Just a quick note...

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Julio Franco

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Last night I implemented on TechSpot a new format of unobstrusive advertising called IntelliTXT, it's likely you have seen it in action before at other sites such as Anandtech. Using the wonders of DHTML, content pages are automatically spidered and links are created on relevant text keywords, these links are highlighted and underlined different than normal links, they are not displayed in big quantities and although the program is based on a per-click basis, you can learn what the advertisement is about before clicking on them - a tooltip is displayed.

It should be an interesting ride and we are counting with your support for making a bigger, better TechSpot.
 
Seems like Opera v7.20 beta7 does not support those links at all...

They don't appear in Opera anyway...
 
Are you talking about the double underlined green links?

I think that they are annoying as hell.

I instantly took them for spyware, and downloaded SpyBot S&D from here to try and find out what was the matter!

Obviously, since having gone to other pages this morning, I now realise what an ***** I am.

But I don't like that sort of thing at all. I would rather some banner at the bottom of the screen, even if it has to have annoying DHTML and Flash things making it move, etc like you get on www.tomshardware.com or something.

I think that things that interupt the flow of reading in this manner are just counter productive. I think that they just annoy people and even if they see some interesting product or something they will not bother just out of sheer annoyance.
 
AHahahahahah! Make it STOP!

That big label thing that appears every time you hover over the word internet ?!

(See! There is goes again!!

Luckily, I see that its just the fist occurance of certain keywords....)

Sorry to be so negative, however I respect this place enough to be honest about these things.
 
I agree with Per, I don't see any of this with Opera.....from the talks of it, I guess that's a good thing? :confused:
 
The links only work in IE 5.5+, no Mozilla or Opera.

Phant, perhaps you are being so negative about it because you thought those were spyware links being embedded into your browsing, however knowing these are actually part of TS advertising should ease your concept about them... right? ;).

In fact the CSS styles used to display them could be customized to pretty much anything I want, I believe the different color and double underline however makes it clear that it's not a normal link so we are not tricking users.
 
I must be missing something, I don't see what you guys are talking about. I've been using Opera 7.20, Beta 8, but tried IE to see what you are talking about, I just don't see it. The only thing I see different, is the "Number of active users today" at the bottom of the Forums page doesn't start showing whos been online at midnight anymore. It's almost two AM my time, and it still shows zero.
 
Originally posted by Phantasm66
I'll try my best to maintain an open mind.

Like I said before, the fact that you thought it was spyware at first instance, did everything for a bad first impression.

You may end up with a different concept in just a few days, not to mention links seem to disappear to repeated users (like you and me), it makes sense that they are targeted to those who visit less often, who may find the links more appealing (depending on the subject they are interested in) and end up clicking... at the same time you are not putting the ads on their faces, they come for reading tech and they end up with tech related unobstrusive ads.

Speaking of which, no more than 5 links should be displayed per content page, sometime even one or two, which I find reasonable.
 
Originally posted by olefarte
I must be missing something, I don't see what you guys are talking about. I've been using Opera 7.20, Beta 8, but tried IE to see what you are talking about, I just don't see it. The only thing I see different, is the "Number of active users today" at the bottom of the Forums page doesn't start showing whos been online at midnight anymore. It's almost two AM my time, and it still shows zero.

Olefarte, try viewing a post using an IE browser. Those words undelined in green are what we are talking about.
 
Originally posted by TS | Julio
links seem to disappear to repeated users (like you and me), it makes sense that they are targeted to those who visit less often, who may find the links more appealing (depending on the subject they are interested in) and end up clicking... at the same time you are not putting the ads on their faces, they come for reading tech and they end up with tech related unobstrusive ads.

Speaking of which, no more than 5 links should be displayed per content page, sometime even one or two, which I find reasonable.
This seems like a really smart move in my opinion...

Good job Julio!
 
.......tried IE to see what you are talking about, I just don't see it.
Young and Wild, I already tried IE.

I finally found out why I can't see this. I've got Zone Alarm Pro, and it's blocking it I guess. The only way I was able to see the links, was to reboot with no firewall. I tried every setting I could find, and this was the only way to make it work.
 
green hyperlinks?

today ive noticed green hyperlinks under certain computer words in this forum. i thought it was spyware but i ran adaware and spybot. i did find this on google
http://computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/62466.html

if it is true i dont have a problem if it isnt than this thread should be moved lol

A lot of you are starting to notice a new feature the site owner has implemented. Certain key words will now appear underlined and if you placed your mouse pointer over it you will get a box describing what it is. If you click it, you will be taken to a web site.

The site owner has implemented this as a way to pay for his cost in operating this web site and keeping it free.

Would you rather have pop-up ads or key words underlined in a post?

The web site is not being hacked. The site owner is just trying something new to help keep the site free and pay his bills.
 
read this thread here.

it should explain everything. :grinthumb

p.s. it seems that you and phantasm66 thought the same thing when you first saw those green hyperlinks. ;)
 
Originally posted by Phantasm66
AHahahahahah! Make it STOP!

That big label thing that appears every time you hover over the word internet ?!

(See! There is goes again!!

Luckily, I see that its just the fist occurance of certain keywords....)

Sorry to be so negative, however I respect this place enough to be honest about these things.

I agree it is kind of annoying. I tend to move my cursor along as I read because I have astigmatism, which makes it easy to lose my place when reading. when I hit one of those underlined words and that tooltip pops up, it usually obstructs my view.

I too did think it was some kind of spyware or something to begin with, which may make my impression of it even worse than it would have been otherwise.

It isn't something that would make me stop coming here, but it is something I feel the need to voice my opinion about.
 
I just found out there is a way to have those removed, kind of turn them on & off using cookies. I will implement this before the end of the week hopefully so you guys that feel they obstruct your browsing can turn them off, no problem :D.

After all, these are click-based ads and if you dislike them you will never click them, so...
 
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