A pop-up ad on a website is like…
… someone bumping into you as you browse a magazine stand, saying “hey buddy, want to buy a watch?” (Ignored.)
An active text marker that flashes a product at you as you mouse over it on your way to something else is like…
… a guy in a tweed jacket who grabs your arm and says, “hey buddy, you’re walking past this movie poster, can I interest you in a year’s subscription to this DVD shop?” (Shoved away, annoyed.)
A flash-animation pop-over box that obscures 80% of the page as soon as you drag the mouse past an irrelevant banner ad while reading an article is like…
… a deranged person jumping onto your back and grabbing at your face while flailing and screaming about medications. (Avoided at all costs, talked about to all of your friends, and possibly blogged about.)
Why would you let your company’s Web advertising, or your site’s Web advertisers, be like that?
