Well, I guess placing images next to ads is no more. I’m not surprised by this, but it will be interesting to see where to go next.  If the argument is that “your visitors believe that the images and the ads are directly associated, or that the advertiser is offering the exact item found in the neighboring image, they may click the ad expecting to find something that isn’t actually being offered”, then what if I place Flash-based animations there, that couldn’t possibly be a representative product image?

I was going to do this, and I stumbled on someone else having already done it. So, heres a cool tree of participants from the recent blog tag game. Props for putting in the work. If I have some time, I’ll scrape it and do some other cool stuff.

Sometimes you wake up in the morning and wonder what server has exploded. Sometimes you wake up to discover the blog-o-sphere in a fury. This time it was the latter, and I guess we’re playing an e-mail chain style game. Kris Jones tagged me, and I gotta play. Fair enough. Here’s 5 things you probably didn’t know about me.

1) I was born in Italy and lived there for 18 months before coming to the United States. As a result, I also speak Italian as a native language.

2) Partly because of being born in Europe, I enjoy traveling as much as possible. I’ve traveled extensively in Europe, and at a minimum I try to get back to Italy once a year.

3) Most people think I’m a middle child or something. I’m an only child.

4) I’m an avid reader, and pretty much read anything I can get my hands on.

5) I will obsessively take hold of any new hobby or interest and learn everything I can about as quickly as possible. I have more hobbies than most people have even heard of. Computers, skiing, beer brewing, r/c, shooting, video games, cars, motorcycles and electronics just to name a few.

Here’s the part where I nail 5 other people to do the same. I’ll try not to overlap, but I apologize if I dupe someone. One of the coolest guys I’ve had the pleasure to meet at conferences, Greg Hartnett. Another one of my conference home boys, Adam Sussman (ShandyKing). The crazy german, Marcus Tandler. Since no one else (that I’ve seen) has, and it wouldn’t be fair to let him get away unscathed: Matt Cutts. Last but certainly not least, the Rainbow Six vigilante, Jen Slegg.

Shoemoney’s posted in his blog that he’s going to be launching a new and different SEO/SEM contest.  I think if anyone can pull this off, its Shoe.  Looking forward to seeing how this pans out…