Interesting Ad at the top of the GRM forum.

I imagine by now everyone has seen the banner ads at the top of the screen. I just happened to see one for my old school, UNOH or University of Northwestern Ohio. It's a great technical school and I really enjoyed my time there. I actually met a lot of great guys that are members here as well.

It made me chuckle when I saw the ad on this particular site and the reason is because 8 years ago I tried to get the school's motorsports division/club/whatever involved with the SCCA, because they were only involved with drag racing and circle track. I wanted them to open up the school and students to other forms of racing. They told me to get the information and get it to the Motorsports Dean.

I went as far as meeting the PR director for the SCCA at the Valvoline Runoffs at Mid-Ohio, getting her information, and getting it all to the Dean of the Motorsports program. Everything sounded promising and I thought I actually acomplished something good. Then nothing came about. The Dean told me that the PR Director wouldn't call him back. I thought that I was duped by the PR director, but I wasn't. I called the Director myself and she had explained that the school wasn't interested. At that point I wasted so much time, I gave up.

Then, I tried to start a Sportscar and Sport Compact club associated with the school. I thought "There's a Race club and a 4x4 club, so why not?". Once again, I had to do the work, get 50 signatures to gauge interest, find a teacher that would sponsor the club and write up a plan of action, etc. After two months of spending my spare time getting everything ready, it was also turned down by the school.

I imagine after 8 years, things have changed, but all the effort I made to get the school involved with Road Racing/Autocross and got shot down, I find it amusing that their ad is up there. With a circle track car in the background none the less.

Like I said in the beginning, great school, great programs, and had a great experience.

It's actually a Google algorithm that control the ad, and it could be different for each user. We've defined some parameters, but each user's experience may be a bit different. Right now, for example, I have an ad for custom parrot aviaries. Go figure.

Anyway, I feel your pain. I, too, have been on the losing end of the battle of starting school-affiliated sports car clubs where it seemed to make perfect sense. Sadly, not everyone shares our definition of "perfect sense."

jg

Right now I have a social media tool up top. Funny as I don't use any social media. Refresh gets me a carbuyco ad. Refresh again gets me a local buick dealer.

I have a mobile1 advertisement.

Ads? What ads? I use Firefox with the adblocker installed and I never see ads on this site or most others for that matter.

I don't look at ads on any website. I HATE what they represent and if a site has too many, I simply won't visit that site. IF GRM ads more banner ads, I might have to find somewhere else to waste my life away.

I pretty much ignore ads (for their intent) , but I do find it interesting to see what Google comes up with for me. Sometimes it's right on the money, sometimes it's just funny.

JG Pasterjak wrote: Anyway, I feel your pain. I, too, have been on the losing end of the battle of starting school-affiliated sports car clubs where it seemed to make perfect sense. Sadly, not everyone shares our definition of "perfect sense." jg

Well I'm glad somebody gets it. I really worked my butt off (as a college student) to put things in motion just to get shot down, twice.

I look back and I really wish I had pushed the issue. The problem there was that the school focused heavily circle track and drag racing. Even though they had an FB Rx-7 racecar that someone had donated and used it for high performance suspension class, there still was no interest from the school.

I really want high school and tech school students who are interested in motorsports, to be able to see that there is types of car racing beyond NASCAR, NHRA, and all their sub-divisions.

Just saw a Tea Party add. Wonder what they would think of some of the threads we have.

JG Pasterjak wrote: It's actually a Google algorithm that control the ad, and it could be different for each user. We've defined some parameters, but each user's experience may be a bit different. Right now, for example, I have an ad for custom parrot aviaries. Go figure.

The Google algorithm is awfully good at figuring out who you are and what you might be into. I get ads for Mustang Dynomometers, Email marketing services, and auto manufacturers/dealers. Mixed in there at about a 2:1 ratio are Mobil 1 ads, which are not run through the Google ad network but alongside it.

Advertising is a necessary evil. The small ads on the left side of the page (right side on some pages) are going to get the Google conversion next. We aren't adding new spaces, but changing the ones that already exist.

If you didn't say anything, I never would have known there were ads on the side.

The ads are still proving excellent at advertising stuff to me that I've already bought. I've seen a dozen ads for the mortgage broker that I'm already using.

i'm suprised it takes so much to start a student organization at a small school. at UT all it takes is three current students and $10 or so. having a faculty sponsor is recommended but not required. they even have a student org bank to handle dues monies so the groups don't have to deal with the banking fees.

DILYSI Dave wrote: The ads are still proving excellent at advertising stuff to me that I've already bought. I've seen a dozen ads for the mortgage broker that I'm already using.

That's why I hate them. Maybe I'm a tinfoil-hat kinda guy (dont' think so) but I don't like websites tracking my likes and dislikes and pointing ads directly at me. It's idiocracy starting right here and now. If I want to buy a widget, I'll do the research on said widget and find out who makes the best one. If the ads on the right start being animated and flashing, that might push me over the edge.

In reply to DILYSI Dave:

What came first, the customer or the ad?

The funny thing is that Google seems to think I'm 25 years older than I am...

If you're going to have a motorsports group, do it right.

Senior design project for the committed students, course credit, grades based on completion and competition results...

JG Pasterjak wrote: It's actually a Google algorithm that control the ad, and it could be different for each user. We've defined some parameters, but each user's experience may be a bit different. Right now, for example, I have an ad for custom parrot aviaries. Go figure. jg

Two days ago I had an ad for tutus. That's right, tutus. No, I have not been surfing for naughty tutu puctures.

EDIT: A moment ago it was folding bicycles.

In reply to Tom Heath:

Does the Googles know if I'm running ad-block and don't see any ads?

Do I need to let the ads run when I'm on GRM?

scardeal wrote: The funny thing is that Google seems to think I'm 25 years older than I am...

I think its the popemobile avatar lol

I had one for Brooks Brothers show up. I think it was over the 'made in the USA' jeans thread.

concealed carry permits ..... refresh ... Mate 1 .... I've never applied for a CC permit ... I've never visited a dating site

Curmudgeon wrote: Two days ago I had an ad for tutus. That's right, tutus. No, I have not been surfing for naughty tutu pictures.

I saw that one as well, it was pretty funny.