Would Even The Slightest Hint Of Porn Stop You From Advertising?
Oh did I think a few times on that headline. It’s a little long, and it could definitely lead readers to think one thing when it’s another altogether. Under the circumstances though, it gets my point across; you’ll see. I assure you, it is not referring to this or anyone of my sites 
.
If you’re over the age of 5, you’ve heard of Google (computers in kindergarten classes). If you’ve been marketing for more then 5 minutes, you’ve most likely heard of “bad neighborhoods” and the Google concern.
I think most would agree, porn is the baddest of the bad when it comes to ‘net neighborhoods. ALL in the know would also agree that a non-porn site should never link to a porn site…it’s just bad business all around, right?
Hmm, but what about linking to a non-porn marketing blog that is linking to a porn blog…even in a non-conventional way? Although this link is not on the homepage, it is quite BLATANT. Scenario…..
There is a marketing blog you frequent. A very popular marketing blog that you have read for quite some time. You know it could be quite beneficial to advertise there. You suddenly think to yourself that you never actually explored this blog past the immediate articles, so you decide, what the hell, before I advertise I’ll click a few links.
You start with the “testimonials” page. Why not? lets see who else loves this blog right? It’s easy to get to as it’s only one link off the homepage…hey maybe I’ll even send in my own testimonial; free advertsing!
BAM! Right at the top of the page (or even in the middle or end for that matter) is a glowing testimonial from another blogger. A PORN blogger. Now we all know, one of the key reasons for giving a testimonial is the link-back to your site.
Suddenly you cringe to the point that your face is about to fall out the back of your head…
This porn testimonial doesn’t just have a link back, but a BIG FAT BANNER over it. Good lord. The banner isn’t nude or anything, but it is still blatantly advertising a porn blog.
Now, would you advertise anywhere on this blog? Don’t forget one thing; probably even more important then the Google issues is the fact that other humans will see your ad on this blog that doesn’t mind linking back (or advertising) for a porn blog.
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May 25th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Wow, that’s a tough one, Dennis. I think it would depend on the stats for the particular blog overall, and obviously not anything related directly to Google. I mean, if it was someone like John Chow, for instance, who gets tens of thousands of visits a day, it might be worth it to advertise on that blog and let the numbers determine it. If it’s someone getting hundreds or less a day, then it might not be the wisest of choices.
Of course, those with really big numbers aren’t going to accept those ads anyway, which makes the choice easier. Ethical answers aren’t always the easiest ones to decide upon when it comes to making money. Good question.
Mitch´s last blog post..Best Free Software
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
@Mitch,
Easy enough if you’re strong in your convictions. I’m not a 5figure monthly marketer; I’,m not even a steady 4figure monthly marketer yet….I’ve left money on the table more then once.
Mitch Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
@Dennis Edell, I think this isn’t quite the standard thing about convictions. If CNN started running ads for porn sites, does that destroy their credibility in delivering the news? I see this issue the same way I view abortion (oh no, not that argument!); just because one person might want women to have freedom of choice doesn’t mean that same person wants to walk into the room and perform it.
You’ve left money on the table; I’ve left money on the table also. But if it came down to eating and possibly being thrown out of the house, or taking this particular path and being able to survive, which is a lot less onerous that having someone ask if they can store their kilos of coke in your garage for a couple of days and they’ll pay you $50,000 for it, I don’t think it becomes all that difficult a choice.
Most people’s convictions go away when their lives are on the line.
Mitch´s last blog post..Archie’s Picking A Bride!
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
@Mitch - if you wish to take it to such an extreme, then perhaps.
And yes, i think CNN could very easily destroy themselves by running porn ads, you don’t?
Mitch Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
@Dennis Edell, Well, I figured when you asked the original question that you wanted some real thought to the answer, which is what I do. I doubt that there’s more people ethical than me, though many as ethical as I feel I am. There are some absolutes that I’d never do; or are there? Would I kill in general, no; would I kill to save someone else, including myself? In a heartbeat! Would I take drugs to fit in; absolutely not. Would I give myself an injection of something if it might save my life; I now do that twice a day.
See, that’s the thing about ethical questions; if they were easy to answer, then they wouldn’t be worth asking to begin with.
As to your question about CNN and porn ads, well, locally, there are some here and there. By that, I mean that the local stations will sell ads for strip clubs, and they may run during CNN late at night. Are they associated with CNN? To most of us no, but we both know there’s someone at home who doesn’t get it and will call up CNN, who will have no idea what’s going on. Yet, that same person will probably continue watching CNN, and some people watching CNN aren’t going to pay much attention; some are going to the club.
