Unacceptable!!
A friend from work and I were chatting today about how upset we were that all these websites were irrelevantly popping up yes on 8 advertisements. I told him that there was no way my website could possibly have anything related to politics because my google ads are tailored towards subjects on my website – namely things like lighthouses, hockey, Mendocino, lacrosse and square foot gardening.
So sure was I in fact, that I had him come over and I proceeded to show him how my site was clear of these intolerant yes on 8 ads. Now, I’m not into writing politically driven posts, and I like to keep my website focused on my interests and hobbies, but I had to comment and take a stand on this. A HUGE ad comes up on the right side of my website saying “vote yes on 8″. Needless to say, I flipped out and very shortly thereafter got rid of my google ads (and they are never going to return!).
I am FIRMLY OPPOSED to prop 8. It’s mere existence bothers me to no end. Not only did google violate the trust I had in that they weren’t going to stray with their ads on my site, at the very least they shouldn’t take advantage of my site to represent values (not sure I can even call it that) that are first not my own, and second, WRONG.
I find companies taking the moral-neutral ground to be disgusting. The whole concept of turning a blind eye to what people use ad spaces for is a cheap out for making money.
All too often, I find that engineers (I am a software engineer) as well as high tech companies using the whole technology is an end in and of itself argument to avoid having to deal with real issues involving morality. Here, I’d like to borrow from one of my favorite books of all time “Atlas Shrugged”. “Innovators” in all professional fields often strike me as corrupt by refusing to ever analyze the greater sense of the particular technical task they’re working on. In particular, this reminds me of Project X in Atlas Shrugged, it’s uselessness, and an indecent ‘creation’. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Shrugged#Project_X
Why would anyone behave this way?
I couldn't resist adding this (from http://education.yahoo.com/homework_help/cliffsnotes/atlas_shrugged/70.html)
"Robert Stadler’s acceptance of the horrific Project X is the final destruction of a once great mind. Stadler now openly embraces the rule of brute force. The purpose of the project is to rule by terror a populace that has every right to rebel against the destructive policies of the government. Stadler’s endorsement shows that this great mind, which once fought for the freedom of thought, now fights on behalf of a dictatorship."
I'll reuse part of an email I sent earlier:
What really bugs me is that I have *never* seen this many ads from one "vendor" before. Google clearly accepted a shitload of money for this. Signing up on that level to their campaign…
I am very disappointed in google. They truly are a soulless company, selling out to whoever gives them the most money. I am seriously considering closing my gmail account.
This article captures it well:
http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Feinstein_Google_Should_Step_Up_to_Defeat_Prop_8_6201.html
(hmm – typing "google supports" into the google homepage shows "google supports proposition 8" as the second suggestion, with 354,000 results…)
Wow Arnon, I can imagine you must have been furious. I have not been a fan of Google for a while due to their Orwellian data retention policies. But recently my dislike was tempered by their cool free software and the fact that Page and Brin both donated individually to defeat Prop 8. Seems though that they are 2 faced, as Wesley said they "clearly accepted a shitload of money for this." Do no Evil… yeah right!