mediajunk

Some would say that the Google sell-out started a long time ago. I reserved judgment, even after the Florida update. Today, I'm straining to believe that Google's integrity -- which it has (cynically?) turned into part of its brand (the company's motto is "don't be evil") -- is finally in doubt. The introduction of banner ads -- or, as Google would like me to call them, image ads -- is a shock move in what I consider to be the wrong direction for the internet's poster boys, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Banner ads are a throwback to old media thinking. They do not embrace the web medium. They are intrusive; and web users are sophisticated enough to ignore them. Banner ads haven't worked -- that's why so many dot-com companies that based their business plans (those that actually had them) on advertising revenues went bust a few years back. That's probably why Google is touting the "image ads" moniker. Sheesh. A banner ad by any other name... Of course, Google isn't going to display ads on its own site -- just on those of other people's, most likely hard-for-cash Mom and Pop sites, who are most likely to opt in. Don't expect Google to tell these owners that banner ads create a poor user experience, and that they significantly increase page download times. The most disappointing aspect to this move is that Google has revolutionised internet advertising by introducing its short, concise, neat, targeted and highly successful sponsored links, or AdWords. Talk about one step forward and two steps back...