Mitch´s last blog post..Webinar On Excel And Word
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
@Mitch, I guess this is another interesting twist to the argument — degrees of “pornography” — as in, an ad for a strip club or the playboy channel versus ACTUAL hard core pornography. I would think that would shift some people into the acceptable category.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
Mitch Reply:
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
@Matty Byloos, It probably is about different degrees of adult content, rather than calling it pornography. After all, even the Supreme Court has been unable to define what pornography is. I believe most of us decide what it is; some of us are very strict in our definition, whereas others are a bit more liberal.
Either way, depending on your business, it still becomes a very hard decision to make. That’s why I think it was a good question that Dennis asked overall.
Mitch´s last blog post..May Income Statistics - Nothing Special
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
@Mitch, For their current audience, CNN might be ruining themselves. But did the major networks sully their reputation when running ads for condoms? A lot of this really does have to do with the very repressed, Puritan nature of Americans on the one hand, and what Mitch is talking about (taking the money when life is on the line) — on the other hand.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
Mitch Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
@Matty Byloos, Matty, you’re right; it’s not an easy answer, and America is kind of puritan. I’ve seen commercials for other countries; the things they get away with!
Just as a point of reference, one of the first friends I made when I first joined Ryze was a lady who, as it turns out, was a professional escort. She flew all over the United States every weekend, meeting a different man, and got paid very well for it. But she was a college graduate, very smart, with a master’s degree, and has been on many TV shows, including news shows both nationally and locally, and I bought her first book, which she autographed for me. Now, I could have been puritan and been disgusted immediately by what she did for a profession, but I’d have missed out on meeting a very intelligent and, at this point, well accomplished woman who now travels around the United States speaking at universities and certain trade shows.
Knee jerk reactions and me don’t quite go together all that often.
Mitch´s last blog post..What’s Happened To The Moustache?
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
@Mitch, That’s my point! It’s just sex! We all need to get over it!
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
almir Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
@Matty Byloos, its just sex !! It’s the world, there’s no way you can get over it, its what makes us men its what also keeps us feeling younger
almir´s last blog post..A Review Behind The Marketing Services Of Amazing Billboards
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
@almir, You’re not understanding me; seems we’re making the exact same point. Get over it, as in — no big deal, it’s just who we are. All good things.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
almir Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
@Matty Byloos, oh okay just making sure, I guess I was just being ignorant.
almir´s last blog post..A Review Behind The Marketing Services Of Amazing Billboards
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
@almir, All good. See comment below — I am genuinely curious to know your complete opinion on the matter, all thought out and in one nice, long comment that spells out the matter for you as an online marketer and owner of sites.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
Mitch Reply:
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
@almir, Almir, it’s not just men when you’re talking about adult content; something else everyone needs to start thinking about.
Mitch´s last blog post..May Income Statistics - Nothing Special
May 25th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
You know, Dennis…I’d have to say Yes, the slightest hint of porn would stop me from advertising on a site. I don’t care how much traffic the site gets. If something goes against my core beliefs then it is not going to get my support or my advertising dollars.The toughest part would be letting my friend and fellow blogger know my decision in a way that they understood but were not hurt by it.
So, did you end up placing an ad on the site or pass it by?
Coree Silvera´s last blog post..2 Reasons Facebook Is Highly Overrated
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
@Coree Silvera,
I wouldn’t see a reason to tell, unless you were directly asked for some reason. If so, and they took it personally, they won’t be around long anyway…it’s just business.
Nope, passed it by. Now however I see the new owners of the blog have removed the porn backed testimonial…
May 26th, 2009 at 1:23 am
I would never advertise in any porn site for whatever reasons it may be or how much money it can generate unless I am running a site related to porn myself. For me my values are important and wont try to do anything that will change the image of my blog…
Dennis did you ever place any ad in such sites?? If you did what was the result?
Cheers
Krish
Krish´s last blog post..Making A SEO Friendly Permalink Using 301 Redirect
Mitch Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 1:25 am
@Krish, That wasn’t the question, Krish. The site doesn’t have porn on it, but the site has an ad on it for porn. If it was a popular site, would you possibly advertise on it, knowing your ad might be next to an ad for porn?
Mitch´s last blog post..Zoomerang
Krish Reply:
May 27th, 2009 at 1:05 am
@Mitch, Thanks for the clarification Mitch. I would still not prefer my ad placed next to an porn ad.
