Review: Google AdSense.

DO NOT click on your own ads!

When I want to learn something new, I usually start reading about it on the Net. I read and read. Then because of the overwhelming quantity of information, I start to forget what I read in the first place. Then at a point, I decide to buy the ‘new thing” or to try out a 'new something'. That what I did with Google AdSense. 

Last month, I decide to give it a go and put on my blog to better understand how it works and to then write a post about it. I undertook the process of: getting the code, installing it to make each ad appear on the last right column of piratec.net. I even resized the column width to match the Google ad window. I was happy with the results. 

Then I configured my Google AdSence account, which meant giving them my bank account number, my phone number etc, etc, etc. 

After setting this up, I started earning $0.30 some days then other days $0,52. But, I was not understanding how the clicks where counted and billed. In 6 weeks my account reached $25.82 which did not match my click counter.

 

Yesterday I decide to add these commercial features : Ads on my RSS and ads on my personalized search engine. I wanted to test these features and make sure the ads showed up when clicking on them and then verifying the counting of the click. I could not see if my click was counted so I thought it was not since I was using the same computer to configure the whole thing. So I did not worry. 

Oops! I was wrong. Really wrong. 

This morning I got a message from Google : “Going through our records recently, we found that your AdSense account has posed a significant risk to our AdWords advertisers. Since keeping your account in our publisher network may financially damage our advertisers in the future, we've decided to disable your account. Please understand that we consider this a necessary step to protect the interests of both our advertisers and our other AdSense publishers. We realize the inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.” 

It then took me over an hour to find the reason why I had received this message. Of course, I am appealing their decision. I find it unfair because I was certainly not trying to cheat the “system”. I regret that Google did not first send me a message telling me that I was doing something wrong.

 We are certainly not all professional when it comes to these complicated arenas but I still want to learn and understand how it all works. My two cent mistake and being banned from AdSense in light of Satyam, Madoff, Enron, the banking crises..... I feel is rather tough love. I am certainly annoyed at myself for I found out through further reading that it is strictly prohibited to click on your own ads for any reason. 

My mistake. I now await an answer from Google and my fate in the AdSense world. 

Do you think I will be banned for ever?