Paid healthcare.gov site advertisement (sometimes) when googling obamacare

[Throckmorton]

NEWS FLASH: The government buys ads on TV and the internet.

 

[Throckmorton]

IBMer the ad is the first result!!!!

Type in Obamacare and the first thing you get is 'heathcare.gov'

The article does NOT say that the first search result is healthcare is just says that the first result is 'heathcare.gov'

Sure it might be in a blue box and it might say 'ad' but many people won't notice that and will just click on the first link.

And more importantly is the fact that our government is spending tax payer dollars to support a healthcare plan that most Americans object too.

Type in 'welfare' or 'food stamps' or 'medicare' or 'medicaid' or 'social security' and notice that NONE of them start with an ad run for and paid for by the government.

Uh you know all Google ads are like that right? If you can't tell ads from search results, you don't even belong on Google. Your argument is basically "The American Real Patriotic American Capitalists Of The Rural Towns are too stupid to tell Google search results from Google ads even though they're colored differently and will accidentally go to the official government website providing information on healthcare reform which is inherently evil because Barack Obama and information itself are inherently evil".

Your reality is so politicized that you can't even see how fucking stupid and insane you people are getting.

 

[spidey07]

Still showing as the first result from Bing. For an administration that keeps trying to say the healthcare law isn't obamacare they sure are spending a lot of time and money trying to mislead the public by pointing them to the propaganda site using tax payer dollars.

It's fucking disgusting.

 

[spidey07]

Oh lookie at this nugget confirming it is indeed a propoganda site!!! They may as well say "this site is not factually correct, just a summary"

http://www.healthcare.gov/disclaimers.html

Information Disclaimer

The information provided using this web site is only intended to be general summary information to the public. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations.

 

[soccerballtux]

drpizza must be a lefty.

 

[spidey07]

Change the title back, it's 100% correct and the HHS department confirms it. They purchased ad space to make obamacare searches go to healthcare.gov by pushing them to the top. It is 100% percent verifiable right now in bing and google.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0111/HHS_didnt_pull_ad_campaign.html?showall

 

[werepossum]

No one should be attacking Boomerang OR DrPizza. The story was arguably accurate when posted and inaccurate when the mod checked it. According to the Politico story, the ad campaign was not canceled, rather the number of people who Googled "Obamacare" probably exceeded the ad's daily budget.

Who really cares? Arguably explaining legislation to the public is a valid government function, and buying search terms (again, arguably) increases the penetration. And isn't increased penetration always a good thing? Certainly HHS is a politicized agency and will present only the positive aspects. So what? I'm sure the Republicans and conservative groups have plenty of web sites on the same search terms presenting all the bad things about Obamacare. Anyone basing his or her opinion on the first Google result (advert or not) deserves the ensuing ignorance.

 

[IBMer]

IBMer the ad is the first result!!!!

Type in Obamacare and the first thing you get is 'heathcare.gov'

The article does NOT say that the first search result is healthcare is just says that the first result is 'heathcare.gov'

You have a horrible case of "Icantread" because the article SPECIFICALLY states in the freaking title of the article even:

"HHS is Paying Google with Taxpayer Money to Alter 'Obamacare' Search Results (Updated)"

TRY AGAIN. No search results are being altered in anyway. Google has no service for sale that alters search results.

 

[Bowfinger]

Oh lookie at this nugget confirming it is indeed a propoganda site!!! They may as well say "this site is not factually correct, just a summary"

http://www.healthcare.gov/disclaimers.html

You're a moron. No shit, a web site intended for general public consumption is not going to have every single detail embedded in thousands of pages of dense legalese? Really? OMGWTFBBQ!!?!?!?!? That calls for a new Cup O'Rage for sure. We should impeach the bastards ... for being honest and forthcoming about something that would be obvious to anyone with three functioning neurons. (By the way Spidey, you'll find similar disclaimers on just about any professionally-produced web site offering legal, health, or contract information. It's the way Americans do business.)

And speaking of doing business, you nutters really need to tone down your hysterical hypocrisy a few notches. You constantly attack everything government does (when it's controlled by Democrats, of course), among other things parroting the mantra that government needs to be run more like a business. Then you bitch when that's exactly what government does, in this case using Google ads to more effectively communicate to the public. It's a modest expenditure to ensure taxpayers can readily find balanced information about a major government initiative. In short, it's a perfectly businesslike thing to do.

You really need to give it a rest. Your hatred for Obama is pathological. You seriously need help. You have become completely incapable of reasoned analysis. You are so one-sided in your attacks that you are irrelevant except for comedic purposes.

Finally -- and you may want to sit down for this so you don't pop any arteries -- the Google ad is back when I checked a few minutes ago. I think that's a good thing. "Obamacare" has become the only name most people know for this program. If they're searching for information, the official .gov site should be one of the first they find. Fortunately all the nutter disinformation sites are still listed too, so the Fox crowd can remain disinformed if they choose.

 

[Bowfinger]

No one should be attacking Boomerang OR DrPizza. The story was arguably accurate when posted and inaccurate when the mod checked it. According to the Politico story, the ad campaign was not canceled, rather the number of people who Googled "Obamacare" probably exceeded the ad's daily budget.

Who really cares? Arguably explaining legislation to the public is a valid government function, and buying search terms (again, arguably) increases the penetration. And isn't increased penetration always a good thing? Certainly HHS is a politicized agency and will present only the positive aspects. So what? I'm sure the Republicans and conservative groups have plenty of web sites on the same search terms presenting all the bad things about Obamacare. Anyone basing his or her opinion on the first Google result (advert or not) deserves the ensuing ignorance.

Well said.

