I saw an AdMob ad for an “X-Ray Scan” in the Viigo application, which reminded me of the x-ray glasses you would see advertised in comic books along with Sea Monkeys and what-not (living outside of the US as a kid, I was always intrigued by these products yet they were also out of my reach - ironically exactly the point here as we’ll see), and so I “thumbwheeled” on the ad.

It was for mobile wallpaper that looks like an x-ray scan. And of course, I can get lots of other fun wallpapers and ringtones for “just 9.99/mo”. Remember to remove the $ sign, I’m sure, it’s not by accident. I clicked on the terms link. Very  sparse, almost non-existent. About - was blank except for a graphic that has the name 28282 on it and very little else. How did I know it was running via AdMob? The title of the page in my browser is “X Ray AdMob”. I have no doubt that these ads are making a whole heckuva lot of money for these guys.

I decided to find out more about 28282 and did a search for them online. I found the Club 28282 page on Class Action Connect and it was quite sad. Lots of posts from parents, kids, people thinking that by complaining on this board someone was going to help them because they were unable to stop the services and/or the SMS spam that accompanied it. One person had over $500 of charges racked up by their 11-year old. Etc. Etc. Read some of the comments. Go on.

What was crazy though, was that I first read this page on my browser, with no ads to speak of, but when I looked again online in a full browser, this is what I saw:

Ringtones ripoff ads

Unreal - Google contextually targeting ringtones and basically pouring salt into the wounds of anyone visiting here by displaying similar ads for the very services people are here to complain about. This stuff is toxic, but the carriers make a lot of money out it and it appears as if they are okay letting the cycle of bad experience - complaint - chargeback go on. I heard a story recently (perhaps apocryphal? sounds very plausible though) of someone who was a big hero back in the day at MCI Worldcom since they figured out a regulation/legal loophole to add a $1 “service fee” onto every customer’s bill. If you called in they would automatically remove it but it was a quick way for them to make millions of extra dollars.

Forget about the ads it runs, for Google, becoming a mobile phone hardware company will give them all the customer service headaches they could ever want. Couldn’t imagine being a phone carrier. Good luck.

There’s always something fun about real-time data, especially when it’s related to money like this map of where Chitika is making money right now in the US.

It might be a little early for “end of year” trends type posts, but following on Jay Weintraub’s excellent dissection of the flog trend from a few months ago, 2009 may be the year of the affiliate blog website (with the fake blog and fake news site being the most popular). I thought it would be interesting to share this list of weight loss flogs. Jay warned me not to visit these sites since some of the creators have since shut them down and replaced them with forwards to not-so-good sites apparently. I didn’t see if that was the case :-). The source for these sites is Nielsen/NetRatings (non-disclaimer, I used to work for NetRatings but did not work there long enough to have any stock, and I guess this list just shows you they don’t discriminate which is good for a market researcher…)

