advertising ... why these adds?

[pgmer6809]

When i go to the linux mint home page,
http://www.linuxmint.com there are ads that appear in my browser along the rhs.
anyone know how those adds are chosen? I would like to be able to clean out whatever cookies or history makes the advert engine think I am interested in financial services or building supplies, etc.
any hints?

[xenopeek]

At the top are first three ads from the sponsors of Linux Mint. In order these are one each from the Platinum, Gold, and Silver sponsors--selected at random.

Below that are the ads for which Linux Mint uses Google AdSense. According to this http://www.google.com/adsense/start/how-it-works.html, the highest paying ads are shown. So those that would do the most to help fund Linux Mint.

[Aging Technogeek]

If you find the ads objectionable, in Firefox, Chromium, or Chrome just install the Adblock or Adblock Plus extension.

If you use another browser, you should be able to find something similar.

[seehymeh]

If you find the ads objectionable, in Firefox, Chromium, or Chrome just install the Adblock or Adblock Plus extension.

If you use another browser, you should be able to find something similar.

This is true unless you support the website you're on. If you want to contribute to the Mint community then I would advise against blocking the ads being served. xenopeek gives a pretty definitive description of why the ads are there, specifically the adsense. I'm pretty sure Google uses your search history to serve you "personalized" ads. Check out the history Google has saved for you.

[Aging Technogeek]

Leaving the ads visible just to support Mint is, imo, a weak argument. If you want to support Mint, there are other avenues - you can donate or sponsor (see here [url]http://www.linuxmint.com/donors.php[/url] ).

Of course, if the ads do not bother you, you can leave them in place. Personally, I do not like ads I did not ask for. I also run Ghostery and other track-blocking add-ons. I like my privacy.

I have been a member of this forum since early 2009 and a moderator since 2010, although recently, due to poor health I have not been very active. For most of that time, I have been a Mint sponsor, and before that, I donated regularly so I have never felt any reluctance to block all ads on the forum or any other Mint page.

[seehymeh]

Leaving the ads visible just to support Mint is, imo, a weak argument.

I can't think of another reason to leave the ads visible than to support Mint. I'm a no-name with an unpopular website, how will sponsoring help? I don't have disposable income at the moment so how can I help? Well, I can click on an advertisment every once and a while during my visit to Mint websites. I can tell my friends to use mint, and ask them to not block ads, or perhaps simply not encourage them to block ads on the Mint website. It may not be a large source of revenue, but it is revenue nontheless. It's not that I am adamantly against blocking ads, I just prefer not to immediately encourage users to block ads on websites they use frequently (unless they are offensive), especially in this situation where the user was asking ways to change their ads instead of remove them.

Imagine if this particular topic became insanely popular and the solution to the problem was "block the ads," then suddenly thousands of people who might have otherwise seen and/or clicked those ads are no longer supporting Mint. I'd rather help people see the ads they want to see than to encourage them defeat an entire potential revenue stream altogether.