I have been using AdSense for about 3 years and think it is wonderful. There are also programs like it from Yahoo and I think MSN.
With these programs, you just put the code on your site and the system figures out what your site is about and works to show ads that match what you have. It is very easy and does not need any work once it is installed.
If someone is banned, it is generally because they click on their own ads, which is "stealing", or have those they know click on the ads, or join an auto-surf program or something like that where all the members click on each others ads. The other thing that will get you banned is breaking some of Google's rules about how the site is constructed or how the ads are displayed. You have to read and understand the rules and ask if you are not sure. If you do, then I think you will be pretty happy with AdSense. The money may not be huge unless you have a large amount of traffic.
One main difference with affilate programs and Adsense is that with affiliate links, your page or site is about things related to the affiliate program. People come because they are interested, and if your page works, they click on the affiliate link and buy something so you get paid. They have to click, but they also have to buy something. If the affiliate site is not very good, they will leave and you make nothing.
With AdSense, you try to have content that attracts visitors, but then you want them to leave your site, and use the ads to do so.
I have been a terrible affiliate marketer. Some people make a lot of money being an affiliate, but it has never worked for me. I would read as much as you can about affilate programs and join some forums for affiliates before trying them. I think it will save you from wasting time with things that do not work, or do not work well.
And you need to know that you can do both! There is no reason you cannot create an affilate site and have some pages with Adsense on them.
This way, you have a good chance to get paid if the person uses the affiliate links (targeted traffic) or if they use Adsense (poorly targeted traffic). If they don't see something they like, they use the "back" button and you don't get paid.
Now the third thing to consider at this point when you start having some traffic and some Google PR on your site is to sell some links. I have about 50 sites and I'm making more selling links than I am with Google. This may change, but for now my sites are making money two ways. I have a few affiliate links, but I make almost nothing with them. If I had time I would do more with affiliate programs, but it takes some time to set them up, create one or more pages, and then the programs sometimes end and you have to start over again...!
By the way, I like these forums, but I am not going to add my AdSense code for two reasons. One, I don't want anyone to click on ads with my code just to help me or the forums, and two, I don't trust that Google will approve of those that do this in a shared or community environment. I'm not saying others should not do it, only that I'm not comfortable with it.
I don't need to be paid for my posts (although NS donations are welcome

), and I would prefer to see more text links, banners, or ads from AdBrite.com to help support this forum. That would avoid any possibility of click fraud.