1flatstomachrule.com
1weightlosssecret.info
2-Rules-to-Flat-Stomach
2xFatBurningPlan.com
Abbydietjournal.com
AbbysDietJournal.com
AbbysDietStoryBlog.com
AdrianaLostWeight.com
AdrianasWeightLoss.com
AlanasWeightLoss.com
Aleshasdietblog.com
alicesdiet.com
AlisasWeightLoss.com
Alisonsweightloss.com
Allison’s Weight Loss
ALLY’S WEIGHT LOSS DIARY
Allysweightlossblog.com
Alyssa’s Rachel Ray Diet Blog
Amazing Brazilian Diet Pill
Amazon Diet
AmbersDietBlog.com
AmbersDietSuccess.com
Amy’s Diet Blog
Amysdietjournal.com
AmysDietSecret.com
AmysWeightLossDiary.com
Andreas Weight Loss Blog
Andreasdietblog.com
AngieWeightLoss.com
Anniesdietstory.com
Anniesweightblog.com
AnnsWeightLoss.com
AprilsWeightLoss.com
Ariana’s Diet Blog
Ashley’s Rachael Ray Diet Blog
ashleysdietblog
AshleysWeightLoss.com
Autumn’s Weight Loss
Ava’s Diet Blog
BeckysDiet.com
BeckysWeightLoss.net
Best-diet-picks.com
Beth’s Diet Plan
BethsDietBlog.com
BetsysWeightLoss.com
Beverly’s Diet Journal
Bevsdietblog.com
BiancasWeightLoss.com
BriansWeightLossDiary.com
BridgetsWeightLoss.com
Brigette’s Diet Blog
Britney’s WeightLoss Story
Brittanysdietstory.com
BrittanysWeightLoss.com
candicediet.com
Carasdietdiary.com
CarlasWeightLoss.com
CassidysWeightLoss.com
CathysDietBlog.com
CelebrityWeightLossSecret.com
Celine’s Weight Loss Blog and Tracker
cherylsweightloss.com
Christysdiet.com
Cindiesweightloss.com
claudiasweightloss.info
CRISTIESDIETBLOG.COM
DaniellesWeightLoss.com
DanielsWeightLoss.com
Dani’s Weight Loss Blog
DebbysDietBlog.com
DebrasDiet.com
DebrasWeightLoss.com
Denisesdiet.com
DestinysWeightLoss.com
DietingMother.com
Dietstoryblog.com
Diet-To-Go
Dinasweightloss.com
DonnaDailyDiet.com
DonnasWeightLoss.com
Double-Diet.net
DrOzDietSecrets.com
Easydiettips.org
EasyWeightlossTea.com
ElensWeightLoss.com
Elisa’s Weight Loss
elisasbellyfatlossblog.com
ElizabethsWeightLoss.com
EllensDietBlog.com
ElliesWeightLoss.com
EmilysWeightLoss.com
EmmasWeightLoss.com
EmmasWeightLossSuccess.com
ErinWeightLoss.com
Evasdietblog.com
gloriasweightlossblog.com
Heather’s Diet Log
helensdiet.com
HelensDietDiary.com
HollysWeightLoss.com
HotCelebDiet.com
image weightloss centers
Jane’s Weight Loss Secret
Janesdiet.org
JeaniesWeightLoss.com
JennasDietBlog.com
JennasWeightLoss.com
Jennifer’s Weight Loss Story
jenniferweightloss.com
Jenns Weight Loss
JennsWeightLoss.com
jennylosesweight.com
JennyLostWeight.com
Jenny’s Diet Blog
Jenny’s Weight Loss Success
JennysDietBlog.com
Jenny-weightloss.com
Jen’s Diet Blog
JensWeightLossStory.com
Jessicas-Diet.com
jessiesdietblog.com
jesssdietblog.com
Jilliansdietjournal.com
Jill’s Weight Loss Story
JillsWeightloss.com
JillsWeightLossBlog.com
JoycesWeightLoss.com
Judy’s Weight Loss
JudysWeight.com
JudysWeightLoss.com
Juliasweightlossblog.com
juliesdietblog.com
Justinsweightloss.com
Kailey’s Weight Loss
Karen’s Weight Loss
KarensWeightLoss.com
Karenweightstruggle.com
KatesDietStory.com
KathyLostWeight.com
Kathy’s Diet Success
Katie’s Weight Loss
KatiesWeightlossDiary.com
KatysWeightLoss.com
Kaylasdietplan.com
KayleesWeightLoss.com/Blog
KaysDiet.com
KaysWeightLoss.com
Kellysdietingjournal.com
KellysWeightDairy.com
KellysWeightDiary.com
KellysWeightLossStory.com
Kelseyhowardweightloss.com
KelseysWeightLoss.com
KimbysWeightLoss.com
Kim’s Diet
Kim’s Rachael Ray Diet Blog
kimsdietplan com
KimsFatLoss.com
Kyla’s Weight Loss
LarrysWeightLoss.com
Laura’s Weight Loss
Laura’s Weight Loss
LaurenWeightLoss.com
LeahWeightLossBlog.com
LilysWeightLossBlog.com
lindas-diet.com
Lisa’s Weight Loss
LisaWeightLoss.com
Lorrie’s Weight Loss Story
Losing Weight Gaining Life
LostWeightDieting.com
Lucysweightloss.com
MadelinesWeightoLoss.com
MariasDietBlog.com
mariasdietstory.com
Mariasweightlossblog.com
Marie’s weight loss secret
MarlenasWeightLoss.com
Mary’s Weight Loss Blog
Marysdietblog.com
Medical Weight Loss Clinic
Megan’s Diet Diary
MegansWeightLossRecipe.com
Megsdoublediet.com
Melissas Weight Loss Diet
Meloras Weight Loss
Melsdietblog.com
Mica’s Weightloss Blog
MichellesWeightLoss.com
midietaincreible.com
Mikeacaidiet.com
Mike’s Diet Blog
MindysDietBlog.com
Molly’s Diet Blog
MollysWeightLossJourney.com
MommysWeightLoss.com
Momsdiettips.com
Momsweightjournal.com
monica’s weight loss
MonicasDiet.com
MonicasDietBlog.com
MyDietMagic.com
MyDietRevealed.com
MyDoubleDiet.com
Mypersonalweightlossblog.com
Mysecretstofastweightloss.com
mysecrettolosingweight.com
myweightlossblog.net
MyWeightLossLife.com
Natalia’s Weight Loss Story
netDietMD.com
Newcelebdiet.com
nichollesdietpage.info
NichollesWeightLoss.com
OliviasDietBlog.com
Onegirlsweightloss.com
Oregon Weight Loss Surgery
RachaelRaydiets.com
RachelDietWorks.com
Rachel’s Weight Loss
Renee’s Weight loss story
SarahsWeightLoss.com
Saras Weight Loss Story
SarasWeightLoss.com
savannahsweightloss.com
ShelbysWeightLoss.com
Sherriesweightloss.com
SmartDiets.com
Sofia’s Weight loss
SofiesWeightLoss.com
SophiasWeightLoss.com
SouthwestWeightLoss.com
Susana-Weight-Loss.com
SusansWeightChallenge.com
Therachelraydiet.com
thisgirlsweightloss.com
Tinasdietstory.com
TracysDiet.com
TracysWeightLoss.com
TrueDietStory.com
Veronica’s Weight Loss Blog
Victoria’s Rachel Ray Diet Blog
Victoriasweightloss.com
viviansweightloss.com