The Googlization of Everything

Google's robots canceled this guy's AdSense account and did not explain why:

...

There had been a large uptick in ad clicks--as I think they are called--the previous few days, taking me from about $15 a day in average revenue from Google ads to a high of about $30 a day on either Sunday or Monday. I don't know what day that was since Google won't let me look at my stats anymore. So there was an email from Google saying I was up to no good, see ya' later, dude. Had I been going onto my own site and clicking ads? No. Had I had any weird, unusual patterns of traffic to my site? None.

The big uptick in clicks on my ads was the result of a lecture I gave at a college in Florida last week as near as I can tell, but there's Google treating me like I am some spam blogger sitting offshore creating phony porn blogs and hair treatment sites to milk Google's ad dollars. I don't like that insinuation very much since I've played by the rules right down the line since I put up their text ads in August. Also, I've been playing by the rules of the Web 2.0 for over two years...and this is what I get?

This is how Google and all the other twerps in the Bay Area are making the new media? This is how they are monetizing the Web? By cutting off legitimate content providers when they have a sudden uptick in popularity and leaving them in fear that they can't make next month's rent while the founders and CEOs of companies like Google fly around in private 767s and their wives are out playing tennis and their employees get free transit to work and free meals in the office? If so, take me back to the days when newspapers will still linotyped. Because this is nonsense and has some obvious implications for others who provide content on the 'Net: Don't you dare get popular. But more on this nonsense in a minute.

I appealed Google's action, giving them my best guess as to what led to the click increase (I couldn't detect any malicious hacking as some readers had suggested), and the company has already exceeded its own 48-hour response time. I've contacted the press office twice and have gotten no reply.OK, Google, it's time for some Adsense customer feedback, and since you are not responding to my queries, then you are going to get it right here. Your customer service stinks. Your press office is useless. Dealing with your company is like talking to a black box. Your monitoring algorithms are set way too tight. You seem to be a company run by computers and not humans, and if there happens to be a human being working at Google, then give me a call. You owe me at least $600--for accumulated clicks from August through November that was to be my first payout from Google at the end of December--and you owe it to me pronto. You also owe me an apology for treating me like a scab. You guys are the ones making billions off the original content of others such as my colleagues in the journalism business and your values for how you reward content providers seem to me to be a bit out of whack--because as near as I can figure you guys cut me off over a lousy $40 or so. Seriously, that's all the marginal increase in money that the uptick in clicks would've brought me. That isn't enough for 10 gallons of jet fuel for a 767.

You are the scabs. I'm the one who's been upholding the Web 2.0 values your company claims to hold dear while your Blogger subsidiary lets people put up sick, ridiculous blogs such as this one (note: it's an awful site alleging that that poor Megan Meier girl got what she deserved) and your YouTube subsidiary lets people post all sorts of useless stupidity (and some interesting stuff as well at times). ...

So this is interesting in light of our conversation a few weeks ago about how Google might bear some responsibility for trackback and comment spam. Here, Google was probably trying to get a handle on such things. But a real person got denied.

On the other hand, a darker possibility: This blog in question offers critical investigative reports on pharmaceuticals and the industry. Obviously, Google sells ad space to pharmaceuticals. Could this be because Google is concerned about losing Pharma money?

Here is part of the original email Google sent this guy:

"While 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."

What's going on here? What is a "significant risk?"

Anyone have some ideas?

Thanks, Jonah!