While I do link to YouTube videos, or sites that embed them, I do not embed them directly in my blog. Why not? YouTube uses the end of each video to promote links other videos and advertisements, and does not give me any control over what is displayed there.

Same goes for Google Ads, by the way. I’d rather have no advertising at all than find myself advertising products or services I don’t believe in, don’t support, or am offended by.

I was on one site (the homepage of a Jewish organization), and was sad to see Google Ads for missionary messianic Christian cults showing up in the sidebar. Cults are savvy enough to choose keywords that will show up in searches for Jewish content. On another occasion, a religious venture capitalist was unwittingly posting links to pornographic videos (the links being embedded in the closing frame of a humorous YouTube video); I wonder how many people activated one of those links intending to navigate to the main page of the humorous video?

Surely the site owners in both of these cases were not aware of what was creeping through the cracks, but that isn’t good enough. Not for me.

Many people will say, “Who cares? It’s just advertising. You don’t even know what’s going on. Maybe the ads are fine.” Sorry; I do know. I do care. I believe I need to take responsibility.