I should say how AdSense works. It scans the site's content and presents ads related to it. TC's ads yesterday weren't too good, but I think that's because it takes time for AdSense to get a "sense" of the site's content. If a related ad is not available, AdSense can be told to serve up nothing or a PSA. (I configured mine to serve up a gray field to make the ad block vanish, if no relevant ads were found.)

In yesterday's test, it seemed most of the ads were related to Tuscany, Italy. I presume this is because it hadn't scanned TC's content yet and was merely fetching ads based upon the site's name. (Nice area, Tuscany, as I understand it.)

So, no, technically I wouldn't have control over what ads were presented. However, they should tend to be related to TC content and therefore applicable. It's in Google's financial interest to do this and avoid revealing their leftist bias. And, of course, users could use AdBlock to nuke it, or I could disable the ad block should Google start serving up garbage. Maybe I could add an accountability link above or below the ad block to report leftist ads. Hmmm...

I've received a little more feedback about ads on TuscanyCircle. Altogether, feedback has been only negative so far (not even neutral), despite the common, easy, and simple ability to hide them (say, using AdBlock). I've also heard philosophical arguments against ads, despite my and others' inability to find any Scriptural principles which may support such objections. Interesting.

I must admit I was really hoping for some substantive discussion, especially on any Scriptural application to advertising in general or in this context specifically. The best argument I heard was about getting context-driven ads that were promoting that which a blog article was condemning. Such is the nature of ads, of course. To combat this possibility, I even solicited pointers to alternate ad sources (Google's well known for being left-wing), especially Christian ones, but no suggestions were offered. That's not totally true. One reader did suggest I market TC as a vehicle for ads, targeting only those businesses I would want to promote. Of course, this would have been an additional, full-time job for me, to say nothing of the ethical (and subsequent legal) quandaries that would have arisen in my selection of ads.

I find it also ironic that some folks who opposed ads based upon the occasions when conflicting ads would appear (conflicting with the opinions of the blogger) are so unwilling to accept the bitter with the sweet in this free enterprise venture, but they're more than willing to accept ungodly, illegal, and wholly evil traits in political candidates so long as "the other Party" doesn't get their votes. A crappy business here and there isn't going to destroy our culture nearly as much as the morons just elected.

Nevertheless, there are some businesses which I find to be completely unacceptable. It's not a matter of not liking what they do but that they actively and purposely serve evil. I recognize that Google may have no trouble getting into bed with such organizations and routing their ads to my site. To help combat this possibility, I invited readers to response with any offense they may feel from such ads. Admittedly, I published this invitation only this morning, but I had hopes that this would at least partially cover this ethical loophole. The worst part is, there was no discussion on the ethics of this matter.