Krish´s last blog post..Making A SEO Friendly Permalink Using 301 Redirect
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
@Krish, Nope never. The one I spoke of is actually the only I’ve seen so far like that.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:30 am
I wouldn’t advertise if there was porn, even the slightest hint….
almir Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
@Best CSS Gallery, i certainly agree because it would make us as marketers unprofessional if we did do such.
almir´s last blog post..A Review Behind The Marketing Services Of Amazing Billboards
May 26th, 2009 at 7:17 am
Personally, I tend to avoid sites that link out to bad neighborhoods whenever possible, so I would probably not advertise on a site that linked out to a porn blog.
In your scenario, it wouldn’t be so much a reflection of the actual blogger or the quality of their blog, but simply that the porn industry is known for doing some incredibly shady stuff, which I try to avoid being associated with.
Tiger´s last blog post..Diabetes Treatment and Diagnosis
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 10:39 am
@Tiger, Solid point — and one that I agree with. Though I understand having core values, or making moral decisions, or not wanting to make unethical choices — I don’t really get what the relevance of those things is here, as related to this question. It’s a great debate to start, so applause to Dennis.
I hope that the commenters who cite “ethics” come back and talk more about that, because at this point, it just sounds like “the right thing to say” and not a well thought out answer. If we’re talking about purely legal, good business models that JUST HAPPEN to be in the porn niche, then does the answer change?
Tiger’s point here is that the porn industry does do a TON of very shady stuff — so who would want to be associated with that? This is a business decision, not a moral one.
I’d be willing to bet that if you were told, based on Dennis’s scenario here, that if you were guaranteed huge money or traffic or sales or whatever, that you’d be willing to put your morals aside — since for most people, money and success is much more integral to their notion of themselves than ethics. Know that I’d be very happy to be wrong here, too — I just tend to be cynical on such things.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party and Mick Jones of The Clash
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
@Matty Byloos,
“I’d be willing to bet that if you were told, based on Dennis’s scenario here, that if you were guaranteed huge money or traffic or sales or whatever, that you’d be willing to put your morals aside…”
I’m surprised this alone didn’t set off a firestorm.
Speaking only for myself, check out my reply to Mitch above.
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
@Dennis Edell, Totally. I promise — I’m only half-trying to be the agent-provocateur! I make decisions based on morals over money all the time, as well, but I’m willing to self-interrogate how that might change were I to be unemployed and a bit hungrier. Where is the firestorm!!!
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
Tiger Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
@Matty Byloos,
“I’d be willing to bet that if you were told, based on Dennis’s scenario here, that if you were guaranteed huge money or traffic or sales or whatever, that you’d be willing to put your morals aside”
From my experience, guaranteed traffic is typically rather poor and guaranteed huge money means they want $500 for their e-book
Seriously though, I think you are right that many people are very easily swayed, much more so than they are willing to admit.
Tiger´s last blog post..Diabetes: Using a Blood Glucose Monitor
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
@Tiger, I think in the hypothetical, that most people’s love of money would triumph over their love of being moral. Not going out on a limb here. It’s the American or the human way, for better or worse.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
@Tiger, I wonder if you misread the scenario; how did this particular porn blogger do anything shady?
The blogger in question has full control over what links go up on his pages, and most certainly has control over whether its a simple link, or a BANNER.
Tiger Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
@Dennis Edell,
I think I should probably preface this by stating that generally I hold no ill will towards those in the porn industry. Everyone has to eat and my concerns are based more on business, than moral issues.
However, those in the porn industry are well known for their less than reputable behavior.
While it is possible that the porn blogger in question is 100% white hat, statistically, there is a much better chance that you wouldn’t have to travel too far to find a very seedy bad neighborhood that you wouldn’t want to be associated with.
Rather than gamble that a porn site is on the up and up and that it will remain on the up and up even after it gets some PR, I typically think it is better to just try to avoid being associated with it in the first place.
So, going back to the scenario in the post, where you are considering advertising on a site that links to a porn blogger, I would be concerned that the blogger willingly associated themselves with a porn site in the first place, much less posted a big banner on their site.
This raises several red flags for me, such as perhaps the blogger doesn’t pay too much attention who he links out to or that it is one of their money making sites.
In any case these types of red flags would weigh on my mind and very likely lead me to not advertise with them.
In all honesty although “the fact that other humans will see your ad on this blog” is a very valid concern, the red flags would play a bigger role in my decision.
