Something I am not proud of
Sixteen years ago, while living in Malaysia, I started writing a blog using Google Blogger. I monetized my site using Google AdSense and began earning a little money—not much, but I was happy. Then, suddenly, Google notified me that my account was canceled because of policy violations. They did not explain what the violations were.
After numerous emails with Google, I learned that many suspicious clicks on my ads originated from the same ISP. A short time later, I discovered that a friend was trying to help me earn more money by frequently clicking on my ads whenever he got bored.
I contacted Google to explain this finding and requested that my account be reinstated. Almost immediately, I received a reply from Google informing me I had been banned from AdSense for life. I got a life sentence from Google!
Ten years later, I have moved from Malaysia and am now living in New York State. I thought maybe after ten years, I could contact Google to have them reconsider my account. Within minutes of contacting them, once again, I was told I was banned for life.
I gave up the idea of monetizing my blog with AdSense and subsequently moved it to Medium, where I have earned more money than using AdSense.
Like an idiot, I created another blog with Blogger where I share my stories after they have been published on Medium. And, not learning my lesson, I applied for a new AdSense account. But this time, I used a different Gmail address, with my home address in the US, not Malaysia. It worked.
I added AdSense to my blog, carefully following Google’s directions. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work. I got a message saying my “Site needs attention.” They didn’t say what attention it needed, though. After several more attempts, I was notified that my site was verified, but they couldn’t find my AdSense code. They told me to “Please fix the issue.” I have been trying to fix the issue for over two months!
If anyone who has dealt with Google knows, it is impossible to contact their Customer Support. The only option is to use the Google Community, where other Google users can help. I have not been able to get any answers from this option.
The question is, “Why am I doing this?” I have spent hours and days trying to solve my problems with AdSense and add it to my blog. I don’t understand why. Even if I succeed in adding AdSense ads to my blog, I don’t have enough followers to earn any more than a few cents a month. I can earn more money on Medium in a day than I could with AdSense in a year.
I know Google is a huge and powerful conglomerate. They could care less for a nobody like me, so why should I care? Sometimes, I feel like Don Quixote fighting the Google windmill. I don’t like to be told I am banned for life. I don’t like to be treated as though I am nobody and my concerns are unimportant. That’s why I haven’t given up—yet.
I know anyone reading this must think I am crazy. Maybe I am. I realize I am obsessed with this problem and should be embarrassed, but I’m not giving up until the last minuscule thread of hope is gone.
I feel the same way writing here on Medium. My reads and earnings are down, and they continue to decline. But I am not going to let Medium defeat me. Like with AdSense, I won’t give up without a fight.
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