Google Post II: What's Important to Jew?

Interesting. We are discussing Google policies and then I get an email from my Aunt to sign a petition to get Jew Watch removed from the top of Google's organic search results. That Jew Watch comes up first is true. You can google it now and see. The petition is also real and reports over 300,000 people have "signed" it. But, truly, there is no way Google is going to alter their organic search results. As we are learning, Google is hyper-governing (if inconsistent) with their paid advertising and completely laissez faire with their organic search. And, at least the laissez faire part, makes sense. The organic search is like the public's "vote" for important and relevant information for the keyword. Unfortunately some quack has created a monolithic site and apparently lots of other quacks link to it. Jew Watch is important and relevant to quacks searching for quackery on Jews.

How about you, Jew? Got a website? LINK TO what is important to you about Jews NOW:

I choose Wikipedia's article on Jews.

NLTD To Be Reviewed by Google: "Gambling" Disallowed on Ad Words

No Limit Texas Dreidel may be kicked off Google Ad Words. I just had a "chat" with the Ad specialist and it doesn't look good. We'd set up Google Ads because dreidel is so commonly misspelled: dreidel, driedel, driedle, draydel, etc. etc.. We had every combination of dreidel with poker, and no limit, and hold'em, and holdem so people googling for us could find us. I looked up our account today and all our keywords had been disapproved. During the chat with the specialist she speculated that NLTD may be disallowed because it fits their definition of gambling. My shocked response was, "it's chocolate: you spin the top and win chocolate."

There is chance and there is wager: but so is true with Mah Jong, Monopoly, and the traditional dreidel game. What differentiates these games along with NLTD, is that the wager isn't something of real value: points, play money, and chocolate.

What do you think? I'd really like to hear some opinions on this.

Here is Google's policy for gambling:

And here is our chat transcript:
Tai: Hello, thanks for your patience, Jennie. I'm happy to help you with your Google AdWords account.
Jennie: Great!
Jennie: I have a few campaigns
Tai: Would you mind waiting a moment while I pull up your account?
Jennie: I see two of them have disapproved keywords
Jennie: sure.
Tai: Ok, which are these?
Jennie: lets look at ModernTribe first
Jennie: [the name of the campaign]
Jennie: all these keywords are disapproved
Jennie: why?
Tai: I believe it's because your ad text references gambling, which is a prohibited product per our product policy, so all keywords associated with it will be disapproved as well.
Jennie: ok. This is a problem for me. I mention poker because our game, which is played with chocolate coins for Hanukkah is a riff on poker. I can't use the word poker?
Tai: I would suggest not including words about gambling in your ad if you want your ad to run. You can read our policy at:
Tai: https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=47220
Jennie: so any type of poker is considered gambling?
Tai: Yes.
Jennie: so how do I go about getting my keywords re-approved, now that I removed "poker" from my ad?
Tai: I would suggest also removing other gambling-related terms like 'Texas Hold'em' from your ads, Jennie. Let me check for a moment on the best way for your keywords to be re-reviewed.
Jennie: thanks. Is there any way to get this over-rid, considering my game is No Limit Texas Dreidel which is a dreidel game, played with chocolate but is a spoof on Texas Hold'em poker?
Tai: Thanks for holding, Jennie. I found that your keywords will be re-reviewed with any ad text changes, so there's nothing additional you need to do.
Jennie: let's talk about The other campaign
Jennie: [Campaign Name]
Jennie: All these words are disapproved. But the ad isn't disapproved
Tai: I am first researching the answer to your other question, Jennie, then I'll be happy to take a look at that next campaign.
Tai: Jennie, I don't believe that even spoofs on gambling would be allowed by our product policy. However, if you'd like me to double check with our policy team, I'd be happy to do that then get back to you in the next few days with their answer.
Jennie: OK. Thank you. Can we discuss the other campaign.
Jennie: I now understand why maybe poker keywords would be disapproved. But why all keywords. When the ad isn't disapproved?
Tai: Sure, let me look it up.
Tai: This is the same situation; that your words are disapproved per our product policy.
Jennie: but all the words?
Jennie: how do I fix this?
Jennie: I need to remove "poker" I understand
Tai: I'd suggest deleting all gambling-related keywords.
Tai: Right.
Tai: Then you can modify your ad text to prompt them to be re-reviewed.
Jennie: OK. Is the review by robot or by a human?
Tai: By a human.
Jennie: OK. So if "No Limit" is the name of my game, can I keep "no Limit" as the search words?
Tai: Jennie, I am going to check on whether your product is allowable at all per our product policy. You might want to hold off making changes until I get back to you about this.
Jennie: It's a Hanukkah game, played with chocolate
Jennie: you've got to be kidding me
Jennie: do you know what the dreidel game is?
Tai: Again, I would suggest you read over our product policy page.
Tai: This clearly lists gambling games played even for fun to be prohibited.
Tai: However, I will be happy to run your particular situation by our policy team and get back to you about it.
Jennie: but, every "game of chance" is a gambling game. Even traditional dreidel
Jennie: You spin the top and win chocolate
Tai: Jennie, I can see that you are frustrated, but this is not a productive conversation.
Tai: As I said, I will check with our policy team about this, and let you know the result.
Jennie: I'm not frustrated
Tai: Is jennienina@gmail.com the best email address for me to use/
Tai: ?
Jennie: Jennie@ModernTribe.com is better
Tai: Ok, I will get back to you, most likely by next Monday.
Jennie: OK.
Jennie: Thank you!

