Author Topic: When Google Ad words go wrong (Read 3533 times)

Harold Tuttle · « **on:** May 10, 2008, 08:52:33 AM »

schadenfreude

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080411-spear-video-wc.html

seeker_two · « **Reply #1 on:** May 10, 2008, 09:38:47 AM »

Somebody's gonna get spanked by Al Sharpton...... grin

Eleven Mike · « **Reply #2 on:** May 10, 2008, 10:25:45 AM »

Huh? Please translate for non-geeks.

Firethorn · « **Reply #3 on:** May 10, 2008, 10:31:47 AM »

Quote from: Eleven Mike on May 10, 2008, 09:25:45 AM

Huh? Please translate for non-geeks.

Google Adwords use 'contextual' algorithms to automatically serve ads that are more likely to be relevant to what you're currently looking at.

Do a search for 'barracuda', are you looking at an ocean dwelling creature or a classic car? Google's supposed to have a fairly good chance and serve you offers for aquarium visit packages, Sea World perhaps in the first case. Parts, specialized used car dealers, restoration services in the second.

Apparently it hit on 'spear wielding apes' as being relevant to black men, thus the problem.

Eleven Mike · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2008, 10:38:41 AM »

Hmm. Thanks. Still don't really understand, but thanks. cheesy

Sindawe · « **Reply #5 on:** May 10, 2008, 10:50:20 AM »

OH SWEET ZOMBIE JEBUS!!!

Harold, you owe me a new monitor, as your post has caused my current one to become covered in beer!

And I hope you DO understand how much cold beer burns when comes out of one's nose.

Bogie · « **Reply #6 on:** May 10, 2008, 11:38:34 AM »

Okay.

An old, and generally abhorred, slang term once used to refer to a person of color was "spearchucker," doubtless referring to their African ancestry.

Too bad that the term "poxmonkey" didn't come to vogue when referring to people of European ancestry...

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #7 on:** May 10, 2008, 12:32:51 PM »

funny thing is those are live screen captures

I wonder how googles algorithms coded that association

they couldn't do "Spear wielding african = hot black dates" could they?

Manedwolf · « **Reply #8 on:** May 10, 2008, 02:09:55 PM »

There's been other incidents.

A dramatic sinking picture of the Sea Diamond was paired with an ad for CRUISE DISCOUNTS!

And an article about a man drowning in an outhouse while trying to retrive a cellphone was accompanied by an ad for a FREE CELLPHONE!!!

Mabs2 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 10, 2008, 02:39:45 PM »

Quote from: Bogie on May 10, 2008, 10:38:34 AM

Okay.

An old, and generally abhorred, slang term once used to refer to a person of color was "spearchucker," doubtless referring to their African ancestry.

Too bad that the term "poxmonkey" didn't come to vogue when referring to people of European ancestry...

I'm fond of "honky" and "o-fay" myself.
I'd love to meet a black man that calls me honky. Hehe.

LadySmith · « **Reply #10 on:** May 11, 2008, 04:31:53 AM »

Quote from: Eleven Mike on May 10, 2008, 09:38:41 AM

Hmm. Thanks. Still don't really understand, but thanks. cheesy

As Firethorn pointed out, linking an article about chimps with spears to Blacks can be seen as racially insulting or "culturally insensitive".

Kind of like how Fistful's avatar changed from being that of a monkey to a Black man.

cheesy

Not trying to start anything.

But I do wish he'd bring back his cute little guilty-looking mountain goat. grin

However, more importantly, we did find out Jill Pruetz is linked to the secret for killing scabies. Huh?

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #11 on:** May 11, 2008, 05:35:17 AM »

I don't really get it, either. And what's a scabie?

LadySmith, sorry to offend you.

I hadn't made that connection, but maybe that's because I only recently learned that monkey is a racial slur. And it's my favorite word. sad

I LIKE BLACK PEOPLE!

I'll try and find that goat again. I liked the cartoon one that I had a long time ago, but I can't find a good image of that, anymore. I think he's a character from a children's book, and the publishers are cracking down.

Edit: I know you're not really offended. What's funny is that, when I first posted that pic, I had forgetten to remove the "Monkey!" that was under the previous avatar. Now THAT could have been interesting.

LadySmith · « **Reply #12 on:** May 11, 2008, 05:50:19 AM »

Quote from: fistful on May 11, 2008, 04:35:17 AM

LadySmith, sorry to offend you.

I hadn't made that connection, but maybe that's because I only recently learned that monkey is a racial slur. And it's my favorite word. sad

I LIKE BLACK PEOPLE!

None taken.

I learned about the "monkey=bad" referrence first from having a Black science teacher get in trouble for saying Black facial features are simian while White's were more equine (he wasn't a very PC teacher, but good at teaching science).
I didn't know "porch monkey" was a slur until I read it here not too long ago.
I really need to get up to speed on what should offend and frighten me nowadays. The problem is that I can't stand the folks who keep trying to tell me (Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, leftists, et al). cheesy

Quote from: fistful on May 11, 2008, 04:35:17 AM

Edit: I know you're not really offended. What's funny is that, when I first posted that pic, I had forgetten to remove the "Monkey!" that was under the previous avatar. Now THAT could have been interesting.

Ooooh...you would've gotten a whipping! laugh

BTW, who is that on your new avatar?

Firethorn · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2008, 06:44:47 AM »

Quote from: fistful on May 11, 2008, 04:35:17 AM

I don't really get it, either. And what's a scabie?

It's either a person who goes to work despite a union strike(or because of it) or another name for a STD.

Hmmm... I'll try again.

When serving ads, it helps to know your audience. Ads for Viagra and hemorrhoid creme aren't really appropriate for kids shows. Presumably, most people watching them don't need it. So, from a strictly practical point, you're better off advertising your product somewhere else, leaving the spots for people like toy manufacturers. The toy companies, meanwhile, might choose against advertising during daytime soap operas.

With the internet, you generally have this mass of searchable text. So google comes along and tries to automate the process. As a side effect, you sometimes get odd results like this.

grislyatoms · « **Reply #14 on:** May 11, 2008, 07:00:07 AM »

Scabies are actually the mites that cause mange, and are not necessarily sexually transmitted. When they are on a human host, the disease is called scabies.

My neighbor's dogs had mange awhile back, I read up on it to try to keep it the hell off my pets.

wmenorr67 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 11, 2008, 07:00:37 AM »

I know it isn't a STD. I think it is sort of like chigger bites but contagious.

grislyatoms · « **Reply #16 on:** May 11, 2008, 07:05:42 AM »

Oops, just double-checked facts.

Canine mange is Sarcoptes scabiei canis
Human "mange" (scabies) is Sarcoptes scabiei hominis

I guess they are different critters.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #17 on:** May 11, 2008, 02:28:01 PM »

Quote from: LadySmith on May 11, 2008, 04:50:19 AM

BTW, who is that on your new avatar?

I was looking for Kareem Abdul Jabar, but I think this picture is actually a guy named Hillman. I'd really prefer to have a B&W yearbook-style picture of a Black guy in a suit with an Afro. I don't know why. Can't find one, though.

But I'm also thinking I'll scrap the whole thing, and go back to the scapegoat screen name and avatar.

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #18 on:** May 11, 2008, 03:40:50 PM »

Quote

Black guy in a suit with an Afro

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #19 on:** May 11, 2008, 05:34:21 PM »

Not too long ago, wasn't walmart taken to task over the same thing? When you'd search for Planet of the Apes, it brought up a bunch of "we thought you'd like this" other movies, that were all black movies or documentaries.....

News:

Author Topic: When Google Ad words go wrong (Read 3533 times)