Prop 8 Hijacks Gay Friendly Site

[Chuck Oberleitner]

TO OUR READERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN CALIFORNIA

At obe-mediaone and on our website o-meon.com, our mission has always been to supply you with news and information from the world of pop-culture with an emphasis on all things Disney. While doing so, we’ve tried to remain as apolitical as possible.

For the past several weeks, we have as simply and straightforwardly as possible been urging our readers in the United States to vote. We believe it is every citizen’s highest duty and single greatest responsibility.

However, following the saturation advertising campaign, now overtaking the banner ads on our site, by the supporters of California Proposition 8, we can no longer stand silently by on the sidelines and allow our website to be used for purposes that attack our core values.

Prop 8 would amend the California State Constitution and institutionalize discrimination. It would deprive a portion of California’s population equal treatment, recognition, and protection under the law by eliminating the rights of same sex couples to marry.
We find the arguments put forth by the Yes on 8 campaign to be false and offensive.

No matter what your feelings about gay marriage, we hope you’ll agree with us that discrimination of any kind is as wrong now as it was when California forbade by law the rights of Armenians to buy homes and for Latinos and African Americans to marry whites.

Under the terms of our agreement with Google the process for stopping these ads from displaying would take us far beyond Election Day and thereby prohibit us from pulling them down today. We can, however, urge you to watch the videos below and then to go out and vote.

Watch the NO on 8 videos here >>

[some_imagination]

Yes, its gotten to mouseplanet.com and miceage.com as well.

I know that theres really nothing that can be done to take the ads off, but I really feel like political ads (of either side) arent necessarily "appropriate" for a "family friendly" site and would love to see the sites filter them out in the future. But obviously thats not my decision...

It is though a bit of a slap in the face to see Yes on 8 sites on my favorite Disney sites, and kind of saddening.

I think its true what they say about "polite company doesnt talk about sex, religion, or politics." Id think those same criteria would be good ones for a "family" site to filter out of the ads they allow on their sites.

Thanks for bringing this up, Chuck. Its much appreciated and something I really feel needs to be discussed, regardless of your view on the issue really...

[kcnole]

There's really not much the sites can do. If you accept google ads then you accept whatever ads they target at you. You can contact them and ask them not to run a certain ad on your site, but there's no way to force this action to take place.

[some_imagination]

Oh, can you NOT filter out sex ads? I was under the assumption that you could give them CRITERIA to filter out. Politics and sex seem like good ones...

[Jestyr]

You know what? NO. I do not wish to be thanked for understanding that the views of the site are not reflected by the ad sponsor, especially when it has been made clear that the forum guildlines do not allow political or religious views to be included in our own membership's signatures.

I refuse to continue accessing this web site until you end the Google ad sponsorship.

[some_imagination]

Interesting thought...

Politics are not allowed by the members signatures, but they are in the ads?

[brassplayer]

I know some other websites have just completely removed Google ads because of these election ads. And I commend them for that. While I know that Google ads is a source of revenue for MiceAge, I personally wouldn't want to lose control over what ads are displayed on my website.

Frankly, it makes me feel shameful seeing "Yes on 8" ads while reading MiceAge. Almost like I'm looking at porn.

[Circa1966]

What makes it worse is -

• The ads are on page after page
• The founders of Google came out publicly against Proposition 8
• The Yes on 8 campaign is mis-representing Obama's thoughts about the proposition - while he hasn't endorsed gender neutral marriage, he has indicated that passing Proposition 8 would be a big mistake.

The Yes faction must be desperate. And I agree - its a little distasteful to come here and find these ads. MiceChat and Google should be able to do a better job of filtering these things...and hopefully this will be a lesson learned and in the future they will take a proactive stance against this kind of advertising strategy.

[Chernabog]

Google's execs should be ashamed for their hypocrisy. They had no obligation to take Yes on 8 ads. Letting themselves be used as a tool of the Mormon Cult.

[sailerm]

I use Firefox, and rarely see any ads on Micechat.

[Dustysage]

Originally Posted by Jestyr

You know what? NO. I do not wish to be thanked for understanding that the views of the site are not reflected by the ad sponsor, especially when it has been made clear that the forum guildlines do not allow political or religious views to be included in our own membership's signatures.

I refuse to continue accessing this web site until you end the Google ad sponsorship.

No problem Jestyr. I'll send you the $2,000 + monthly bill for the cost of MiceChat.

We don't pick the Ads. When you sign up for Google. They promise to run ads which target the content of your site. When we tried to block the Yes on 8 Ads it took Google HOURS to respond. Even then, some kept playing.

We couldn't pull the Google Ads down, because each of the ad units on MiceChat have been hand coded by Monorail Man and it would have taken him too long to complete on a work day. So we were forced to work with Google.

This is a double edge sword for us. We can't survive without the Google Ads, but we feel betrayed by Google for allowing those hateful ads on MiceChat.

The election is over now, but we still want to know what Google is going to do to prevent this in the future!

[perlster]

"hateful ads" = those from the other side

[perlster]

Originally Posted by Chernabog

Google's execs should be ashamed for their hypocrisy. They had no obligation to take Yes on 8 ads. Letting themselves be used as a tool of the Mormon Cult.

So, why is this bigoted post allowed to remain on the site?

[Chernabog]

Originally Posted by perlster

So, why is this bigoted post allowed to remain on the site?

Because a) it isn't, and b) because this site is not a democracy.

Really, if you were Yes on 8 and you think you're so open minded I suggest you start educating yourself from other sources than the Church. If the Church's word is absolute and your faith is unwaveringly against the gays, then get used to negative things being tossed your way.

[sir clinksalot]

Originally Posted by perlster

"hateful ads" = those from the other side

No, hateful ad's = those that support an agenda infringing on a segment of society's civil rights.

Political ad's, avatars and messages in signatures are NOT allowed on MiceChat, for any candidate or political position. Why would we let google ad's get away with it?