I need Your Advice

Shawn · 09-20-2004, 05:20 PM

Recently when I submitted new terms to Overture, they replied back and said that it is an adult url, non adult term. I said fine, so I edited the folder that I have all the overture leads go to so that it was very clean. Then they said, well it's the theme of the site that we don't like. I said, the site is a stripping service website, what makes my website different than the other 500 stripping service websites that you have in the Overture system? They said that it is the massive number of terms and urls that I have. So basically they are saying that if you spend more money with them, they penalize you for it?

So anyway, I re-did the site again, taking it from a 90 page website down to a 5 page website in hopes for Overture to then approve it. And of course they did not. One image in particular was this image here: http://www.chicagohunksandbabes.com/tori.jpg

Now I understand that it's not made for kids, but its not any more nudity than you see in the checkout lane magazines in the grocery store. I then told them that about 95% of other stripper websites out there have images just like this if not much worse and sexually explicit. (In fact another website / competitor has the exact same image on their website..yet they are allowed to advertise).

I then told them, that if they allow these other 95% of websites to host such pictures on them as you just told me I cannot host on mine, then that is discrimination. They then said, no it's not. We reserve the right to use discretion as we see fit.

Now, I'm not a lawyer, but I've taken a lot of business law classes. The first rule in business law is that you apply the same judgment and criticism to every customer. For instance, in retail establishments, you can't sell an item to Joe Blow for $20 off, but then sell it to Jane Doe for $50 off. Obviously unless it's a special sale for cardholders etc.

So I say that yes Overture does reserve the right to use their own discretion, BUT the criteria for that discretion HAS to be the exact same for every site/ every customer...right? Meaning they can't say my site is banned from Overture, but allow the same infringing content on another website to remain.

In the end, the executive services dept finally said the site looks good, and they'll send it in for review again. But I went from having a 90 page site and now it has about 5 pages. The conversion rate on these Overture terms, I'm sure will suck, due to there not being any convincing content.

So, my new prerogative is to submit to Overture EVERY website / competitor that has images that are the same as mine in terms of explicit content, and /or worse than mine (which most are).

If they do nothing about it, are they breaking the law?

My site in question is http://www.chicagohunksandbabes.com
The Overture Folder is http://www.chicagohunksandbabes.com/new
Competitors sites (Sponsored Listings): http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=fp...cago+strippers

Thanks,
Shawn

TGR · 09-20-2004, 05:30 PM

Whoa, that exact image is on a site that is #1 in their listings!

http://www.chicago-strippers.com/str....php?name=Tori

Are you sure this was the problem?

I would try calling them and talking to someone else.

Why do many of the girls on this site look familiar?

TGR · 09-20-2004, 05:32 PM

Duuuude, you gotta lose that chick (site pal) talking on the first page of girls. Not COOL!

Shawn · 09-20-2004, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGR

Duuuude, you gotta lose that chick (site pal) talking on the first page of girls. Not COOL!

You dont like it?

Shawn · 09-20-2004, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGR

Whoa, that exact image is on a site that is #1 in their listings!

http://www.chicago-strippers.com/str....php?name=Tori

Are you sure this was the problem?

I would try calling them and talking to someone else.

Why do many of the girls on this site look familiar?

EXACTLY
I emailed them the offending content, and said
I'm sure you will use the same discretion and categorize his site as
adult in nature as well.

So, I guess we'll see. My money is on they won't do anything.
If they don't, is that illegal?

TGR · 09-20-2004, 05:52 PM

I don't know, I'm not a lawyer. I'm pretty sure they can deny any site for any reason.

Just remove that picture and then re-post it once you're approved.

I really have a strong dislike for Overture and their approval process.

That site pal thing is annoying. I had my speakers turned way up too. Could you imagine if I was at work w/ other people. I would remove that and the videos that play automatically. At least make it so people have to click on them.

Shawn · 09-20-2004, 05:55 PM

We're kinda going along with the theme of a radio station with the music and party atmosphere (kinda like www.b96.com ) But the videos and stuff aren't on the "overture" folder.

TGR · 09-20-2004, 06:08 PM

I hear noise when I enter a website and I hit the back button immediately. And I know that I'm not the only person that feels this way.

Do some A/B testing and see if there's a difference.

Shawn · 09-20-2004, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGR

I hear noise when I enter a website and I hit the back button immediately. And I know that I'm not the only person that feels this way.

Do some A/B testing and see if there's a difference.

I have, our popularity and sales are at an all time high. But I do understand about the auto-play feature..thanks for the advice.

About the orginal topic, I emailed a law firm that specializes in discrimination, so hopefully I'll find something out soon.