# Active links have reached new lows **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 18, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669 "2013-12-18T19:46:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/1 "2013-12-18T19:46:36Z")
Ad links have gone way overboard, way past the joke phase. I was browsing [this recent news article,](http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Devyani-case-Its-all-a-maid-in-US-conspiracy-India-says/articleshow/27607516.cms) when I spotted three phrases double-underlined, indicating a commercial link. I was intrigued. Most commercial links attempt to connect a browser’s interest in news items with something they can sell them. A link from “computer” might lead to a computer supplier, natcherly. But the following words/phrases all led to ads. Guess what they were for? Khobragade Humiliating manner The Vienna Convention What product would Khobragade (a Indian diplomat), “humiliating manner” (strip search), or “The Vienna Convention” (regulating treatment of war criminals) be advertising? It depends. On my first visit to the page, 2014 “All New!” Cadillac cars (WTF?!). On my second, Brother (computers, printers?). My third, eBay (sure, strip searches are basic eBay material :rolleyes: ). Do advertisers have absolutely no scruples? Or accountants, to determine the efficacy of advertising dollars? What’s next? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/2 "2013-12-18T20:07:45Z")
I don’t see any such double-underlined links when I look at that article. I think such things are usually caused by malware on the user’s computer. So you _may_ wish to scan for viruses. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/3 "2013-12-18T20:25:49Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t see any such double-underlined links when I look at that article. I think such things are usually caused by malware on the user’s computer. So you _may_ wish to scan for viruses. I see the double underlined links just fine and I can assure you its nothing to do with malware. The ads pop up when you hover your mouse over the links. Do you have adblock turned on by chance? You may be blocking yourself from seeing these type of links and not even realize it. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/4 "2013-12-18T20:38:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t see any such double-underlined links when I look at that article. I think such things are usually caused by malware on the user’s computer. So you _may_ wish to scan for viruses. I do not have any viruses in my computer. You may be mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/5 "2013-12-18T21:17:35Z")
I got the malware some time ago. It double-underlined all sorts of odd things. There wasn’t any real rational basis that I could see. When I’d hover my mouse over the links, a pop-up would appear, inviting me to follow the link. Fortunately, it also gave the proper name of the application that was causing it. That let me Google it, and people had posted instructions for removing it. It sounds a lot like you’ve got something similar. It’s malware. Try to get rid of it. (In my case, it was partly my own fault: I tried installing software from an internet vendor, and didn’t realize they were hosting malware. Bastards.) ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/6 "2013-12-18T21:24:13Z")
Element Hiding Helper, a Firefox add-on, gets rid of them. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/7 "2013-12-18T21:28:16Z")
It’s not malware. Not necessarily anyway. Its actual companies that openly advertise this way. Here is a link to an explanation as well as links to many of these companies to ‘opt-out’ of this type of ads. [http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/510043/chrome-has-double-underlined-words-which-links-to-monstermarketplacecom-etc/](http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/510043/chrome-has-double-underlined-words-which-links-to-monstermarketplacecom-etc/) Here is one specific company that provides these type of keyword ad links: [http://www.affinity.com/advertisers/display/in-text.php?utm\_source=Affinity&utm\_medium=Affinity+Ad+Unit&utm\_content=70190000000b7cI&utm\_campaign=Affinity+In-Text+Ad+Unit](http://www.affinity.com/advertisers/display/in-text.php?utm_source=Affinity&utm_medium=Affinity+Ad+Unit&utm_content=70190000000b7cI&utm_campaign=Affinity+In-Text+Ad+Unit) This is intentional marketing, it isn’t the result of malware or virusus. At least not in every case. If you don’t see these links than I suspect that either you opted out at some point in the past, or you have ad-block installed and active. I assume ad-block would take care of this kind of thing so you’d never see it. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/8 "2013-12-18T22:04:19Z")
