The Google Ads at the Top of the Page...

[Totally Committed]

usually don't bother me. I see them as a necessary evil that pays Skinner and Co. for their overhead on this site, often on the other side's dime. That's a good thing. Usually.

But, this morning, I noticed one that really has me stumped because it is one of the only of it's kind. It is a link to a CNN News Story about the ubiquitous Mark Foley:

Foley is Gay
Attorney: Clergyman molested Foley as teen.
CNN.com

Here is the story it linked to:

Attorney: Clergyman molested Foley as teen
POSTED: 11:32 p.m. EDT, October 3, 2006

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/03/foley.scandal/index.html?section=cnn_allpolitics&ref=google

Note that it is from Oct. 3... meaning it is not a current story. So, the questions remain: Who posted the link and PAID FOR IT? And, why? Was it CNN? (Why would they link to a story on their own site from here?) Was it the Republican Party? Was it Team Foley? --- ?????

Makes me sit back and go, "hmmmmmm....."

TC

[northzax]

1. except those ads are all computer generated

based on the content of this site. you don't buy them one by one. CNN simply contracts with Google to match their pages to websites that have content similar to them. relax. :)

[Totally Committed]

2. That's not the point I was making....

I understand how they "appear". What I'm wondering is -- WHY is there a wee-old news story from CNN bought and paid for as an ad at all.

I've never seen that before, and it does seem to point to a certain kind of mind-game being played with the public in general. I just wondered, by whom?

TC

[northzax]

3. I see it all the time

on websites all over the place. CNN probably has a contract that extends into its archives for a certain period of time looking for content. I see things from 5,6+ days ago all the time on google ads.