# What is the point of these "intermediate" web pages

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-these-intermediate-web-pages/709276>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 7, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-these-intermediate-web-pages/709276 "2015-01-07T23:47:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-these-intermediate-web-pages/709276/1 "2015-01-07T23:47:00Z")

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If you go to this page from [Salon.com](http://www.salon.com/2015/01/07/the_rights_new_war_on_truth_math_reality_and_the_real_reason_fox_news_economics_cant_be_trusted/), there are a bunch of links under the headline “From Around The Web”(scroll down). If you click on one, it opens a new tab and goes to a page that is just a wall-to-wall series of stories-no advertising or anything. When you click on a story, it opens _another_ tab and takes you to the story.

My question is about the second page. What’s the point? Why not go straight to the story? It’s not as if they are trying to get you to buy something. Are they gathering data? If so, what kind and why? BTW, I have lots of security on my computer and it doesn’t bring up any cautions. I don’t think a site like Salon would have these links if they had nefarious intentions.

Just curious.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-these-intermediate-web-pages/709276/2 "2015-01-08T01:54:10Z")

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They’re increasing their clicks. When you close the final page, you are presented with another opportunity to click on more stories, open another page, and repeat. Each click earns additional ad revenue.

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**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-these-intermediate-web-pages/709276/3 "2015-01-08T03:02:01Z")

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If you have NoScript or similar running, the links described by the OP don’t appear, just in case anyone is in head scratching mode.