19 March
About Time
Advertising pop-ups are enough to make you hurl your lap-top (or whatever you happen to be holding at the time that anger strikes) through the window, aren’t they? You’ll be all excited one minute, booking the trip of a lifetime to see a safari and real live elephants and lions, and the next you’ll be hitting BOOK and a pop-up window will flash across the screen which dances about the place before, finally, five frustrating minutes later, threatening to shut down your computer–leaving you angry and ballistic and not knowing whether or not your credit card has been charged after all!
This and more is discussed here.
And it really does makes sense. Why should online advertising be a free-for-all, while print publications are strictly monitored and governed by tight and just laws that threaten court action and massive fines when the line is crossed? It should have happened a long time ago, of course. There is simply no excuse for it to continue any longer.
But in some ways it is understandable. The internet, after all, is not and can not be privy to the same rules as offline publications are. If you know anything about the internet and advertising then you will know that many millions of sites rely 100% on advertising to survive as businesses. Shut these adverts down and not only do the businesses struggle, but you won’t be able to get as good a deal on those brand new shoes / tennis rackets etc. So I think it’s a case of being diligent, but fair. After all, advertising is what makes the business world go around, and it’ll always be here, so long as we are spending money.