Really, What Good Are Pop-Ups?

[JohnCrichton]

Do they generate any revenue? Does anyone really click on them?

Do companies get anything out of them except for being hated more?

To websites get out of it, besides annoyed readers who grow tired of returning cuz of all the popups?

Really... what good are they?

Are they any good..... to anyone?

[hello_lola]

They make relatively sane people go crazy and swear at their computers. I don't know how that's a good thing, but it must mean something :rolleyes: .

[Jedigreedo]

Alot of good actually... Think about it, you're sitting there blasting pop-ups and then one comes up right under your mouse in which you click on it and then takes ya to another page of pop-ups and such. Or some even upload spyware onto your computer, and send out the information to the highest bidder advertisers so they would know your name and such. I remember when just one pop-up was annoying, now it's a relief when it's just one. :mad:

[Daniel P]

It brings the site runners money... Like Geocities, which is a free service mostly, so they need extra money. Hence: Pop-ups galore.

[Elven Moon]

It serves no other purpose than to flood and freeze my computer, thus resulting in me swearing like a Sailor :rolleyes:

[JohnCrichton]

Penny Arcade's, Gabe, had something interesting to say about this actually:


Advertising

Fri, December 06 2002 - 11:21 AM
by: Gabe

I gotta crack out a Penny Arcade Christmas card today but I wanted to talk to you about advertising first.

You may have noticed that we are running an advertisement for MechAssault this month. I have already gotten some mail asking if the reason we have been talking this game up so much over the last few weeks is because MS is stuffing our pockets with cash. I find it hard to believe that anyone who has followed PA for any amount of time could consider that a possibility. You guys should know us better than that after four years. I have said on countless occasions that I feel the key to any success we may have is that we have always been 100% honest. Even when it comes to **** like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Halo we tell you what we think even when it gets us buried in hate mail. The fact of the matter is until last month I didn't think the Xbox was worth owning. I said as much right here in this very space countless times. But things have changed now and I don't mind admitting that. I play MechAssault every single night with Kiko. I think it's one of the best multiplayer games ever and I am proud as hell that we are advertising it now on PA.

That is the thing you should know about our advertisements. We actually turn **** down on a fairly regular basis. I will be the first to admit that we could certainly use the money some of these companies offer but if the game is crap we're not going to put it on the site. If you see something in that slot over there you can rest assured that we think it's worth your time to give it a click and check it out.

Here is another little behind the scenes look at the way advertising works on the internet. Game companies want animation. They want a ****ing guy to parachute down from the top of your screen and land on the article you're trying to read. They want you to have to interact with their advertisement just so you can see the content you came for. Everyone who uses the internet knows that this kind of **** is just frustrating. Look at sites like IGN, Gamespot, or Gamespy. You can't read an article there without an animated bug crawling across your screen or some flash ad blaring ****ty music. When we decided to do advertising we decided that we wouldn't ever run any kind of animated add. Some companies won't advertise with us because of it. Others, it's like pulling teeth to get a non animated ad out of them. They have this idea in their head that the only way their ads will be effective is if they are annoying as ****.

Some of them are actually shocked when ads at PA out perform animated versions at other sites like IGN. Here we are just a little comic site and we kick their ****ing ass. We tell them that if you don't insult people with ****ty flash ads, they are much more likely to actually check out your game. I have never once clicked on a flash ad except to mute it or close it and I have a feeling you guys are pretty much the same. They just can't get it through their heads that people don't like to be annoyed by advertising.

I feel like we have a pretty good relationship you and I. Maybe I'm wrong but I feel like we treat you guys pretty well and I think that's why you treat us so well in return. You click on our ads and buy our stuff at an unbelievable rate. Those new Wang Fu shirts sold out in one ****ing day. I mean that is some crazy ****. Tycho and I just want to say thanks. We have the best job in the world and we have it because of you guys. It seems like we should hug or something now.

