Pop up adds on FT -- "Do you support G W Bush?"
Mar 31, 2003, 2:11 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: YVR
Posts: 9,999
Pop up adds on FT -- "Do you support G W Bush?"
Over the last month, pop up ads seem to once again be pervasive on FT. The most recent one asks for your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, gender and age, along with a bunch of spam generating questions, with "Do you support President Bush?" as the leading question. Seems a particularly bad idea on a forum such as FT.
The alleged survey then goes on to ask questions (and I presume generate even more spam) on behalf of cash for e-mail programs, The Gaming Club, home based business opportunities, homeowner loans for those with bad credit, USA Today, more home based businesses (earn $100K annually), 2 free air tickets, $5K Visa and MasterCard, and $250-$1000 a week using your computer. In short, the absolute scummiest of spam scams, with the possible exception of USA Today.
Seems to me it's time for FT to take serious action to stop this kind of nonsense. It certainly degrades the image of FT.
The alleged survey then goes on to ask questions (and I presume generate even more spam) on behalf of cash for e-mail programs, The Gaming Club, home based business opportunities, homeowner loans for those with bad credit, USA Today, more home based businesses (earn $100K annually), 2 free air tickets, $5K Visa and MasterCard, and $250-$1000 a week using your computer. In short, the absolute scummiest of spam scams, with the possible exception of USA Today.
Seems to me it's time for FT to take serious action to stop this kind of nonsense. It certainly degrades the image of FT.
Mar 31, 2003, 2:20 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: YVR
Posts: 9,999
And after having posted all that, I notice a non-pop-up ad at the top of this very thread asking if you "Need to find the past history of your neighbors?" and another asking if you "Need to know more about your neighbors?" Each goes on to suggest Boyfriends? (what about Girlfriends?) Co-workers? Babysitter? Boss?
There are also bogus text boxes, drop down boxes, links for Background Checks, Driving Records, Court Records, and Sex Offenders, and a bogus SEARCH button.
At this rate, FT advertisers are going to be offending a lot of people, and then offending them further with tons of spam. I don't know who's responsible for overseeing advertising on FT, but they seem to have fallen down on the job.
Either that, or ad standards have been dramaticly lowered.
There are also bogus text boxes, drop down boxes, links for Background Checks, Driving Records, Court Records, and Sex Offenders, and a bogus SEARCH button.
At this rate, FT advertisers are going to be offending a lot of people, and then offending them further with tons of spam. I don't know who's responsible for overseeing advertising on FT, but they seem to have fallen down on the job.
Either that, or ad standards have been dramaticly lowered.
Mar 31, 2003, 2:53 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: This year we're going to the BAFTAs!
Posts: 5,518
I'm quite certain Randy is in charge of these things and he's always responded when people have raised concerns about the ads that appear on FT. As such, it would seem this should be posted in "Only Randy Petersen" or through email: [email protected].
Mar 31, 2003, 7:04 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,700
This site uses Avenue A to serve up ads (according to Spybot).
Opt out here. I can't vouch for its effectiveness.
Randy, don't kill me.
Mike
(edited for punctuation)
[This message has been edited by Mikey likes it (edited 03-31-2003).]
Opt out here. I can't vouch for its effectiveness.
Randy, don't kill me.
Mike
(edited for punctuation)
[This message has been edited by Mikey likes it (edited 03-31-2003).]
Mar 31, 2003, 11:24 am
#6
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,048
I have never had any popups on FT. Are you sure you don't have spyware from another program on your computer?
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"I just wanna wish you good luck, we're all counting on you"
-Dr. Rumack
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"I just wanna wish you good luck, we're all counting on you"
-Dr. Rumack
Mar 31, 2003, 1:37 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: YYZ
Posts: 290
Was that directed at Ken, Randy? I haven't seen anything from him that would "degrade" FT. Quite the opposite.
Although I haven't seen the ad he's referring to, I'd tend to agree with his comments - any pop-up of the nature he describes would detract from the significant value we all gain from FT.
Ken, where do you see this ad?
-Zombie-
Although I haven't seen the ad he's referring to, I'd tend to agree with his comments - any pop-up of the nature he describes would detract from the significant value we all gain from FT.
Ken, where do you see this ad?
-Zombie-
Mar 31, 2003, 6:49 pm
#10
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
I made four or five entries in a host file on the machine at home and haven't seen a pop up add on this site since. Never got around to making them in the office, so they are still all over the place there.
Information on what I added and how to do it is in this forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum72/HTML/000730.html
Seriously, those few entries have worked wonders.
Information on what I added and how to do it is in this forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum72/HTML/000730.html
Seriously, those few entries have worked wonders.
Mar 31, 2003, 6:51 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: YVR
Posts: 9,999
The first one appears as a pop up, but these pop ups only appear when within FT. I run ad-aware on a regular basis, and also have firewall that blocks most. Usually the only pop-ups I see are spawned with Java from sites I'm actually looking at.
The second ad, i.e. spying on your neigbours et al, is the banner add right on the FT screen at the top. They rotate the ads, so an just pops up randomly.
(Right now I'm on a friends computer, and the ad is for AOL 8.0 -- "Get 1045 hours Free! for 45 days." But if I refresh in a few minutes, a different ad will pop up.)
Seems that travel or related ads would be valuable, and be reaching their target market, but I think AOL has just about worn out it's welcome everywhere in the universe.
The second ad, i.e. spying on your neigbours et al, is the banner add right on the FT screen at the top. They rotate the ads, so an just pops up randomly.
(Right now I'm on a friends computer, and the ad is for AOL 8.0 -- "Get 1045 hours Free! for 45 days." But if I refresh in a few minutes, a different ad will pop up.)
Seems that travel or related ads would be valuable, and be reaching their target market, but I think AOL has just about worn out it's welcome everywhere in the universe.
Apr 1, 2003, 6:34 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 37,486
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mjmjr:
I agree with g_ that you might have spyware serving the popups.
Browser I use is set to warn and suppress popups and I don't get any warning icon, or popups on FT.</font>
I agree with g_ that you might have spyware serving the popups.
Browser I use is set to warn and suppress popups and I don't get any warning icon, or popups on FT.</font>
As for the topic, yes, I got that popup as well and I am spyware free.