Earthlink software helps banish pop-up ads

EarthLink arsenal for luring away subscribers from its online rivals (Microsoft's MSN and AOL) includes a $10 million marketing campaign and new access software that will block pop-up ads, one of the most frequently cited annoyances on the Internet.

Both EarthLink and MSN have been aggressively trying to woo away dissatisfied AOL users with tools to reduce junk email and pop-up ads, for example.

"The whole notion is really around switchers and providing a better Internet experience with fewer drop-offs, pop ups and spam," Karen Gough, EarthLink's executive vice president of marketing, told Reuters. Unlike MSN and AOL, EarthLink derives almost no revenue from advertising.

Beginning Monday, EarthLink is making a preview of the pop-up blocker software available through its Web site and will soon incorporate it into the latest incarnation of the company's TotalAccess 2003 software.

"The pop-up blocker is the most exciting feature," said Jim Anderson, vice president of product development. "About 4.1 billion pop-up ads are served on the Internet, and we have had consumers tell us that is the most annoying experience on the Internet." If users want pop-up ads, they can turn the new feature off, Anderson said.

News source: Reuters