 

[spidey07]

Bowfinger, the problem is tax payer money is being used for a propoganda site. I'm sure you'd be just fine if any combinations of "iraq" or "iraq war" show the first result directly to a .gov site pointing out nothing but glowing achievements being paid for by your money?

If not, you're a hypocrite and an obama ballsucker.

I am the one who is able to look at this objectively and see just how wrong it is. fuck obama.

 

[IBMer]

I am the one who is able to look at this objectively and see just how wrong it is. fuck obama.

You are about as objective as Hitler was with jews.

 

[Hacp]

You are about as objective as Hitler was with jews.

LOL. How did I know someone would bring up hitler? How did I know?

 

[William Gaatjes]

LOL. How did I know someone would bring up hitler? How did I know?

The Germans invented the internetz !

 

[IBMer]

LOL. How did I know someone would bring up hitler? How did I know?

Because you're so used to hearing it while watching Glenn Beck?

 

[Bowfinger]

Bowfinger, the problem is tax payer money is being used for a propoganda site.

"Propaganda" is in the eye of the beholder. Are there factual errors on the .gov site? If so, if they are demonstrably factually wrong as opposed to simply contrary to your indoctrination, then that would be a valid subject for criticism. Moderate promotion of the site to better inform the public of such a major government program is not only reasonable, but responsible.

I'm sure you'd be just fine if any combinations of "iraq" or "iraq war" show the first result directly to a .gov site pointing out nothing but glowing achievements being paid for by your money?

If the Pentagon, for example, set up an information site covering its activities in Iraq, providing stats, etc., I think it would be perfectly reasonable to sponsor search engine ads linking to the site. It would help the public find information about their government. Similarly, I think it would be fine for the IRS to sponsor ads for people searching on "taxes." There's nothing outrageous about the government spending modest amounts of money to better communicate with We, the People.

If not, you're a hypocrite and an obama ballsucker.

Piss of. You have absolutely no room to be calling anyone else a ballsucker given how far you have your head shoved up the ass of the right-wing lunatic fringe.

I am the one who is able to look at this objectively and see just how wrong it is. fuck obama.

That shows how badly deluded you are. I doubt there is anyone on this forum who would characterize you as "objective" on anything. Even the other nutters recognize you're extremely biased, just as even the most flaming libs would acknowledge the same about Dave. In many ways, you and Dave are perfect mirror images of each other, both so filled with over-the-top hatred you've lost any ability to be objective or reasoned about anything.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Because you're so used to hearing it while watching Glenn Beck?

No it is this reason :

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[Amused]

The mod (Dr Pizza) fucked up or is biased beyond belief. It IS the first paid ad result and heads the list:

Thus for most would appear to be the first result.

Your moderator call out has earned you serious infraction points. Only your mostly clean record has saved you from instant and substantial time off. If you have questions about a moderator decision, please use Moderator Discussions, and don't EVER refer to a moderator in this way: "The mod (Dr Pizza) fucked up or is biased beyond belief" again.

Perknose
Forum Director

 

[werepossum]

The mod (Dr Pizza) fucked up or is biased beyond belief. It IS the first paid ad result and heads the list:

But it wasn't when he tried it, nor when I tired it. After a certain number of viewings, the daily budget is reached and the ad no longer appears, according to the Politico story. Presumably today that daily budget hasn't been reached.

Honestly, this can't be the first time this sort of thing has been done. And I can't say I'm thrilled about this kind of spending, but I can see an argument that it is a legitimate function of government to inform people on new legislation. And of course it will go without saying that such information will be propaganda in that it will be one-sided. Assuming the information isn't factually wrong or dreadfully slanted towards propaganda over factual information, should it really be that big a deal?

Don't get me wrong, I can see both sides' arguments. I just can't see that it should be such a big deal for either side.

 

[IBMer]

The mod (Dr Pizza) fucked up or is biased beyond belief. It IS the first paid ad result and heads the list:

Thus for most would appear to be the first result.

The article, which was posted did not say the government bought Ad space, it said, the government paid Google to change the search results. This of course as said a bazzzzzzzilion times IS NOT TRUE.

 

[CitizenKain]

I am the one who is able to look at this objectively and see just how wrong it is. fuck obama.

Hahahahahaaha.

 

[Kev]

They are not "altering" search results. They are buying an advertisement. The reason some of you don't see it is because Google throttles AdWords throughout the day so that the advertiser does not exceed a set daily budget for clicks. Once you hit that limit, you stop seeing the ad. It's not that difficult of a concept.

 

[werepossum]

The article, which was posted did not say the government bought Ad space, it said, the government paid Google to change the search results. This of course as said a bazzzzzzzilion times IS NOT TRUE.

Arguable, since the ads are part of the search results. Search Obamacare, get the ad, as the ad is hooked into the search term. Had HHS not paid for the ad campaign, chances are no one would see the HHS site for Obamacare within the search results, so saying the government paid Google to change the search results is technically true. I could argue it either way, and either way I'd be arguing a technicality.

 

[theeedude]

I wonder if Republicans will still be calling it ObamaCare if it becomes popular.

 

[DrPizza]

Thread title fixed again to make you ninnies happy. Regardless of some people seeing the ads, it still doesn't make the original thread title correct. Search results were not altered. Newsflash: the government buys advertising space. Next to lastly, marketing majors are generally among the stupidest people in college. Even THEY know that you would market healthcare.gov during searches for Obamacare. If you can't figure that out, you're not very bright.

And lastly, if you read my opinions in P&N, you'll see that sometimes I'm left, sometimes I'm right; but generally, I don't give a shit. There were no political motivations for editing the thread title - just a desire to set things right when someone uses their thread title to mislead here.