popup says owners advocate downloading software

[Gatekeeper]

"http://64.106.205.230/ads//adjs.php?n=af3431ed"

clientid=135

Hmm ... this is some of the information I found when viewing the source of the pop-up ad. I hope I've rendered it in a manner that it doesn't automatically take viewers of this thread to the offending ad site.

[Asmodean]

panag...you've got an answer to everything, don't you

Thing is, that's not good enough. The owners of this site have promised (it's even in their FAQ) that if you use the ultra special style, you support Apolyton by receiving pop-ups, but only 2 every 12 hours or thereabouts. That situation has changed, and we have received no information about that change.

It may be that Mark and Dan are not aware of this change...that it is due to the ad agancies. But nevertheless, it has changed. That is what I want an answer to. Then I can decide whether I want to continue to use ultra special style, change to light style, install a pop-up killer or something entirely different. That's what this discussion is about for me. Not if I should click ads, order games by clicking from Apolyton, or whatever. And yes, I have tried to reset my style, like the FAQ says.

Asmodean

[Asmodean]

Okay...I got this one nailed, now.

Here's a screenie:

[DrSpike]

Dare I ask what you get if you download the "scanner"?

[Ecthy]

Ming, what is the advertisement value of spam emails? Nobody ever follows them do they?

[DrSpike]

Well the cost to sending millions is virtually zero..........spam, whilst incredibly annoying, is perfectly rational.

[Asmodean]

Some people must be generating income for the spammers. If there were nothing to gain from it, there would be no spammers.

I saw a suggestion (maybe it was here on 'poly, but I honestly can't remember) that those who buy from spammers should pay hefty fines, if discovered.

Asmodean

[jdd2007]

I read an article a few months back that said scores of thousands of those Iraqi Most Wanted playing card decks were sold through spam e-mail.

[St Leo]

Pop-ups still exist?:P

[Ming]

Originally posted by Ecthelion
Ming, what is the advertisement value of spam emails? Nobody ever follows them do they?

Unfortunately... they are very effective. While 99.9% of the people just ignore them and delete them (and get pissed off)... enough people are stupid enough to respond to them to make them effective. It costs next to nothing to mail to large numbers of people... it only takes a few to make it pay back. You mail to 1000 people at almost no cost, and even if just one or two respond... it works. And many spammers are mailing to more like 10 to 50 thousand (and even more) people.

[Ecthy]

Thanks. I like the idea of punishing those that effectively support spam. Not only by clicking links, which can happen to everyone, but by actually signing in / giving information or even money...

Is spam sent to random email adresses or do they get our addies from lists we naively subscrobed to?

[Ming]

The do "domain surfing" and can come up with a bunch of real addresses... Anybody looking at this stie can come up with tons of real addresses... sigh...
Also... they just send to thousands and thousands of random names in a domain knowing they are going to get some real addresses. And yes, they also get them from places where you have volunteered your email address. Most sites protect the email acounts of their members and don't distribute them... but others aren't so polite.

[Thorn]

Originally posted by Ming


Unfortunately... they are very effective. While 99.9% of the people just ignore them and delete them (and get pissed off)... enough people are stupid enough to respond to them to make them effective. It costs next to nothing to mail to large numbers of people... it only takes a few to make it pay back. You mail to 1000 people at almost no cost, and even if just one or two respond... it works. And many spammers are mailing to more like 10 to 50 thousand (and even more) people.

Funny if I see a popup I like I find a version of it for free, should teach them from making popups.

[Ecthy]

well there should be a law that forbids any company to send out advertisement emails to lists of adresses which they have no subscription evidence for. like an incoming mail from that adress saying "yes send me stuff".

wouldn't this work?

[Ming]

Many groups are looking at laws to stop that kind of crap. It is a big topic right now... and we will have to wait and see what comes from it.