Google yanks advertising

Readers may have noticed unusual blank spaces in the panel on the left-hand side of this page.

Where once Google proudly displayed its Adsense advertising, now there is nothing. The people who oversee Adsense advertising policies reckon I breached them, by encouraging excessive attention to the advertising itself, or displaying mature/adult content – I am not sure which.

A few weeks ago Google sent me a message warning me about this post, which it said breached its policies for display of Adsense advertising.

It gave me three days to fix the problem, or my account would be suspended, with the result that readers could no longer see my ads.

The warning notice, a standard one sent to all transgressors, said bloggers cannot encourage readers to click the ads, nor attract too much attention to them. It also contained the standard warning about offensive pictures/content, in charming Americanese:

'AdSense publishers are not permitted to place Google ads on pages with adult or mature content. This includes images or video content containing lewd or provocative poses, or close-ups of breasts, butts, or crotches.'

I removed three or four of the pictures on that post (readers will notice that only one remains). None looked particularly naughty to me, though in one picture, Nicky The Stick Sura Theerakol had his hand down his pants, as if he was feeling himself up.

The content was dull – the post is about the poor standard of Thai-made seating, for goodness sake – but the post did contain the standard sidebar reference to Google’s Adsense, which said:

‘Some readers visit day after day, but never seem to notice the Google Adsense advertising on this blog.

‘The ads help keep this blog in business. In fact, if I don't make enough from it, I don't blog.

‘However, for Google's sake I must ask readers: Please click the ads only if you find something of interest.’

I left that blurb in place, as I suspected Google’s objection was mainly to the pictures. Maybe I was wrong, for when the warning period expired, Google sent me another notice saying my Adsense account had been suspended, taking effect from this month.

The result? No Adsense advertising. The response? No more blogging, at least at this site.

I am not prepared to write for nothing. However, I do have a couple of options available to me. I would like readers’ help as to which one I should choose.

1 Resume blogging, but at sister blog Thaiboygay [deleted 20/2/11].

The advantage of this option is that the blog has a web presence, as it’s been going for some time, even if I rarely post to it any more. However, I dislike the name. I created it as a commercial vehicle for drawing readers to its bigger sister blog, Bangkok of the Mind.

The advertising is still going on this blog, even though there are many more guy pics over there than at BOTM. In fact, I transferred all the picture posts over there months ago, as I wanted BOTM to focus mainly on stories.

I could post at TBG temporarily, until Google restores advertising to BOTM.

2. Create a new blog – Bangkok of the Mind 2 – but without pics.

I like the choice of name, as it sounds rebellious – we will not be beaten, even by Google! The disadvantage is that BOTM 2 has no web presence. Even with links to BOTM 2 from this blog and TBG, readership might take some time to build up.

Any ideas?