Google's AdSense reporting system was down for maintenance Saturday, which is often a sign that Google is adding new features to the account management interface. Could this be related to the recent testing of cost per action affiliate selling programs? Whatever it is, it's bound to be good news for publishers. In its media day in March, Google’s priorities for the coming year included “building new products and services for publishers of information," suggesting an increased focus on AdSense. Google is also hiring new employees for its AdSense team, including one position described as a "cross-functional champion of AdSense publisher needs."
The short-term impact: a brief scare for AdSense publishers who check their earnings compulsively. "It was certainly odd today to see '0 - $0.00' on my Firefox windows," noted Eric Giguere (who uses the Firefox AdSense Notifier plugin, which is a great tool).