Tiger´s last blog post..Diabetes: Using a Blood Glucose Monitor
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 11:45 am
@Tiger,
“So, going back to the scenario in the post, where you are considering advertising on a site that links to a porn blogger, I would be concerned that the blogger willingly associated themselves with a porn site in the first place, much less posted a big banner on their site.”
That was my point as well, it certainly wasn’t the porn blogger being shady in that case.
Mitch Reply:
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 pm
@Tiger, That’s an interesting premise. I actually understand it, and have used that argument in a different way.
I asked Problogger directly about some of his paid sponsors, one of which is Text Link Ads. He said that just because Google decertifies the company and won’t even list them anywhere on their search engine (another topic that irks me, by the way), doesn’t affect his right to accept their direct advertising, and they pay him a lot of money. Their link on his site is also a nofollow link, which I also find interesting since they don’t allow that for anyone who signs up with them. Actually, I was surprised he even wrote me back, so I appreciated the response.
Maybe it’s not along the lines of porn or adult content, per se, but once again, it does say that someone will take money, especially big money, from someone whom they don’t fully endorse. I think that’s as key to this particular thing as anything else. For the blogger in question, if they were paying him, say, $1000 a month, would he be an idiot to turn it down? Does acceptance of advertising always mean you support the product. According to Problogger, no.
Mitch´s last blog post..I’m In The Local Newspaper
Dennis Edell Reply:
June 4th, 2009 at 8:14 am
@Mitch,
Very interesting. When my new theme goes live and I start accepting paid ads, this is a topic I’ve had in mind for quite some time.
Some may think I’ll owe PB an apology afterward…
Mitch Reply:
June 4th, 2009 at 8:48 am
@Dennis Edell, That’s funny, Dennis. Actually, I think about it with my own blog. I like that I’m getting paid by TLA, and they account for at least 1/3rd of my monthly income right now. But I’d trade them for paid advertising that allowed me to nofollow their link in a heartbeat.
Mitch´s last blog post..Li’l Specs Revisited
May 26th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Not only would I NOT advertise on a site containing pornography links….I would not place my anchor text links there for free!
almir Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
@Matt@Sacramento DJs, the sad thing is those sites have so much power!! For some reason i get all these porn sites coming up on my computer and I don’t even visit those sites, I just continue to get those annoying popunders and popups for such annoying websites.
almir´s last blog post..A Review Behind The Marketing Services Of Amazing Billboards
May 26th, 2009 at 10:30 am
I don’t have a problem with this at all, for any of my personal web properties. If I was working for a client, then I probably wouldn’t even ask if it was ok and would instead just skip advertising anywhere there was porn, even indirectly related.
My feeling, though, is that yes — America was started out of a Puritan community, but sadly so — we’re so out of touch with our “darker” sides, for lack of a better word, and I believe it’s to our detriment ultimately. Who cares? So there’s sex. So there’s porn. I don’t think it should matter — and look at it this way: if there was no porn out there, then basically, there would be NO INTERNET! Trust me on this one.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party and Mick Jones of The Clash
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
@Matty Byloos, LOL in the early days perhaps, but now thank god there is plenty more then porn.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Hell no! I would rather not pay for an ad next to a porn one. Not that I don’t want, it’s just it has no connection with my blogging purpose. Plus, it doesn’t give a good image of yourself and your blog if you are shown on site where porn ad are displayed. My blog is about Making Money Online, so I want my ad to be displayed next to the other site that talk about Making Money Online or simillar topics.
Benjamin Cip´s last blog post..Still Wondering How To Avoid Products Scam ?
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
@Benjamin Cip, Also a good point, Benjamin — entirely business related, but what about the “first to market” kind of principle — if your ad was the ONLY one announcing to viewers, Make Money Online, wouldn’t it be likelier that those users would click your ad? If your ad, on the contrary, were in a list of other similar site ads, or one ad tile among many, your competition instantly and exponentially grows.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Monday Reading List: May 25, 2009
May 26th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
That’s a tough thought. It really does depend on the main site’s credibility. But even then, if someone went to this page’s links page and saw a porn site first, they may not even make it through the rest of the links to yours, in which case it’s not worthwhile, unless your link is in the lingerie/adult toys market. And of course, there is the Google/SEO/bad neighborhood issue.
~ Kristi
Kikolani´s last blog post..Kikolani - The First Year
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 27th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
@Kikolani, Added to which — and this is worth a thought — if we’re talking about a text link, no image of pornography, then wouldn’t this also depend a lot on what the anchor text said? Or what if there were 40 links on that page, and yours was #4 while the somewhat obscured porn-related text link was #38. Then would people take the link?
