Who sponsors forums?

[Being]

I believe it is relevant to any discussion to know who is sponsoring them. Here are the sponsors at the top of my screen right now,

"http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=B6Op2corXTPuGAaGqjQTpiv2sCJy4s4wClMSV-hik75j-T_D9ORABGAEg1IeEEigDOABQrObFhfj_____AWDJxveGyKP8Gq ABvKWq5QOyARl3d3cudGhld29ybGRmb3Jnb3R0ZW4uY29tugEJ NzI4eDkwX2FzyAEB2gFBaHR0cDovL3d3dy50aGV3b3JsZGZvcm dvdHRlbi5jb20vbmV3dGhyZWFkLnBocD9kbz1wb3N0dGhyZWFk JmY9MTX4AQHAAgGoAwHIAxfoA78B6APhBfUDAAMAxA&num=1&s ig=AGiWqtySaRMHgVPKEZU74qEIYqPK-RW8Tw&client=ca-pub-8402875891845775&adurl=http://www.groupon.com/sacramento/subscribe%3Futm_source%3DGoogle%26utm_medium%3Dcpc %26utm_campaign%3DExplorerText%26utm_placement%3Dw ww.theworldforgotten.com&nm=5"

"http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=BsDIXtorXTLn-MIXCjQT08onKCfmPmMoBidjTzhTAjbcB0MNCEAIYAiDUh4QSKA M4AFCslZK9BmDJxveGyKP8GqAB9bbk_gOyARl3d3cudGhld29y bGRmb3Jnb3R0ZW4uY29tugEJNzI4eDkwX2FzyAEB2gFBaHR0cD ovL3d3dy50aGV3b3JsZGZvcmdvdHRlbi5jb20vbmV3dGhyZWFk LnBocD9kbz1wb3N0dGhyZWFkJmY9MTWAAgHIAuv7iASoAwHIAx foA78B6APhBfUDAAMAxA&num=2&sig=AGiWqtzevl-vq5D9tx_l1AOZnRk8jcLJOA&client=ca-pub-8402875891845775&adurl=http://www.shopathome.com/discounts_and_coupons/default-brand.aspx%3Frefer%3D76515%26src%3DSEPDSE%26vendor %3Dgoogle%26Distribution%3DContent%26keyword%3Dtal bots%26MatchType%3DBroad%26AdId%3D5424132321%26pla cement%3Dwww.theworldforgotten.com&nm=5"

"http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=BPjKItorXTLn-MIXCjQT08onKCZOHhdQBq_eM5BrAjbcBkLmEARADGAMg1IeEEi gDOABQ2bielPj_____AWDJxveGyKP8GqAB3eHb3wOyARl3d3cu dGhld29ybGRmb3Jnb3R0ZW4uY29tugEJNzI4eDkwX2FzyAEB2g FBaHR0cDovL3d3dy50aGV3b3JsZGZvcmdvdHRlbi5jb20vbmV3 dGhyZWFkLnBocD9kbz1wb3N0dGhyZWFkJmY9MTXIAtP44xSoAw HIAxfoA78B6APhBfUDAAMAxA&num=3&sig=AGiWqtyLw5iR5dL fU-O_ETQNXamk16l12A&client=ca-pub-8402875891845775&adurl=http://mtlyon.tiffin.edu/online-courses/elder-care-management%3Futm_source%3Dgooglecon%26utm_medium%3 Dppc%26utm_campaign%3DML_Healthcare%26utm_content% 3Dmedical%2520administrator&nm=10"

Are your sponsors the same? No? Post your sponsors so we can all see.

[Dreadnaught]

First of all, the advertisers above a thread can be theoretically different each time a thread is refreshed. The ads are contextually targeted to the content of the thread and the rough geo location (city and state) of the browser. Right now I'm seeing an ad for a furniture store.

Second, these advertisers aren't specifically endorsing a particular discussion. They are trusting a contextual algorithm to make the ad matching, usually because their testing has shown that this kind of matching leads to relevant traffic and more conversions. Some advertisers actively dislike this, as they can't monitor what is being discussed and whether content is "brand safe".

So if I mention that the General Motors Corvette is the worst car in the world because it was built by a company whose unions are sucking the taxpayer dry, I may see an ad for GM if they are advertising on what's known as user-generated content. But GM can't control the content here.

Finally, Wraith/the site's account only gets paid if someone legitimately clicks on an ad because they find it useful. A thread only gets benefits from being "sponsored" if a particular person finds the ad actually worth clicking on. Otherwise, it's basically just a picture on a Web page.

[EyeKhan]

There's probably middle-man type company that serves up ads more or less randomly to a zillion sites in a network they've build. They might be slightly targeted. But advertisers contract with these companies to get their ads all over the internet to reach a cosmopolitan group of people.

[Ominous Gamer]

Yeah, Eyekhan, its Google Ads. Usually pretty good, but they can go horribly wrong sometimes, such as Dread's interesting example.

[']['ear]

Brake pads! Mr. Goodwrench!

[agamemnus]

It's amusing. The prison thread has this ad....: "Prison Administration Prison Administration Courses Online..."

It's also scary!

[Catgrrl]

Thank goodness for Firefox; I don't think I could live with IE as my primary browser

[Hazir]

Is there any particular reason why I should look at these ads? People seem to be obsessed with them.

[Flixy]

Is there any particular reason why I should look at these ads? People seem to be obsessed with them.

I suppose they provide funding for this site?

[GGT]

I got an Ileostomy Community, and Anti-Terrorism classes.

[Veldan Rath]

Window's Phone...and I use Firefox....