# Porn sites and pop-up windows

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/porn-sites-and-pop-up-windows/57000>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 6, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/porn-sites-and-pop-up-windows/57000 "2001-03-06T21:17:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Usurer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/2acd7d/32.png) [@Usurer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Usurer)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/porn-sites-and-pop-up-windows/57000/1 "2001-03-06T21:17:31Z")

</div>

Many sites have pop-up windows, but porn sites are by far the worst. As a rule, I immediately close down any pop-up windows that show up without taking the time to read the ad, but doing this on porn sites might generate 3 more windows, with each of THEM generating 3 more, ad nauseum. The question is, do these multiple pop-up windows from hell actually generate business or do they pop up just to show how clever and/or vengeant the webmaster is? Any porn site operators out there?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/porn-sites-and-pop-up-windows/57000/2 "2001-03-06T21:28:38Z")

</div>

Some sites try to use it as a means to panic surfers into paying for access – the same way that some plaster “UNAUTHORISED ACCESS: Sign up for this site or we send an email to your ISP and/or university administrator” messages around.

[This article](http://www.salon.com/21st/feature/1997/12/cov_01feature.html) details some of these common scams:

> [@](#):
>
> Of particular interest, and annoyance, is the exit console – a pop-up window containing several advertising banners that is generated whenever a surfer exits a given Web page via an advertising banner. Exit consoles usually point surfers directly back to the original site. So surfers easily get trapped in a loop, repeatedly returning to the original site without realizing it.
> 
> Such a practice is known as “circle jerking,” and it has a double purpose: It generates click-through dollars and it boosts a site’s ranking on the various toplists.
> 
> You’d think circle jerking would be the fastest possible way to alienate potential customers, but some circle jerkers claim a method to their madness. One “list player” suggested that surfers exhausted from following false links and wandering in circles will finally give up and agree to become paying customers. “That’s what gets them to whip out that credit card,” says Brian Muir, Webmaster for Butts-N-Sluts.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/porn-sites-and-pop-up-windows/57000/3 "2001-03-06T22:10:58Z")

</div>

bernse’s E-Z fix for pop-up windows (even though you didn’t ask for a fix).

Go to your “internet options” window of your browser, and set it to **HIGH** security.

That will take care of the pop-up windows, and most other nasty things that pornosites especially use.

…not that I ever have looked at porno on the net or anything like that…no…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ModernRonin2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@ModernRonin2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ModernRonin2)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/porn-sites-and-pop-up-windows/57000/4 "2001-03-06T23:19:09Z")

</div>

Most of those pop-ups use Java, Javascript, or both.  
Without that, they don’t work. Ha, suck on that, mr.  
slimeball porn merchant!

Go into your appropriate settings (Edit/Prefs/Advanced  
for Netscape or the security prefs for MSIE) and turn  
'em off. They’re security risks, and they’re annoying  
to boot. What’s the appeal here?

Some sites do need Javascript for legit reasons. You  
can always turn it back on when you need it. But it  
should be off by default.  
-Ben

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Darqangelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Darqangelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darqangelle)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/porn-sites-and-pop-up-windows/57000/5 "2001-03-06T23:25:09Z")

</div>

Turn off Javascript frmo your browser. That also does the trick.

…(ahem) or so I’ve heard.