Just to clarify, there are some websites that do this deliberately. It is a form of marketing that exists and can be seen on anyone’s computer, regardless of installed software. There is ALSO malware out there that inserts these links on pages that normally do not have them, such as the SDMB. If I understand correctly, the idea is that since these links appear to be sending people to sites that are unrelated to the link, it may be malware randomly inserting links rather than legitimate marketing, which would presumably make some effort to pay attention to context. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/9 "2013-12-18T22:08:46Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > I see the double underlined links just fine and I can assure you its nothing to do with malware. The ads pop up when you hover your mouse over the links. Do you have adblock turned on by chance? You may be blocking yourself from seeing these type of links and not even realize it. Why would anyone, in the year 2013, NOT have Adblock working on their computer? With Adblock or its equivalent this OP never gets written. You never find out what “new lows” advertisers have gone to. And more importantly, you never, ever accidentally (or intentionally) click a link that screws up your computer. I thought this was the default mode of operation. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/10 "2013-12-18T22:19:18Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > It’s not malware. Not necessarily anyway. Its actual companies that openly advertise this way. . . . Okay, it can be open to interpretation. When I try to install a solitaire game, and it puts an add-on on my browser without my consent, it may not be “malware” in the strictest definition, but it’s certainly taking a damn liberty! ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/11 "2013-12-18T22:28:20Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t see any such double-underlined links when I look at that article. I think such things are usually caused by malware on the user’s computer. So you _may_ wish to scan for viruses. > [@Airbeck](#): > > I see the double underlined links just fine and I can assure you its nothing to do with malware. The ads pop up when you hover your mouse over the links. Do you have adblock turned on by chance? You may be blocking yourself from seeing these type of links and not even realize it. > [@Airbeck](#): > > It’s not malware. Not necessarily anyway. Its actual companies that openly advertise this way. Here is a link to an explanation as well as links to many of these companies to ‘opt-out’ of this type of ads. > > [http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/510043/chrome-has-double-underlined-words-which-links-to-monstermarketplacecom-etc/](http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/510043/chrome-has-double-underlined-words-which-links-to-monstermarketplacecom-etc/) > > Here is one specific company that provides these type of keyword ad links: > > [Branding & Performance Advertising | Web, App & OEM Monetization | Affinity](http://www.affinity.com/advertisers/display/in-text.php?utm_source=Affinity&utm_medium=Affinity+Ad+Unit&utm_content=70190000000b7cI&utm_campaign=Affinity+In-Text+Ad+Unit) > > This is intentional marketing, it isn’t the result of malware or virusus. At least not in every case. If you don’t see these links than I suspect that either you opted out at some point in the past, or you have ad-block installed and active. I assume ad-block would take care of this kind of thing so you’d never see it. I felt like playing guinea pig (OK - I amuse myself in peculiar ways :D). The OP is correct about that site and I am as certain as I can be that I do not have a virus (I would never be foolish enough to claim that there is no possibility of me having a virus, but I would be damn shocked if I did). I went to the page in question and turned Adblock off and on, refreshing the page in between. Yup, those double-underline links do show up if Adblock is disabled, but it does block them if it is enabled. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-links-have-reached-new-lows/676669/12 "2013-12-19T00:27:12Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Why would anyone, in the year 2013, NOT have Adblock working on their computer? With Adblock or its equivalent this OP never gets written. In my somewhat extensive experience, blocking _undesirable_ stuff can sometimes unwittingly block _desirable_ stuff. Yes, I know that it is possible to tailor blocking to specific sites, but that just makes more work for me. If the only action needed is to avoid mousing over a double-underlined word, I can live with that. Just an example – I have a professional program for Realtors that has a function that never worked just right. Checking with tech support revealed that it _required_ popups to be enabled (yeah, stupid). Tech support had so many calls about this that they had the answer at their fingertips. I have an easy test for the question, “are the double-underlined links coming from a virus or not?” – If they happen on web sites I design and control, it’s a virus. If they do _not_ occur on sites I control, there’s probably no virus involved.