MODS: gay ads on Scouter.com?

[fgoodwin]

Interesting -- when did this start?

 

Is this a recent "sponsorship"? I hadn't noticed before today.

[OldGreyEagle]

What are you talking about?

[fgoodwin]

There are ads on many of the Scouter.com pages.

 

When I was posting a reply in the "Adult Training Award Medal" thread, I noticed five gay ads. I was somewhat surprised, but I did take a screenshot before I left the page.

 

If anyone wants a PDF of the print-screen, send me an email:

 

fgoodwin@sbcglobal.net

 

I can't send attachments via PM, so if anyone wants to see it, they'll have to ask for it.

[ManyIrons]

There's was one at the top of this page when I checked the thread -- I won't mention the address in case it's random. OGE, I'm sending you the info via PM.

[fgoodwin]

It appears the ads of the various sponsors rotate through.

 

I don't know who hosts Scouter.com -- I guess I assumed Scouter.com used its own servers, and so I was mildly surprised that they would accept gay advertising. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. After all, Scouter.com is not affiliated with BSA in any official capacity.

 

Still, I admit to being somewhat taken aback.

[ManyIrons]

I was very surprised also, but my first thought was that someone has taken advantage of Terry -- either by deception or by hack. I can't imagine any scenario where Terry would knowingly accept this type of advertisement.

[scoutldr]

Click where it says "Ads by Google". That explains it. Google tries to match the ads based on what we are discussing...if we discuss gays, we get ads about gays.

[fgoodwin]

scoutldr:

 

In the thread I mentioned, we were discussing adult religious awards -- no one said anything about gays, yet I saw five ads for gay products and services.

 

And the explanation relates to searches -- I wasn't searching for anything when I saw the ads.

[SCOUTER-Terry]

Ads rotate throughout the site and are automatically served by outside ad serving companies. They are contextually matched based on the content of the site. We have some control over that (for example, explicit advertisers can be blocked), but generally the ads that are shown are driven by what the members of this site are discussing.

Unless you see some explicit ad that is inappropriate, I suggest you just not click on an ad that doesn't interest you.

 

 

 

TERRY HOWERTON

 

[Eamonn]

Thanks for clearing that up Terry.

The Scouts in our Ship asked if they could start a "Group Page"

Their first choice was something on "My Space." I've never visited the My Space site, but due to all the recent bad publicity it's been getting I said maybe it wasn't such a good idea. They settled for a Yahoo Group.

It is really helping with our communication, which has been a problem.

It doesn't cost us anything and I don't need to learn any new skills to use it.

I do have to wait for the group owner to OK everything I post (Yeoman is on a power trip??)

We do have to put up with the ads.

I think somehow they use keywords. When we talked about Kayaking we seen lots of ads that had to do with kayaking.

I think maybe the discussion on medals may have led to jewelery and we do have a history of discussing gay topics.

I'm not into jewelry, most of the time I don't even wear a watch, but next time I'm in the market for a toe ring -I'll know where to look.

I'm happy to ignore the ads that don't interest me.

Eamonn.

[fgoodwin]

Terry, thanx for clearing that up; my apologies if I caused any undue alarm.

[WAKWIB]

a wise man once said:

"don't ask.....don't click!"

[Meechgalanne]

Is there something wrong with ads about people who are gay?

I don't see any problems with it.

[Eamonn]

Meechgalanne

So far I haven't read anyone say that there is something wrong with ads about people who are gay?

If you have an interest in it feel free to click away.

As I type this there is an ad for a Boy Scout Ringtone. I'm not interested in a Boy Scout Ringtone, so I'm not going to click on it.

In fact I don't think I'm ever going to be interested a Boy Scout Ringtone, so I'm never going to go there.

I don't know too many people who really can't live without a Boy Scout Ringtone, but I'm sure they must sell or give a few away or do whatever they do with them.

Eamonn.(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

[NJCubScouter]

I haven't seen any "gay ads." I am not even sure what a "gay ad" is. Unless you mean that one on this page about the leathercraft supplies. (It's a joke, it's a joke.)