Week One: Jewish Living & So Much Fun!

Week One: I've gained five pounds and am developing carpal tunnel.

The game is selling gangbuster-ly. People are ordering multiple copies which makes our hearts sing. So thank you readers + shoppers (I know you are there even if you don't comment!)

Last night we did a photoshoot trying to come up with ad content for a new magazine coming out this November: Jewish Living. It's not for most of you Heebsters, I don't imagine. But it looks like it will be a great mag for young women with families. The magazine is going to be sold in Whole Foods. CROSSOVER. It's coming. I'm sure of it. Soon the entire country will be playing dreidel: No Limit Texas Dreidel, of course. Here is a picture from our photoshoot -- this is not for the ad as it promotes dangerous behavior (a small child near fire and small dreidels - oy!)


Shalom and have an easy fast.

When I Wish Upon a Jewish Star

I found a thoughtful write up on Jewish graphic design from a designer named Rev Cruz. He entered a logo design contest we sponsored on Worth1000 to design ModernTribe's logo. We asked the contestants to reinvent the Star of David.

Rev Cruz was one of many many (40+) submissions and it was one we really liked. We didn't end up choosing his design for our brandmark but we did purchase the design and will be using it somewhere -- I think it would look great on a t-shirt! What do you think?

Here is Rev Cruz's post:
Perelandran Chronicles: Logo Design: Center for Jewish Values and ModernTribe

and here is his super design he writes he emulated from club music innovators Hed Kandi:

Welcome Fellow Heebs!

Today is opening day at ModernTribe.com. It's been a long few weeks working with our webnerds trying to get the site up in time... in time for the banner ad? No. In time for the email blast? Sorta. You, dear Heeb readers, get to see our site first. Voila.

If you can take a minute to say shalom, tell us who you are and what you think of the site and products so far, we would appreciate it. Be nice: your shopkeepers are tired.

Pointing Guns and Knocking Skulls

Guns and skulls are hot. Through our 11 hour tromp through New York's Midtown neighborhoods, we saw these motifs over and over (e.g., 3Guns Vase by SuckUK). I soon found myself searching for skull tees.




Grave motifs for a country supposedly obsessed with safety and peace. Maybe it's an expression of our unspoken desire to be carrying that gun.

I wanted skulls for ModernTribe and was wondering... are there skull + star of David motifs? Yah. I hunted them down and you can find them here.