Google Adsense provides publishers the option to show ads relevant on a user's browsing history (via tracking cookies) as well as contextual ads. Since Google's goal is to make both the publisher and the advertiser more money, Google will choose to show whatever it has found to be more profitable.
On top of that, if Google does not have ad fill, such as in the case of articles about dinosaurs, it will sometimes advertise its own products (which the publisher will still get paid for) instead of showing a blank spot (as some advertising companies will do.
tl;dr Google shows ads based on a visitors browsing history if it thinks it will make you more money that way.
> You are not using it? This is maybe the reason why you don't understand this.
Is this not word for word what a drug addict says to somebody who's clean?
I've used social networks and found all they did was replace real life social interaction with fake, scrubbed online interactions. I was never one of those "DELETE YOUR FACEBOOK PROFILE AND RUN" fad followers, I just found that I was able to get by and communicate just fine without it.
I see where your cousin is coming from by thinking that if she isn't on Facebook, she's ostracized, however people tell me the same thing when trying to get me to sign up.
Thankfully, since I never actively used any social networks as a kid, they never became a crutch for me, and any time there's a party worth going to, I'll know about it either through text, a call, or (what most kids seem to avoid these days) face to face social interactions with my friends.
It is 100% completely voluntary. Nobody is forcing you to use Facebook. It is not even remotely close to the only communication service. I don't personally use Facebook and have no problem leading an active social and business life. Sure, a large portion of my friends use Facebook, but they also make phone calls, send text messages, email (through multiple different services), LinkedIn, Flickr, etc etc etc.
So how does Facebook have no alternatives?
If you don't like the product, or you don't like the way its run, or you don't like the way it handles your data, or you don't like the color of the log in button, then its simple. Don't use it.
As the original poster said, it is a private organization, and therefore you have a choice. This isn't social security, this isn't taxes. I can (and don't) use Facebook, but much to my dismay, I still pay my outrageous taxes.
This weeks' Monopoly is last weeks' MySpace when users choose to go elsewhere.
On top of that, if Google does not have ad fill, such as in the case of articles about dinosaurs, it will sometimes advertise its own products (which the publisher will still get paid for) instead of showing a blank spot (as some advertising companies will do.
tl;dr Google shows ads based on a visitors browsing history if it thinks it will make you more money that way.