It has been proven, that Click fraud is involved in the advertising part of Goggle’s revenue stream, and thus an important point of any conversation about Goggle's advertising services. It's like saying, let's talk about various aspects of a bank robbery, without mentioning the money, or why it was the prime motive . . .no?

Google is afraid its bubble will soon burst so every other day they annouce some new venture with great fanfare. Also soon PPC ads will be treated like offline ads. Ergo, ignored. And let's not even get into click fraud.

Why not create a browser that eliminates the need for an external browser. Digital letter-head. The browser retains it's normal functionality ( and buttons ) but takes the shape of the site your visiting. Instead of two interfaces. A richer experience overall. Google is pulling a fast one advertisers. The technology has been around for some time. I can't wait until someone acknoledges that there is no difference between broadcast and streaming. We're simply trading the Boob-tube for a monitor. Slowly at that. Google is milking it like any good marketing strategy would.

PS----What Google's push into online video advertising REALLY represents, more than any other factor, is it's need to explore new ways to propel its rapid earnings growth, and satisfy the hunger of it’s many shareholders; rather than creating the next big or effective innovation in advertising, or something that will really work. PLUS, let us not forget the recent “90 million dollar Google Click Fraud Settlement” to (Lane's Gifts and Collectibles, et al. v. Google-- et al). See details at http://www.imediaconnection.com/cont... Which clearly demonstrates on thing about Goggle, and it’s advertising services; which is that Goggle cannot be trusted to honor it’s obligations, before or after the fact. And, that leaving Goggle in charge of and responsible for auditing their own click traffic, is similar to leaving the fox in charge of the hen house.

Marc, “you are mixing metaphors”, so to speak -;) when to take my Advertising=passive [oil] / interacting with internet=active [water] analogy, and equate it with “your multiple tasking activities, or late night exertions”; in an attempt to make a weak point. In other words you are talking apples and oranges, instead of oil and water -;) My principle is 99.99% correct (yet nothing is perfect, nor completely exclusive to the medium), but keep this in mind; this oil / water principle applies to consumer mindsets. (It does NOT apply to advertising practitioners like you and me.) To most consumers, advertising is a waste of their time, or an intrusion upon their time. To you and me advertising is how we make our living, and a major part of our overall lifestyle and mindset. Thus, our opinions are hopelessly tainted and stilted towards our own self-interests and our preoccupation with our profession. What is cool to us, is not necessary cool, or relevant to a consumer. If any of us knew how to consistently reach and influence the consumer, we would not be having this dialog, because we would both already know and understand, and would not have to worry about having to know and understand. Yes, smart creative and marketing people are needed, now, more than ever to create and produce great and effective advertising; yet, the supply is small, and dwindling more than ever today. Meanwhile, the oil/ water principle continues to govern our internet activities, and get in the way of our progress towards consistently communicating with and influencing the consumer.

Active/Passive is like oil and water but I think you're not 100% right that one is exclusive to the medium. I browse the internet on my laptop while watching TV. Am I active, passive, or both? I browse the Internet at 4am when I can't sleep and I'm drowsy and more likely to click a banner. Anyway, people will click commercials on the internet if they are "cool" enough. I think all the evolutions point to a need for smart, creative people to work in video mediums again.

Adsense on the internet, does it really make sense?. . . What is interesting to me about "ANY" type of advertising on the Internet is this, by it's very nature, advertising is 'passive', interacting with the Internet is 'active'. Oil and water, that just do not mix. I often wonder, how long it will take, and how much money will be wasted, before advertisers figure this principle out. Meanwhile, Goggle and others are profiting from advertisers ignorance and fear. Welcome to America, what's your dream?

Wow, so much for the death of commercials - now there's a whole new place to view them, in relevant locations by people who are interested. I wish Google would just buy all the TV networks and let me pick which ads I see there. If I could never see the Select Dental ads during the Mets game again that would be super.