Web users 'must endure' pop-up ads

Guardian ^ | 09/08/03 | Owen Gibson

[Pikamax]

Web users 'must endure' pop-up ads

Owen Gibson Monday September 8, 2003

Internet users will continue to be plagued by unwanted pop-up adverts after a US judge ruled websites can do nothing to prevent companies placing ads on

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their pages without permission. "Alas, we computer users must endure pop-up advertising," district judge Gerald Bruce Lee ruled in a US court in Virginia.

While this ruling applies only to America, other US-based web judgments have tended to set a precedent on this side of the Atlantic.

The decision is a blow to the owners of websites that have been plagued by rogue advertising.

Over the past two years online publishers have filed more than a dozen lawsuits against internet advertising firms Gator Corporation and WhenU.com.

The companies operate by offering web surfers free software or downloads, such as video players or screen savers, that come with ad serving programmes attached.

Once downloaded they will then be shown pop-up adverts independent of the website they are visiting.

While many of the online publishers complaining about Gator and WhenU.com also deliver pop-up ads to their users, they argue they can limit the number of times they are shown and ensure the adverts are suitable for their audience.

Dotcoms are also concerned the pop-ups offered by companies such as Gator may advertise products and websites that rival their own.

"Computer users, like this trial judge, may wonder what we have done to warrant the punishment of seizure of our computer screens by pop-up advertisements for secret web cameras, insurance, travel values and fad diets," Mr Lee said.

However, he ruled that, while annoying, the adverts did not break any trademark or copyrights laws and consumers had generally agreed to download the ad serving software.

"Ultimately it is the computer user who controls the windows displayed on the computer desktop," he said.

However, many users complain is often far from obvious that they are agreeing to install the "spyware" software on their computers and that, once installed, it is difficult to remove.

The suit was brought by removal company U-Haul International, which said it was considering an appeal.

Last year Gator reached an out of court settlement with a dozen media companies, including the Washington Post and Dow Jones, over similar complaints.

Gator also faces outstanding suits from other online publishers.

[SSN558]

Not if you use Mozilla Firebird :)

Pest patrol does a pretty good job of blocking the pop up adds as well. The pop up adds were most annoying, just another form of Spam.

[FLAMING DEATH]

I switched to Mozilla Firebird about four months ago. I can't recall one popup that this thing has let through, as opposed to IE, which lets one through seemingly every five seconds.

Not only that, it has ten times the features that IE has, and the best part is you only have to have the ones you want. You can pick and choose by going to a Mozilla Extensions page such as www.texturizer.net/firebird/extensions.html, and download only the ones you want. They install simply and seamlessly.

I got a nifty one that lets you put an IE skin on your browser (it's called Luna). I set it up to look almost exactly like IE, so I didn't have to waste time getting used to a new layout and buttons.

After trying this, I can't figure out why anyone would want to stick with Internet Exploder. When I use it now (at work), it seems clunky, slow, and of course, I'm bombarded with ads to consolidate my debt.

[TomServo]

I didn't know there'd be a quiz.

lol. Serious - read the FAQ. A small surprise in there.

[BibChr]

Well, color me "duh," but I did, and I didn't see it.

Croooooooooooooooooow?

/c8

[SeaDragon]

Glad there is lots of browser competition for the Macintosh so I dont have to use Microsoft's inferior product.

Me too!

I have used OmniWeb many times. It is an excellent browser.

[maxwellp]

The only web site I have a problem with is NewsMax. You will spend most of your time on NewsMax clicking out the unwanted ads, which I don't read.

[moehoward]

"Tell me about chimera, please!
I am using Safaria, and usually like it, but some web-sites are not friendly to it!"

Certainly. Chimera is now called Camino. I still use the older Chimera

You can get either here

Enjoy!

[btcusn]

Speaking of SPAM, has anyone noticed how many popups Drudge has now.

Never get popups from Drudge, or ANY other web page.
Linux and Mozilla
Jack

[Calvin Locke]

You don't watch TV?

I'm watching less and less. Usually, it's on as background.

Soooo, the networks now resort to popups with sound effects during the segments.

What really ticked me off was TBS(?) cutting off the credits and music of Animal House Sunday. What's up with that?

[rdb3]

You don't watch TV?

Only FNC and sports.

[hunter112]

I got a nifty one that lets you put an IE skin on your browser (it's called Luna). I set it up to look almost exactly like IE, so I didn't have to waste time getting used to a new layout and buttons.

Okay, this did it, I'm convinced to try Firebird. Hopefully, it will make my lousy dialup speed (can't get any faster than 28.8 out of this tin-can-and-string local telephone service here in the boonies) more bearable. The Luna thing sealed it for me.

But thanks to the person who mentioned the Google Bar ad blocker, it seems to work, too.

[tiamat]

Thanks so much!

Tia

[an amused spectator]

"Ultimately it is the computer user who controls the windows displayed on the computer desktop," he [judge Gerald Bruce Lee] said.

Spoken like the true s-f-brains FJESL life member that he is.

Gator is one of THE most obnoxious spyware programs that there is, and once it's on, many end users DON'T have a choice about taking it back off.

Ain't it nice to be ruling from ignorance? ;-)

[hunter112]

OK, finished my download of Mozilla Firebird overnight (like I said earlier, the phone lines are S-L-O-W around these parts!), been using it this morning and I do like it. Only thing is, when I click on a link in my email, IE6 pops up. Any way to get Firebird to come up from Outlook Express?

[FLAMING DEATH]

Try this...open Mozilla, go to Tools, Options, General. Down near the bottom, click on Set Default Browser. This should open Mozilla instead of IE when you click on links.

Or, you can ditch Outlook altogether and get the Mozilla Thunderbird email program. I hear it doesn't have nearly the security problems that Outlook is supposed to have, and even though I haven't used it (I use Yahoo mail as my primary account), I figure it is probably as good or better than Outlook.

If you try this, let me know how it works for you.

Here's a neat trick to try with Firebird...save a bookmark ("favorite" in IE speak). Then, click on Bookmarks and highlight your bookmark. Right click, then click Properties. On the next menu, enter a keyword. Then click OK.

Now, go to the address bar and type your keyword, and it should take you right to the site, without having to open the favorites menu.

You can also specify keywords for search engines and such which will allow you to do searches from your address bar. For example, you can set it up so you type, "yahoo brazil" and it will do a search and give you the results page without having to go through the Yahoo front page. Pretty cool, although I forget exactly how to do this. Look around on all the Mozilla pages you find out there, and I'm sure you can locate it.

Have fun with your new browser.

[pointsal]

A POP-FREE ping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FLAMING DEATH]

Okay, I remembered how to do searches from the address bar.

Pick a site. We'll say Google. Go there, and in the search box, type: blah

Now, you should be looking at the results page. Go to the very top menu, where it says File, Edit, View, Go, Bookmarks, Tools, Help. Click Bookmarks here (NOT the icon in the lower tool bar), Add to Bookmarks, OK.

Now, go back up and click on your bookmarks menu. Right click on the Google bookmark you just saved, and click Properties.

You'll see the name of your bookmark, "Google Search: blah". Change this to read simply, "Google Search" or "Google".

Below that is a URL, which should look like this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=blah&btnG=Google+Search (please don't click on this link).

Now, look through this URL and find your keyword, "blah"

Remove "blah", replace it with: %s

Go to Keyword, type in: google

Hit OK.

Now, go to your toolbar, and type, "google free republic"

It should bring up the results page without having to go through the Google front page. It is kinda complicated, but you only have to do it once.

Some sites won't work with this, but a lot will. I know that Dictionary.com and Encarta both work with this method.