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Monday Reading List: May 25, 2009
Kikolani Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
@Matty Byloos, I guess so. I’m just thinking that if I clicked on one link randomly on the page and it took me to a porn site, I might be reluctant to click on any others.
Kikolani´s last blog post..Disneyland in Anaheim, California
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
@Kikolani, Well — this would be the case only if the link’s anchor text was deceitful, right? I just meant like “college nude girls” as the anchor text, for example, as opposed to something extremely obnoxious / pornographic. Also, anchor text versus a picture — which I could see as being a much more obvious decision-maker.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
@Kikolani,
I’m very curious to know why you think lingerie/adult toys are “better” then other facets of the industry?
Kikolani Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
@Dennis Edell, It’s an iffy line. There are really decent, well known lingerie sites like Victoria’s Secret and Fredricks of Hollywood. And there are adult toy stores that market towards couple/relationship “enhancement.” But it really depends on the content once you get there.
Kikolani´s last blog post..Disneyland in Anaheim, California
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 11:51 am
@Kikolani, Very true. I’d have to advise though, that a non-adult site never link to or from an adult site; “upper class” or not.
Kikolani Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
@Dennis Edell, That’s true. Although if I had a fashion blog and Victoria’s Secret offered to link to it, I wouldn’t refuse.
Kikolani´s last blog post..Fetching Friday - Resources, #FollowFriday, PageRank & SEO
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 30th, 2009 at 7:28 am
@Kikolani, Aha! OK I’ll give ya that one.
Brian D. Hawkins Reply:
May 31st, 2009 at 4:33 pm
@Kikolani, I’d go as far to say dating sites could be a risk.
Brian D. Hawkins´s last blog post..Internet Marketing At It’s Best - Using Videos For Niche Site Product
May 26th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
hahaha this is a tough one! its very confusing…i think people will just ignore your advertisements because of the porn…nah!
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
@Michael, Some might I suppose…LOL
May 27th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
um, I wouldn’t ANYTHING to do with a porn site, I would never link to them at all because this can cause problems for your own site with no acceptions.
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
@sara@PLRhealtharticlesforsale, First, welcome to the community!
Very true Sara, but the scenario isn’t regarding you linking directly to a porn site, but rather would you place your link on a non-porn related site, that was visibly linking to a porn site?
May 28th, 2009 at 6:14 am
I would never accept that, no porn on my website no porn ads!
Hisham´s last blog post..New Media Bloggers using Elgg 1.5 for Making Money Online
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
@Hisham, Good! I’m still interested in your answer to the question raised though.
Hisham Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
@Dennis Edell, The answer is yes I will stop advertising if this is the case!
Hisham´s last blog post..Once Chance.. One Comment.. Too many Gifts and Traffic for your Blog
almir Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
@Hisham, well in regards I might accept porn ads that is if there willing to pay a hefty amount of money to display their ads on my site.
almir´s last blog post..A Review Behind The Marketing Services Of Amazing Billboards
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
@almir, I think that you should take a bit more time and compose a sound, reasonable argument either for or against, rather than commenting on one person’s comment saying you wouldn’t accept the ad, and then on another comment saying for the right amount of money, you would.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
May 28th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Hi Dennis -
I don’t think I would advertise if I could see an in your face banner. If I see things I wouldn’t display on my site I would consider looking for an alternate place to get a backlink or advertise.
But that’s because I would see the banner. How many of us know anything about the links we leave through advertising or comments. You might not see anything today when you post a comment or place an ad. But the porn blog ad may show up the next day or week.
I have avoided places just because certain marketers are involved. Like a social community site or if I see bad people getting high approval from a blog owner or the others leaving comments. I try to distance myself from certain marketers if I disagree with there tactics or find out they outsource work and then don’t pay.
I try to protect my visitors from exposure to things that might offend them, get them ripped off or teach them bad marketing techniques.
But in the end does it really matter. Some years ago I saw a show like 60 Minutes or 20/20. It exposed the fact that a major company in the phone carrier service industry (TA&A - similar to this) makes more money from the porn industry (one of the biggest producers and suppliers of porn) than the phone service they provide. How many people say they are against porn but still go out and by an eyephone that uses that phone service.
If I know in advance I try to avoid things like this site with the porn banner. Also any sites that are or have a high risk of getting blacklisted. I just don’t want any kind of connection with a porn site, a hate site, rip off marketers, spammers or anything else that could fit in those categories.
