Kudos to Google. Bucking what seems to be an ever more pervasive trend toward shoving obnoxious pop-up windows in users' faces, the company has issued a public statement stating that the search engine does not allow pop-up ads of any kind on its site.
Nonetheless, you may see pop-ups when using Google. Why?
Three reasons, according to Matt Cutts, Google software engineer.
First, there are a number of squatter sites with URLs similar to Google's that use pop-ups. Second, many sites are now using "pop-under" windows that open and are only revealed when you close other windows. Though these ads may appear to have been generated by Google, they are actually cyber-litter left by a site you previously visited.
The third and most pernicious reason is that some free programs, especially music or file sharing programs, contain tiny "time bombs" that can show pop-ups at random intervals or based on anything you type into a form on a web page, whether Google or some other interactive site.
Google took the step of posting its policy after investigating an increasing number reports regarding the problem in recent months. "We said, let's make clear what our policy is so that people know that it's not Google that's doing it," said Cutts.
The complete policy is available from a link under the search box on Google's home page, that will only be available for a short time. "We view this more as a defensive action," said Cutts. "We're not trying to say that Google's on the warpath against these programs."
Nonetheless, Google provides contact information for the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint if you feel a pop-up window you're seeing has been generated by a site or program that uses deceptive or unfair business practices.
Google
http://www.google.com
Click the "Google does not display pop-up advertising. Here's why" link beneath the search box for more information. Note: Google said this is a temporary link, only availble for a "few more" days from the home page.
Read on for a quick tip to quickly kill pop-ups that interfere with your web browsing.
Introducing SearchDay Quick Tips
My super searcher pal Gary Price repeats some words of wisdom in virtually every one of his presentations. Gary's advice is a variation on one of the five laws of librarianship -- specifically, law four, "Save the time of the reader."
Gary's restating of the law is geared toward searchers and those who help others find information online:
"Save the time of the searcher."
Starting today, SearchDay will run a new feature called "Quick Tips," simple but powerful techniques specifically aimed at helping you cut to the chase and quickly get to the information you're looking for. Quick Tips will cover the gamut from ideas for improving searching skills to pointers to tools or techniques.
Today's Quick Tip is courtesy of another super searcher, Greg Notess: How to kill pop-up windows in a flash.
I hate pop-up windows. Though they have some legitimate and reasonable uses, they're almost always irritating, they get in the way, and they slow down searching. I've experimented with different programs that block or kill pop-ups, but almost all require configuration, and sometimes they shut down those rare pop-up windows that you actually want to see. To my mind, these programs are more trouble than they're worth.
Greg's elegant solution: Use the "close window" keyboard shortcut, the Control-W command.
Though it takes a bit of practice, using the close window command will become as automatic as using the copy, paste and delete keyboard shortcuts. No add-ons to download, software to configure, or blocking content you may actually want to see. Instead, your reflexes will take over and kill pop-up windows automatically, virtually without conscious thought.
The close window command is also a handy way to quickly get out of "mousetrapped" sites that disable your browser's back button.
So next time an annoying pop-up interferes with your searching, blow it away with the Control-W command.
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