A New, More Better Downloadable Spyware Scanner

This week, a new pop-under ad cropped up, or under, WashingtonPost.com and the Drudge Report:



You know, there's a certain logical fallacy in these pitches. They have detected spyware by some sort of remote scan, and yet they want you to download something to perform the scan which they say they've already done. Doesn't seem right, does it? Of course it's not right, but if you're logical, you're not the target audience anyway.

The target audience, apparently, are those who trust unknown Internet sites and who are swayed by bright yellow backgrounds, the word WARNING in red, and exclamation points!

An Article About Spyware

You've heard me say it before, but take John Borland's word for it since he installed some of the spyware blocking software that's really spyware.

(Link seen on TechDirt.)

Riddle

I love a good riddle. I got this pop-under the other day:



Man, I don't know the answer, and I certainly didn't click through to find out. If a sphynx pops up and asks me this while I'm on the road, though, I am going to answer a man because it worked the last time.

Tickle Gets More Insidious

Okay, it's bad enough that Tickle's really keeping the pop-under ad market afloat, but now they've edged ever more into the annoying with one of their new ads, which throws up another pop-under ad when you close it. Sure, hit the site you like, change focus over to the Tickle ad, and close it, and here comes a second chance:



Not ready to join? Why not just click through anyway, sucker?

Man oh man, I swear, the next step is to force a browser window into Kiosk mode. I'd like to Tickle the marketing professional who came up with this line of advertising genius with a cheese grater.

Although the model in this ad is better than Ana in the x10 ad below, so perhaps I should stop my whining.

What's With The Clothes?

Here's a new x10 ad that's got a woman in it, but what's with all the clothes:



Part of the fun of classic x10 ads is the scantily clad or undressing burglars you could capture on video. This woman's not even showing ankle for crying out loud.

On the other hand, this particular model looks a lot like Ana Gasteyer. I'm glad she's clad.