERE!!!!! banners do on someone who can have a migraine attack just from trying to read a line or two of hot pink or lime green text on a white background lol.

Now if only they had something like that for real life, then I’d be able to go swimming without spending weeks psyching myself up to deal with the inevitable hippo and whale comments.

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1. Living 400lbs
  
  June 9, 2010 at 10:19 pm
  
  Adblock is definitely an option too :)
  
  Reply
2. wriggles
  
  June 10, 2010 at 2:22 am
  
  I’m sorry you have to put up with that, but it’s also important to remember something the sockpuppet haters forget; hippos and whales are sublime.
  
  Reply
3. buttercup
  
  June 10, 2010 at 5:22 am
  
  Firefox with adblock is the only reason I’m still on facebook. love it!
  
  Reply
Michelle

June 9, 2010 at 9:41 pm

That’s weird – I haven’t seen any ads so far. Maybe I created an account once and then forgot about it?

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1. Living 400lbs
  
  June 9, 2010 at 10:18 pm
  
  Could be. But it also seems they don’t always appear, either. Hence me including a screenshot.
  
  I’ve also only seen them on individual post pages, not the home page.
  
  Reply
vitty10

June 9, 2010 at 11:42 pm

Thanks for mentioning this. I started to notice it recently. Odd to go to a fat acceptance blog and see ads for “lose 10 pounds of belly fat.”

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lifeonfats

June 10, 2010 at 7:36 am

I have Firefox too. It’s not perfect, but the Adblock is a nice feature.

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ankarajeoteknik.com

June 20, 2010 at 11:08 pm

waow… the great post today. thank you.

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