Could you do it with little consequence? Probably. Is it a good decision? Probably not. I can’t control everything but I try to control what I can. Personally it’s darn near impossible to surprise, shock or upset me. But I know that other people aren’t as hardened as I and will go to great lengths to avoid this type of stuff. Out of respect to them I try to stay disconnected from it.
John Collins´s last blog post..Google Cash Detective 2 Doors Open Again!
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
@John Collins, You raise some extremely good points John, thanks for coming around again.
May 28th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Having a porn blog is not the best way to get “bloggering” but blots of people do that
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
@nasis-web design, It all depends on what one wants to accomplish with their “bloggering”.
I agree though in the fact that nowadays porn is so saturated it would be very difficult for a newcomer to make anything at all.
May 28th, 2009 at 7:49 am
I will probably see how ‘prominent’ the advertisement is. Mostly I would refrain for buying an advert but totally depends on what kind of sites are being linked to.
Jeet´s last blog post..How to promote free directories?
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
@Jeet, What kind of porn site you mean?
Jeet Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
@Dennis Edell, Exactly. If it’s child porn, I wouldn’t want to be in the same page.
Jeet´s last blog post..How to promote free directories?
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 9:42 am
@Jeet, That’s a pretty extreme and not entirely real example — child porn is not legal, so none of us would ever have to make this judgment call. It’s a lot more difficult to say in the scenario where you’re not flush with cash and the site in question isn’t entirely lewd.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
May 28th, 2009 at 9:03 am
I just don’t feel like from the majority of the comments, that people are really searching beyond their gut reaction. A)How many of us are guilty of much worse, more immoral, more “hurtful” actions towards others in our real lives? B) How many of us willfully or accidentally linked to or from some garbage site that was at the very best an annoyance for our users — at least people want porn when they click on links to it; I don’t know anyone who wants to be barraged with ads or emails or spam for products or services they never solicited. C) People will click on and search for what they want? What happened to letting the “buyer” go after what they want? Isn’t it their freedom that’s involved? If you don’t want to be drowned in door-to-door salespeople, then you put up a sign that says “no soliciting”; you don’t throw your television and telephone in the garbage can. I just think not all porn companies are bad, or are run by shady business people. And most of it isn’t illegal, either.
Get deeper with your answers people! Mommy and daddy are not watching you anymore!
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
May 28th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
If you are buying an ad then you have a choice if you want to be linked anywhere near porn.
The people that say they do not want there link even on the same site as porn under any circumstance is in deep poop. If you have a link on Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, NING….Your link is on the same site as porn. Even blogs that do not moderate comments or check every link that gets posted could lead to a ‘bad neighbor’ site.
I think to an extent you are more responsible as to what your site links out to rather than what sites link to you.
Sheryl Loch´s last blog post..Tips for Setting Up Seesmic Desktop for Twitter
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
@Sheryl Loch, I would hope those that said that weren’t including things like social networks. LOL
“I think to an extent you are more responsible as to what your site links out to rather than what sites link to you.”
Very true, but that’s not the case here. This wasn’t someone linking to him, but someone placing a link on his site…he had total control.
May 28th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I am new Plano Realtor and for me, I would want to advertise where most popular. I know then people would see my ad, right? In my opinion, I don’t agree with it and again, it’s not directly on my site… it’s just business.
Sarah in Plano´s last blog post..Why you should invest in your first home.
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
@Sarah in Plano, So then are you saying that regardless of where the links would point, porn included, if there was traffic and leads to be gained, so what? Take the link? Even though it might not be “right”? A bit unclear…
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
@Sarah in Plano,
I don’t recall seeing you around before Sarah, welcome to the community! I hope to see you around more often.
In the future, please no links within the comment body unless it is strictly article related.
May 29th, 2009 at 12:42 am
I probably wouldn’t Dennis, purely on a moral issue, more than anything else.
Sire´s last blog post..Tools To Help You Get Into The Top Ten Rankings Of Google
May 29th, 2009 at 5:52 am
I think its easy to judge but if you need the money then its something you would certainly consider. I personally wouldn’t advertise an adult site link or banner on one of my sites because its not something I would like to promote or be associated with. At the same time two of the biggest directories in the world DMOZ and Yahoo directories both have adult sections, yet no one would object to a free link from either of these sources. If all adult sites are classed as bad neighbourhoods how is it that some have a PR rank of 5-6 or higher. Surely if a site is classed as a bad neighbourhood its penalised by Google? I think its as black and white as right or wrong, its just a moral issue that each site owner must decide upon themselves.
