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Internet Security
How
To Stop Pop-Up Ads
Advertising is part of what makes the internet
a profitable investment for companies. Without advertising,
in one form or another, the web simply could not be the free
service it generally is. One form of advertising on
the World Wide Web is the pop-up ad. This kind of advertising works when
you open a certain website. As you open it, another window
opens to display an advertisement. To close the advertisement,
you either have to click on the ad or close the new browser
window that has opened for you. You can also experience a version
of this called a pop-under. This opens a window under your
current browser window. This means you will not see it until
the window you are using has been closed.
In the early days of the internet, simple banner ads on websites
were profitable enough for companies. However, as the internet
increased in popularity, and the dot com crash of the nineties
happened, banner ads began to stop generating the cash they
once were. As a result, pop-up ads became popular. They
are harder to ignore. These ads also have a higher click rate,
and they are more difficult to close, making them that much
more likely to close a sale.
The major users of pop-up ads are pornographic websites. Sometimes
the pop-up ads can get a bit more persistent with these kinds
of sites. Instead of a single window opening, multiple windows
open. As the user attempts to close each window, another one
opens. The only way to stop this is to close the browser or
shut the computer down. Another more persistent type
of pop-up is usually referred to as “mouse trapping.” This type of ad
fills your screen and removes all icons and menu bars so it
is impossible to kill the ad. The only way to get rid of this
ad is to shut the computer down, as access to other open windows,
web pages, and programs is eliminated. The static image ad
is also quite common. In this variation, the ad stays in one
location as long as a particular program is open. This is most
common with music programs and websites.
Working on the internet is not the only way to get pop-up
ads. Some software programs have pop-up ads. If spyware has
infected your computer, you may also be experiencing pop-up
ads at random intervals.
Not only are these ads annoying, the more persistent forms
of pop-ups ads can be damaging to your computer with improper
shut downs of certain programs. Moreover, some of these ads
can carry malware, which can be very harmful to your system.
It is important to stop these ads at all costs, if for no other
reason than to save your sanity.
There
are several things you can do to combat pop-up ads. The first line of defense is your browser itself. A number
of different companies make browsers that eliminate pop-up
ads before they ever begin. Gecko-based browsers, including
Mozilla Firefox and Netscape versions seven and eight, are
very good at stopping pop-up ads before they even start. A
Gecko-based browser is an open source web browser layout engine.
It is considered to be the second most popular type of search
engine layout. Other companies that make browsers that eliminate
pop-up ads include America Online and Internet Explorer. Not
all versions of these browsers, though, support pop-up blocking
technology, so it is important to check before you install.
Another
thing you can do to combat pop-up ads is install an add-on
program. Several toolbars and software programs claim
to block pop-ups. Yahoo's toolbar, MSN's toolbar, and Google's
toolbar all claim to block pop-ups. The freeware programs KillAd
and NoAds close the windows before they open. Other software
programs including Super Ad Blocker, Pop-Up Stopper, Pop-Up
Sentry, and Proximitron work in a similar fashion.
Many
users are unaware of pop-up blocking technology. As a
result, people continue to fight with pop-up ads on a daily
basis. Armed with this new knowledge, though, you can be among
the intelligent and begin fighting your pop-up ads with a new
browser or a software add-on program.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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