It's Google again, I am afraid. A guy had the unmodified forms of the above words on his site so Google pulled their advertising from him. Apparently those words in conjunction sounded "pornographic" to Google's all-wise alogrithms. And you can't use a certain word meaning "to cause someone to die", either -- which rather limits a lot of news stories! And an article that mentions "sk*nheads" is automatically "racist". See here.
Advertising is big business of course and some people get significant revenue from ads that Google places on their web pages via its "AdSense" program. So when Google pulls its ads from a page it really hits some people -- generally those who can least afford it.
If Google does not like a page, they don't cancel all advertising. That would be too obvious. Instead they put up "public service" ads -- ads that make no money. I think you will see a few such ads here -- which is why the advertising revenue from this site is small.
I have never received a cent from advertising and I never will. I don't need the money. The revenue from the Google ads on this page goes to Scott, who uses it to pay the costs of the site. With over 100,000 comments up alone, this site does need a fair bit of webspace.
So Google censorship is doing what official censorship cannot: It is bowdlerizing the internet. Any web publisher who needs a buck has to be super careful of what he/she puts up. The lesson is of course an age-old one: Always diversify your sources of information as much as you can.
Fortunately, there are many websites -- particularly blogs -- that don't rely on advertising revenue so you can still find the good stuff if you look around.
"Tar Baby" Update
That good ol' double standard again
Taranto documents uses of the term "tar baby" by various Leftist sources. Needless to say, nobody in the media criticized them for using the expression. It is only conservatives who are not allowed to use it.
Readers Here Might Like to Know...
"When the ACLU wins a case against the Boy Scouts, the public display of the Ten Commandments, veterans memorials, and other symbols of American history and heritage guess who pays them? You do! However, there is current legislation going before the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, as well as a companion bill going before the House that is designed to put a stop to this.
(From Stop the ACLU)
"Stop the ACLU" wants you to help get the bill passed.
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