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
@khaled,
Directories I’d say are an entirely different animal, just like someone else mentioned social networks….quite different from all on one page on one site in plain view of all.
“If all adult sites are classed as bad neighborhoods how is it that some have a PR rank of 5-6 or higher. Surely if a site is classed as a bad neighborhood its penalized by Google?”
On their own, they are not bad neighborhoods. However, linking to or from with a non-adult site, they are.
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
@Dennis Edell, not sure I get it –
” On their own, they are not bad neighborhoods. However, linking to or from with a non-adult site, they are. ”
Why is this the case?
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
@Matty Byloos, Only Google would know I imagine, it’s their game.
May 29th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
I would rather not do any advertising on sites which are related to Porn or MLM as it really affects the credibility in your niche(Education for me)
Dominique´s last blog post..WW- Header and Button Designs
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 30th, 2009 at 7:18 am
@Dominique,
Oh my. I’m not an MLM fan either, at all, but equating it to porn could really start a BRU HAHA.
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 31st, 2009 at 11:42 am
@Dennis Edell, Let’s start the bru-haha! I think Dominique’s point is well taken. If your audience is going to be ANNOYED, then I think the MLM links will surely do a better job at annoying them over the porn. At least some people actually search for porn! Does anyone on here think that porn links, however “professional” and “normal” they might be, text links over pictures, would be annoying? Or would they just stir up a moral outrage, or put an unwanted negative slant on your own site, and that’s the best reason not to engage them?
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
May 29th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
By the way, I do want to clarify that I never said anywhere above that I would do it. I said it would be a very tough decision to make for some people. I’d be one of those people, but in the end, I probably wouldn’t go there.
But I’d never condemn anyone who did decide to go that route. After all, there are people doing things online that I can’t conceive of doing, but if it works for them, then so be it.
Mitch´s last blog post..SEO & Common Business Sense
May 30th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Ethics, ethics, ethics! Does the potential advertiser have any? For some site owners the mere sniff of traffic, regardless of origin, is simply too much to resist. I’m off to put my hair shirt on flog myself for having even the merest thought about s-*-x!
James´s last blog post..Tesco Insurance Deals
Dennis Edell Reply:
May 30th, 2009 at 7:36 am
@James, Welcome to the community James! This should raise another interesting comment or two.
Matty Byloos Reply:
May 31st, 2009 at 11:47 am
@James, Excellent point here too. What if the advertiser had a ton of professional ethics? Remember the original scenario, too. This is a marketing blog with a Testimonials page, that happens to include a testimonial at the top of the list from a porn-related site, including a banner ad, as tasteful as possible but blatantly porn nonetheless.
So what if we’re talking about leaving an additional testimonial back to your own blog here? It might be at the bottom of the list, maybe just above the porn ad, as yours would be the most recent. Then would others leave a link/testimonial there?
Or if the porn element is on the TESTIMONIALS page, would you buy advertising space somewhere else on the site?
What if this marketing site had site reviews on it, in a discrete section, and one of the sites that had been reviewed was a professional porn site. Would you pay for ad space elsewhere on the site, even if there was a link or two out to porn, from a legitimate page on the marketing site, that was completely in line with the purpose of the blog itself?
Dennis I think this is a great case with tons of interesting ins and outs.
No pun intended.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 5.27.09: Lou Reed Language Lessons
May 31st, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I think I would but again it all depends on the situation. I would have a hard time giving a definite yes or no.
Mikael @ Retire Rich´s last blog post..Maximizing Social Bookmarking Benefits
Dennis Edell Reply:
June 1st, 2009 at 3:53 pm
@Mikael @ Retire Rich, Can you give us a for instance of wither situation?
Mikael @ Retire Rich Reply:
June 1st, 2009 at 4:16 pm
@Dennis Edell, if I found that the link would benefit my readers (of the particular website) I would link no matter what the site I was linking to was.
I believe that if you always keep your readers interest as the highest priority then you will come out on top (even with Google)
Mikael @ Retire Rich´s last blog post..SEO Secrets Revealed – FREE Course – SEO Expert Expose Confidential Formula
Matty Byloos Reply:
June 1st, 2009 at 4:56 pm
@Mikael @ Retire Rich, Great point, indeed. If the link benefits your audience, then go for it (without being reckless) — always a solid rule of thumb. After all, Google is attempting to find out if the links are useful/relevant, and if the content on the page delivers on the search query.
