So I know that everyone has seen the twelve dozen ads I’ve been goofing around with lately. They’re annoying, tacky, and gaudy. I know that people look at them and think “What a jerk,” but I promise that there’s a reason.

A couple of months ago I realized that I didn’t know how internet advertising worked. With Google AdSense being so prevelant I decided to jump in and check it out. AdSense, Adbright, Linkshare, etc etc. I’ve signed up with everyone, and I’ve slowly been checking out how the backend works in this mysterious part of the internet. My friend StoneTable is a heavy hitter in the internet advertising world, and he’s been explaining some of the more nebulous and esoteric parts to me.

Cool? Not really. Interesting? You’d better believe it. It amazes me how these systems work together, and at the same time work against each other. If anyone can reccomend a good book on the subject I would love to give it a read.