# why the same three pop-up adverts?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-same-three-pop-up-adverts/111674>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 31, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-same-three-pop-up-adverts/111674 "2002-05-31T03:17:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-same-three-pop-up-adverts/111674/1 "2002-05-31T03:17:16Z")

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Is it just me, or something on my computer, that makes all the pop-up adverts I see either: that tiny x-cam thing, some casino (I think always the same one…at least, uses same graphics), and  
Orbitz or Cheaptickets?

Why would these be the only ones? My surfing habits? Only things people buy this way? I mean WHO on earth is buying that tiny cam thingy??

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-same-three-pop-up-adverts/111674/2 "2002-05-31T03:24:24Z")

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Well as for x-cam, it’s EVERYWHERE. They must be paying websites a decent amount of money. As for casinos, there’s alot of them and the advertise all over the place. But if you seem to get more obscure one’s and they are the same everytime, you may want to download Ad Aware and check for spyware.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-same-three-pop-up-adverts/111674/3 "2002-05-31T03:26:18Z")

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As for who’s buying the x-cam, I embarassed to say that my dad bought one. He wanted it to pick up some of the blind spots that our 4 camera system at his store misses. But being the procrastanator that he is, it’s been sitting in the box for months.

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**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-same-three-pop-up-adverts/111674/4 "2002-05-31T19:16:33Z")

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Those are the only three companies annoying enough to use pop-up ads? 😉

(Though I should point out that if you visit some porn sites, you’ll probably see a lot of pop-up ads that aren’t from Those Three…)

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**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-same-three-pop-up-adverts/111674/5 "2002-05-31T20:09:15Z")

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Well, you would know, I guess…

But seriously folks,…  
I too am suddenly plagued with ghastly little pop ups trying to sell me fear or titties. Didn’t used to happen much, now seems like they’re swarming. For no particularly good reason, I suspect its because I home to Yahoo, and they have sold the remaining 5% of thier collective souls. Cite, I have none.