When I started blogging at this site, I threw in a Google Adsense ad basically to fill up a column.  That was a year ago.  Today, on a whim, I decided to check out my earnings.  As you’d probably expect, I have about enough in the account to buy an 18 pack of domestic beer.  

Luckily, I like domestic beer.

So I figured, I might as well take the payout.  Why leave it with Google?

They had an answer for that question: we do not pay out until you have earned over $100.00.  That is exactly where the genius of this program lies…how many people end up providing free advertising to them because they never manage to cross the payout threshold? 

You see, Google has it all figured.  They think about Adsense (and probably everything) with a very simple premise:  Take lots of pennies everywhere and it will add up to something big.   Hence the payout threshold is higher than with similar products, and the cpc rates are a little lower.  

Am I shocked? No.  I’ve heard grumbling for years.  Google Adsense is the bottom rung for web advertising, with virtually no barrier to entry.  

So after a year, no payout for me.  Google you owe me a beer…actually an 18 pack.