Also, the advertiser here is Pronto.com, not Google. Not to say that Google and the other search engines don't partner with these advertisers, but there are a number of shopping aggregates that bid on just about every keyword in the book and have cut and paste ads ready-made for all searches. The responsibility that Google needs to take is catching them, so insensitive and downright offensive ads don't appear.
As a marketing professional who takes advantage of Google's advertising opportunities, I don't see the value, for this specific "business," in placing this ad. These photographs represent a very niche need, and if I'm going to make protest signs depicting shocking photos of female circumcision, I'm going to do a direct search for them. What is the possibility of someone seeing this ad by coincidence, and saying "yes! finally! I've been wondering where I would find these..." The goal with a pop-up like this is to generate spontaneous, curiosity-driven clickthroughs to increase traffic to the website. I find this despicable--it's not a side show. Those photos represent considerable suffering and subjugation.
So obviously, whatever you do, don't ever click on this sort of thing...
@Schrodinger's Cat: I posted below, but just wanted to add - if you were to click this site, there wouldn't be pictures. This is simply a shopping site bidding on every term in the book, without results.
That's my tip! I assure you, I'm not a hacker, had not been emailing or searching or chatting anything at all related to FGM. Had mentioned "penis" and "patriarchy" in a chat with a friend, but that's it. NO IDEA how I ended up with this ad.
It's my tip and my email-- I hadn't typed in anything at all related to FGM. The only thing I can think of is I had been discussing a sexist jerk with a friend in the chat area and the words "penis" "feminism" and "patriarchy" were used.
I have a gmail account specifically for work and I really don't get some of the ads that come up while I'm working. Indian dating services, some really crazy porn stuff, pork recipes (I'm a vegetarian) amongst other things. None of them ever have anything to do with my job, my emails or anything I enter into google's search engine. How do they come up with that junk?
@kaiwhakamarie: I would say that, given that this is Google, you don't know yourself as well as you think you do!
Clearly, the Google Gods have seen through you and found your desire to date Indians, look at crazy porn, and eat pork -- though, one presumes that the Indians whom you clearly lust over are neither vegetarian Hindus or Muslims. UNLESS...! Oh my Google Gods! Your deepest desire is to corrupt the youth of India with your porn and pork, isn't it?!?
@kaiwhakamarie: I use mine for work too, and I (strangely) get ads for my job's website. Bizarre, it's a smaller company, but it always gives me a chuckle. They seems to match my emails pretty well.
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So obviously, whatever you do, don't ever click on this sort of thing...
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Still, really awful to imagine...
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::crosses fingers, hopes::
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I don't know about you, but I plan to shop around and find the best deal I can...
06/25/09
06/25/09
Clearly, the Google Gods have seen through you and found your desire to date Indians, look at crazy porn, and eat pork -- though, one presumes that the Indians whom you clearly lust over are neither vegetarian Hindus or Muslims. UNLESS...! Oh my Google Gods! Your deepest desire is to corrupt the youth of India with your porn and pork, isn't it?!?
How can you live with yourself?
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