Browser Becomes Billboard

MikeKD writes "Citing a desire to 'enhance the user experience', United Virtualities is 'preparing to introduce a product [called Ooqa Ooqa] that will allow advertisers to automatically change the appearance of Web browsers, usurping some of the functions built into popular browsers...', according to an MSNBC article--and all this supposedly without downloading any additional software. UV says a lot of sweet things about being able to turn it off and allowing the web sites to customize the degree of intrusion (from reverting to normal form when leaving to retaining the rebrand even after leaving), but does anyone think advertisers will restrain themselves? Not I." Friends don't let friends use browsers susceptible to this.

Comments

WHAT?!?!???

[Blackstealth]

I get plenty annoyed by the banner ads on slashdot, I don't need to visit some cheap and nasty site and having it changing my browser appearance to get me to try to remember to avoid it the future. Thank Bob (and possibly CowBoyNeal) for Mozilla...

My god mod the troll down

[Tokerat]

If you don't like cookies to be stored on your comptuer, turn them off.

Would you rather /. logged your IP address? Oh great, imagine what lameass little trolling skript kiddies will do with THAT list once they break in and steal it. I think a number in your browser's database is harmless. QYFB!

Re:I use Comcast's Internet Explorer...

[praktike]

...and every time that I open a window I see on the title bar: "Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by Comcast"

this can be changed in the registry to anything you want. just go the the internet explorer/main section, and it should be pretty straightforward.