Can someone please explain pay-per-click ads and click fraud to me please?

[zoesterz]

I bought my very first domains several days ago and parked them at a place where they put up pay-per-click ads, and I get paid like a few cents every time a "unique" visitor clicks through one of them. So I was clicking through proxy servers and clicking on my ads to make a couple bucks without giving it much thought. I just discovered the term "click fraud" and am shocked to think that I may have been engaging in something immoral, if not illegal! My questions are:1) Is what I was doing "click fraud," and if so, is it really illegal?2) Is it like, dishonest? Or is there some kind of win-win-win dynamic that I just am not thinking about? Sorry, this is all brand new to me! Is clicking your own ads bad??

[Dak K]

1. If you were clearing your history each time you clicked on the ad, then yes to both parts. If not it only counted as a single click.2. Technically, yes, it is dishonest if you were clearing your history. (But I'm sure that very few people will care) My tip to you is don't do it excessively.