The Google software, in all its finite machine-code wisdom, can be severely retarded. Consider this context-sensitive text ad:

Just when I was thinking of buying some of that used EXPLODE stuff. You know how useful past kinetic energy can be, lacking existence in the presence and all. I wonder how people would ship that EXPLODE stuff anyway, especially considering its temporal handicap? Perhaps it’s an awkward metaphor for really bad software (so bad that it’s destined to crash), or broccoli-encrusted 7-bean soup (which ends badly no matter how careful you are). Or maybe software just isn’t that smart yet …

Update

Of course the Google adwords stuff is dense, here’s another great example …

I’d say that eBay is paying too much for their advertising. Their ads look absurd on many of my daily searches on Google. Is that good business?

Today I canceled my Google Adsense account. The ads performed poorly and were more obtrusive than useful — despite the promise of minimalism. Worse, the facade of automated targeting tainted the whole premise of my weblog, that of honest, human opinion. In the end I just couldn’t endorse crap that I wouldn’t use myself.

The ads were not well targeted to weblog audiences, only matching the site content on the surface. An opinion piece on a technology blindly returned hits for products matching words on the page, even when the article was unrelated (or opposed) to the product’s theme. And that was a problem, as the ads interfered with the integrity of the site.

When I have an opinion on something, I can’t have the ads discolour it. It makes me look bad. It takes away from my point of view. It makes me a liar, or at least a greedy bastard. I think weblogs should be better than that, and that’s why I like reading them.

Now having the hosting paid for is A Good Thing, but I’ve found a more palatable approach. I recommend my webhost to people. It’s something that reinforces weblogging too: I really like my webhost, so I tell other people about them. In return it pays the bills. It’s honest and useful, which is more than I can say for that Google nonsense.