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Microsoft Takes Aim at Pesky Pop-Up Web Ads

malebolgia   on 13 February 2004 - 21:06 · 16 comments & 1053 views

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Those mosquito-like "pop-up" and "pop-under" Web advertisements could be headed for rapid extinction after Microsoft Corp. decided to phase them out across its MSN Internet units around the globe by summer. The software giant said on Friday internal research showed customers were growing increasingly dissatisfied with the seemingly ubiquitous offers that appear in new windows when certain MSN Web sites are accessed.

As a result, the company will no longer sell such ad formats to advertisers. The ban goes into effect shortly for MSN's media properties in the United Kingdom, the Nordic countries and Belgium, extending to all territories in the coming months, the firm said. MSN in the U.S. began the practice at the end of 2003. MSN, which describes itself as the world's most popular Web portals with 350 million global visitors, is the latest Internet firm to ban the much-maligned advertising format. Time Warner's Internet unit, AOL, began blocking the ads from its US portal last year.

News source: Reuters


PeopleSoft argues that an Oracle-PeopleSoft combination would leave too few competitors in the market for broad suites of software designed to automate accounting, human resources and manufacturing for the world's largest corporations. It claims prices would rise as a result. Oracle counters that the business applications market has too many rivals, including the formidable competitor Microsoft, which entered the market a couple of years ago.

Justice Department officials were not immediately available for comment.

Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 16 additional comments
#1 C64afx on 13 Feb 2004 - 23:26
about time tooo
#2 Slyph on 14 Feb 2004 - 00:24
yah no crap, this stuff should have been implemented long before now, couldnt they just release a patch on WU that would block adds like myie2 and firefox already do?
#3 Wolfsglen on 14 Feb 2004 - 00:39
Gee, several years after every other browser implemented pop-up blockers due to popular demand, a group of overpaid researchers finally realized people didnt like pop-up ads

'Bout damn time.
#4 jasondefaoite on 14 Feb 2004 - 00:48
They had to do this though didn't they? The article is saying MSN won't sell pop up ad real estate in the future, well since MSN 9 already has pop up blocking, and IE will soon have, no point in selling them now is there?
#5 acidsex on 14 Feb 2004 - 00:49
Are they gonna start with their pain in the arse popups on hotmail.com? HYPOCRITES!
#6 Milliamp on 14 Feb 2004 - 01:03
XP SP2 has a popup blocker anyway. Some types of popups like "attatch behind current window" have been dissabled in SP2.
#7 netstarman on 14 Feb 2004 - 03:51
The pop up blocker in firefox web browser is the best ive seen so far, but i still use MSN 9 already.
#8 daveoc64 on 14 Feb 2004 - 11:44
This news was posted several weeks ago.
#9 GM_Axis on 14 Feb 2004 - 16:49
Why do I feel like I've seen this headline in slightly different variations about a million times over the past month.
(3 replies) #10 Jack31081 on 14 Feb 2004 - 19:30
Ha! They're not implementing pop-up blocking in any browser, like MSN Explorer or IE.

They're simply no longer going to have pop-ups on MSN or any associated web pages.
#10.1 jagedEdge on 14 Feb 2004 - 20:08
I've heard SP2 to have in in IE, and I believe MSN already has it. Not too sure though.
#10.2 daveoc64 on 14 Feb 2004 - 22:46
There is a pop-up blocker in both MSN and IE6SP2
#10.3 Wolfsglen on 14 Feb 2004 - 23:29
Yep, im using IE6SP2 now and the popup blocker is perfect, and i know MSN9 has one too.
#11 x1on on 15 Feb 2004 - 19:20
Psssh, they cant prevent anything.
#12 goldenlotus on 16 Feb 2004 - 07:04
QUOTE
Psssh, they cant prevent anything.


What a stupid comment.Have u read the article or what?.

They are going to phase out the pop up ads from their websites.I don't see why they can't do that.

And for those fools talking about popup blocking,this article is not about popup blocking in IE.It is about the complete removal of popup ads from their websites.

By the way,IMO Opera has the best popup blocking than any other browser since it has the "Open requested popup windows" option.So u need not add any websites to any white or black list.
#13 Clik on 16 Feb 2004 - 09:33
But M$ are now using those REALLY annoying flash banners. Whats the point of SP2's pop up killer (which has all the M$'s sites set to 'allow pop ups' by default) when they are now pioneering this new technique?

Pot, Kettle, Black..

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