# May the makers of popup windows roast in Hell. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 5, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659 "2003-10-05T03:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659/21 "2003-10-05T15:50:46Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally spewed forth from the gaping maw of aryk29_ > No consequences? I agree with the OP. Boycott companies that use popups, man! > > And boycott companies that send spam! > > And boycott companies that use telemarketing! Oh, sure. I mean, noone likes sites that use popups because they have no other way to support themselves. Let’s all ban IMDB. Gamespot, too. How dare they mar our free service with their attempts to keep sheltered, fed, and clothed! From hell’s heart, I stab at them! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659/22 "2003-10-05T15:52:29Z")
I’ll second the Mozilla Firebird recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659/23 "2003-10-05T15:55:30Z")
Simple, really. It used to be that if you wanted to surf through a huge population trying to get them to buy something, you had to go door to door. Then the telephone was invented. Now you could simply call them up on the horn. And now, we have the internet. You can spam them, you can use popups, you can literally hammer MILLIONS of people with your friggin’ sales pitch, every HOUR! And if you hit a million people, a certain number will naturally respond. And of those responders, some will be dumb enough to give you money. A fraction of a million is still pretty substantial, depending. People make their living doing this. Some even get rich. Hence, the use of the Constitution to defend spamming. Rich people generally have lawyers. I’m quite sure they could find something in “freedom of speech” to defend popups, even the kind that seize control of your web browser and require you to do the alt-F4 thing to close the damn window. I, too, have sworn that I will never, never, never buy any product from anyone I know uses popups. This has not stopped the popups. It does make me feel a little better, though… ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659/24 "2003-10-05T17:01:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FairyDust \* > \*\*It’s not such a big deal, but it can be an inconvenience for people who visit sites such as Hotmail which require JavaScript. > > They’d have to enable scripts again just for that, then disable it afterward to avoid the popups. > > I’ve been through it, but the Google Toolbar is much easier. \*\* Um, no. IE has zones so you can put those sites in the “trusted” list. I block everything as a rule and then put some sites on my trusted list and/or authorize them to use of cookies. Seems more discriminating to me and is already built in to IE. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659/25 "2003-10-05T23:02:09Z")
[SlimBrowser](http://www.flashpeak.com/sbrowser/sbrowser.htm), brilliant. Stops pop-ups, multiple searches including dictionaries etc built in, very trainable, I just type _pit_ to get here to the pit for example. I love my browser. Like many people outside of North America I have bandwidth issues, before blocking popups I would go over my monthly limits, blocking popups I usually am well under. They may as well reach into my pocket and rip off my wallet. ---
**Author:** ![Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dreaming_of_Maria_Callas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659/26 "2003-10-06T00:03:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadfly \* > \*\*Oh, sure. I mean, noone likes sites that use popups because they have no other way to support themselves. Let’s all ban IMDB. Gamespot, too. How dare they mar our free service with their attempts to keep sheltered, fed, and clothed! From hell’s heart, I stab at them! > > :rolleyes: \*\* IMDB was acquired by [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) (and began to suck immediately). It’s not exactly some two-bit volunteer operation that needs funds from the public. In any event, tt isn’t the user’s fault if the company isn’t intelligent enough to support itself in any other fashion. There are sites out there that have become profitable through less-invasive advertising measures. UnuMondo ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659/27 "2003-10-06T00:35:08Z")
UnuMondo, no matter who owns them, the fact is that they’re providing a free service. Did Amazon acquire them? Okay. I don’t have a problem with them using popups to get themselves back up in the black. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-makers-of-popup-windows-roast-in-hell/205659.md?page=1)