Matty Byloos´s last blog post..Monday Reading List: June 1, 2009
Dennis Edell Reply:
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 am
@Mikael @ Retire Rich,
When might an adult link ever benefit the readers of a non-adult site?
Mikael Reply:
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:16 am
@Dennis Edell, an example could be when we’re talking Internet Marketing (I know we don’t that very often but if we did…..). The porn industry is years ahead of the rest of us and I might link to a site to show how they did some marketing. That would be beneficial to my readers to see.
Mikael´s last blog post..Top URL Shortener – How to Create Shorter Links
Dennis Edell Reply:
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:34 am
@Mikael, OK I can see that. Keep in mind though, Google may not see the “relevance” you and I do.
Mikael @ Retire Rich Reply:
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:41 am
@Dennis Edell, They might not but I really don’t care that much. It they are not able to see the relevance in something that is TRULY relevant then they need to go back to the drawing board
However if I started linking in an unnatural way (like a few links a day using keyword rich words) that would be a totally different story.
If I were ever to link to such a site I would probably link using “click here” and not “………” (no need to bring words like that up right?).
Mikael
Mikael @ Retire Rich´s last blog post..Top URL Shortener – How to Create Shorter Links
Dennis Edell Reply:
June 4th, 2009 at 8:18 am
@Mikael @ Retire Rich,
Very good point Mikael. Watch the anchor text (and even reverse it back) if you must link to unfavorable sites for some reason.
May 31st, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I don’t have a problem with adult sites as long as they keep it from those too young to see it but I wouldn’t want my sites, or me for that matter, associated with adult content. Even without the porn aspect, it’s not even close to my niche so the link would have negative impact just like a blog on world peace or gardening. I wont even allow a comment when the blog is porn related unless I remove the link first.
Brian D. Hawkins´s last blog post..Internet Marketing At It’s Best - Using Videos For Niche Site Product
June 1st, 2009 at 10:31 am
Wow porn is a really controversial topic, you got my attention on this one. I doubt I’d advertise on any site that advertises porn. But I’ve yet to see an internet-marketing blog with porn ads.
Dennis Edell Reply:
June 1st, 2009 at 3:48 pm
@Charles - Big Idea Blogger, Thanks for the input Charles and welcome to the community!
June 1st, 2009 at 8:28 pm
i don’t get it, some says putting your ad on porn sites but others says, put porn ads on your site…whats the real thing in here?
June 4th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I personally would not spend money advertising on any site that links to porn. For links to be really beneficial they should not be associated with anything shady. That one link probably won’t affect your search engine rankings, but it is a black mark that you shouldn’t risk dealing with. Back when I started out my websites a few years ago I learned the hard way that you should keep your seo squeaky clean if you want long term success.
gilbert Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
@Jeremy @ Cash Back Cards, definitely i agree with you i rather choose clean ads than with this porn ads..
gilbert´s last blog post..>>Move to Daisybones.com
June 12th, 2009 at 12:31 am
THAT is some dilemma. lol.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to advertise on a blog that has a link back to a porn site, especially if I am advertising a business or a company. It just isn’t professional. Maybe if that link will be removed, then I would reconsider. =P
I also have received e-mails from a sex toy shop asking me to link their shop on my blog… like… why? x_x
June 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I think porn ads could offend some, so it’s better from my point of view to stick with clean ones and not put anyone off the product.
Louie Jerome´s last blog post..Give Your Readers Free Links When They Comment
Dennis Edell Reply:
August 10th, 2009 at 11:02 am
@Louie Jerome, Hey Louie, just dropping by a little late (see latest post) to welcome you to the community; I hope to see you around more often!
September 19th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I’ve never really been faced with this decision, but I can tell you that I’ve decided to not post on other sites because of some of the material that was on the page that I just simply didn’t want to be associated with. So I’d have to say that I’d probably just take a pass on advertising on such a site.
October 20th, 2009 at 7:56 am
I have to weigh in on this subject. In my particular industry, associating with the wrong people can ruin a reputation very quickly so I am very particular about where I hang out. Any hint of porn on a site - or any other subject that may negatively affect me would be all it takes to turn me off of advertising or posting on that page.
Dennis Edell Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:30 pm
@tracy@atlanta real estate agent,
Hey Tracy, sorry it took so long to reply. Welcome to our little community; hope to see you ’round more often!
January 18th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
absolutely not