My next suggestion

While I recognize the need for google adds on the site, I think the current placement/format is a bit obtrusive. I understand that the majority of people are NOT running at the same resolution that I am. My question is What resolution did you design this site for?

Currently I have a ton of dead space to the left and right, and because of the google ad the list of members to a tag gets pushed way below the map and under the google ads. This makes for a very unweildy look.

Many sites are designed to shift according to the viewers resolution instead of being locked into a single one. I think going for that design so the google ad can be better placed. The Map should be directly along side the list of tagged members. With the Google Ads to the far left, and right of the site, sorta bookending it.

I wish I could explain what I mean better, but I'm not sure I can. :-/

It seems like the website was designed for an 800px wide screen. However, if you make the text portions of the website any wider, it loses its readability. It is far easier for someone to read relatively narrow columns than full width lines. However, I do agree that having the map and ads right below the initial post breaks up the vertical flow. Essentially, it seems to be a lose-lose situation.

-Aeryn

So, I thought about this a little more, and I played with the CSS a little bit. I think it would help the flow of the site if a simple thin border was placed around the advertising sections. It is much easier to flow past something when it has a nice block around it. While this may not do much for ad-clicking, it will make the site much easier to view. And personally, I am more likely to come back to a site that is easier to view, and the more I view a site, the more likely I will click on the advertisements.

+2c -Aeryn

FWIW, "remove the borders" is the very first tip in every AdSense toolbox, because it makes people more likely to look at the ads. Right now I don't have enough traffic to draw meaningful conclusions from small changes in layout and design (though I did see a drop in hits when the map on the tag page was teeny for a couple days).

I've put the idea on my todo list, but it'll be a while before it comes up. Right now I think the personalization features will make the biggest difference in making the site usable.