-Gabe out

[DarthNuriko]

Pop-ups are such a pain in the arse but I agree, far less annoying than the interactive ad. =\ I go to fanfiction.net sometimes and hate it when I'm reading a fic and hear this vrooming engine noise from a banner ad (I forget for what). I've never said to myself, "what the heck, they keep shoving it in my face. sure, I'll cave in and give them some money". =P

[Barb Gordon]

I think they're the ultimate bane of existence. I have yet to find why banner ads exist, except to drive people insane...and they do quite a good job at that though. I hate it when I'm trying to rid the screen of them and accidently hit the close button on the page I was at. And the interactive ones are the worst. StarWars.com now has a few of those. I always go to that site and the stupid ads were enough to make me never want to come back. I mean, they're bad for your site, who would want them around? They make people want to avoid going there, so where's the good in that?

~Barb

[jeffrey 228]

Well also sometimes Popups can also have certin scripts that can also get installed wich can get your computer in bad issues or in danger of damaging software.

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

There's a sucker born every minute. ;)

[jeffrey 228]

Yep, and it is a real pain that if they sue about spyware, the Stock market will crash quickly and say good by to the internet for good.

[EightOh]

Oh, you guys DON'T like it when something pops up on the screen and blares music, covering up what you're trying to read? I though I was the only one who didn't enjoy that. :rolleyes:

Pop-ups are horrible, but at least pop-up stoppers can combat them. The Flash pop-under ads are even worse.

[Daniel P]

I once clicked a banner by mistake to some video game website (I was trying to close the browser) and it came up with exactly 12 ads in four seconds, and half of them were porn.

[Outlander00]

Originally posted by dacp3
I once clicked a banner by mistake to some video game website (I was trying to close the browser) and it came up with exactly 12 ads in four seconds, and half of them were porn.

Wow... rough.

The WERE a benefit back in 98, when people started to use them more because of the tech boom... But now, they are frustrating because they pop-up ALL the time and the are advertising crap. Some marketing. Ugh, technology sucks at times :p

[Calhoun07]

A man is actually suing over pop up ads. For more information, read here. (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134590896_webad06.html). This may be the most worth while frivilous law suit EVER. I hope he wins!

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

Originally posted by Calhoun07
A man is actually suing over pop up ads. For more information, read here. (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134590896_webad06.html). This may be the most worth while frivilous law suit EVER. I hope he wins!
Woo! Down with Bonzi! :D

http://www.cheatcc.com/pics/signup_ads.jpg

[Crystalfox0]

There is only one pop-up that I like. It's the pop-up that gets rid of pop-ups :D

[ZorBrak]

Originally posted by Jedigreedo
Or some even upload spyware onto your computer, and send out the information to the highest bidder

Not me my computer is registered to "User" lol, I bet those bidders feel stupid when they see that

[Parallax]

Originally posted by JohnCrichton
Do they generate any revenue? Does anyone really click on them?

Do companies get anything out of them except for being hated more?

To websites get out of it, besides annoyed readers who grow tired of returning cuz of all the popups?

Really... what good are they?

Are they any good..... to anyone?

To make you hit the computer with a sledgehammer. No really. ;)

[Pilmedium]

Sometimes they can be so annoying, that while annoyed about a few rapidly appearing, you click on one by accident. I have seen private sites putting up banners to try to earn money; quite lame to say the least. The media will probably do everything they can to stop the guy from winning the lawsuit.

[Calhoun07]

When I used AOL, I would actually get pop ups from time to time that appeared OFF SCREEN. I'd have to click on the arrows on the side and bottom to find it to close the thing out. And of course, once you closed it, 20 more popped up, and you were left with no choice but to close AOL down and restart the program. I am not on AOL anymore, and haven't had problems like that since. Of course, I try to stick to visiting websites with zero or few pop ups as it is.

[Sandro]

Pop-ups are just out of control. I know someone is trying to make an honest buck but really, it's just too much.

I once clicked a banner by mistake to some video game website (I was trying to close the browser) and it came up with exactly 12 ads in four seconds, and half of them were porn.

That's happened to me once. Pop-ups involving porn are the most annoying.

A man is actually suing over pop up ads. For more information, read here.. This may be the most worth while frivilous law suit EVER. I hope he wins!

I hope he does too. I hate those ads that say things like "Your computer is broadcasting an IP address" or "Your computer isn't safe enough". Those are just extremely misleading and confusing to people and they should be stopped.