While search engines like Google index web sites, it would be useful if they could determine which web sites contained annoying things like pop-ups, Javascript, etc. and provide warnings in the search page when they do so (and/or have the option to exclude such sites from searches). As it is, pop-up fever severely limites the usefulness of Google even though Google itself doesn't use any.-- supercat, Jul 24 2003 Not exactly a new problem http://www.halfbake.../No_20New_20Windows [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004] Hmm. This is a good idea. I wonder how hard it would be for the engine to determine pop-up risk, especially since many of the worst offenders trigger the real bombardments on the close of the first pop-up and I doubt the search engine could "see" the code in that first pop-up.-- bristolz, Jul 24 2003 Ya oughta have a pop-up stopper app running. The quality of your life will improve.-- waugsqueke, Jul 24 2003 Yes, it is a good one.-- bristolz, Jul 24 2003 I cannot imagine why a browser would not have a pop-up supression option.-- FloridaManatee, Jul 25 2003 Browsers written in the last couple of years do. Older code bases don't, including IE.-- bristolz, Jul 25 2003 ...although the new version of the Google Toolbar (still beta, but seems rock-solid to me) neatly adds a pop-up stopper to IE. Very nice.
(And a form-filler, if that's your bag, without the spyware baggage of Gator.)-- JKew, Jul 25 2003 Great idea... For those who (for any reason) still haven't switched to Opera.
I can - accept all popups - reject all popups - open all popups in background - open requested popups only-- fezadow, Jul 25 2003 //Predicting, in the general case, what a website will do when executed on any browser is a very hard problem - especially if the website has an incentive to hide the fact that it'll be popping up windows. In contrast, not opening windows if you are the browser is very easy.//
I suppose web sites can attempt to hide their behaviors to a limited extent, though certain tags are necessary to use JavaScript or pop-ups. And I would expect that Google could regard efforts to hide pop-ups the same way as it regards some games people play to boost site ratings.
As for fixing my browser, it's one thing to fix my own browser; it's another thing to fix every browser that I may happen to use.-- supercat, Jul 25 2003 Google has new feature in their toolbar for IE which take care of this feature.-- artist, Jul 25 2003 supercat - Pop-up Stopper Companion is freeware and works with any browser you have running.-- waugsqueke, Jul 25 2003 //as you well may know, there are some p*rn search engines around which do exactely that. they put a sign behind links with popups.//
I guess it just goes to show that p*rn*gr*phy is the driving force behind technological improvements.-- supercat, Jul 26 2003 Windows XP Service Pack 3 contains a popup blocker-- -----, Nov 02 2004 random, halfbakery