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FTC Shuts Down 'Pop-Up Trapping' Sites
Masem writes: "The FTC today ordered the shutdown of 5,500 sites owned by John Zuccarini, all of them the so-called 'typo' sites that common mis-entered URLs for popular sites (such as Annakurnikova.com); when the user visits these sites, their back button behavior in most popular browsers is modified as to open multiple pop-ups featuring ads for adult entertainment and gambling sites when pressed, and uses other technology to basically 'trap' the browser until the entire application has to be closed. While some sites are still operating, the FTC is going to take this matter to court, which may decide exactly how much control a web site can take over the end browser using JavaScript and ActiveX. CNet has the full story." Le Marteau contributes a link to the same story at the Washington Post.
I wonder if this would be considered as terrorism in Ashcroft's proposed law?
Not all porn sites pay per impression. Gamma Entertainment, a company that runs several large porn sites, will pay you either $25 per sign-up (through text, banner, or pop-up links) or five cents per banner click. If your pop-up ad is annoying, nobody will intentionally click on it and sign up, and you won't get paid. They won't pay you for banner impressions at all, probably because they recieved a large number of complaints that webmasters were claiming pop-up ads as impressions.
I'm sorry this sounds like an ad. I don't work for them and if I was trying to make money from this post, I'd have created a referral-kickback link.
The shareholder is always right.