Interminable Popups are Still Rife in 2022

[engine]

It's quite incredible how many publishers still feel that the popup is an acceptable aspect of their site. Not only are there irritating cookie popups, but the interminable request for newsletter sign-ups, the "allow push notification from this site" and other interruptions. I'm still seeing sites with ads that move the editorial content while i'm reading.
</rant>

I can assure any publishers with those irritations that it's only puts me off.

[csdude55]

The push notifications are what amaze me. I would say that 90% of the sites I visit keep asking me to allow them, and every single time I have to say "no". I don't want to add them to a block list for fear of that list getting huge and slowing down my browser, so I just close it before continuing.

I don't think I've ever once allowed them on any site, ever.

And, of course, I've never signed up for a newsletter. Maybe back in 1997, but now? Of course not.

[not2easy]

Isn't there a way in browser settings or system settings to disallow push notifications? In Firefox you can go to Preferences > Privacy and Security and scroll down to Permissions.

[NickMNS]

Isn't there a way in browser settings or system settings to disallow push notifications?

The issue isn't the push notifications, the issue is the browser request for permission to allow the push notification, and to my knowledge it isn't possible to block that.

Push notification is very useful in the right context, it would be great for a site like WW, it beats email notifications which are delayed and cumbersome. But they are also pointless and annoying for a website like a blog or e-commerce shop.

[ronin]

It's a Tragedy of the Commons, endlessly replayed.

Back in 2004, working as a small-but-growing performance publisher, I was very enthusiastic about RSS, because I thought it was a brilliant way for visitors to subscribe to receive new content with confidence that they had total control over that subscription.

This was a time when if you subscribed to an email newsletter, there wasn't always an unsubscribe option - and even when there was it didn't always unsubscribe you - not to mention you never knew how many times your email address was being sold and re-sold to organisations you'd never subscribed to in the first place.

It disappointed me that RSS feeds didn't substantially replace email newsletters... (and where is RSS now?) but RSS didn't supersede email newsletters precisely because the "visitor maintains control" aspect that I found so appealing didn't hold the same appeal for organisations whose marketing outlook was based on dumb numbers and who definitely prioritised themselves before their visitors.

This is the same attitude that leads to endless in your face popups, popunders, email newsletter sign-up consoles etc.

I held off from using an adblocker for years. Beyond weary, I started using one about five years ago. I've never looked back.

It's a Tragedy of the Commons, endlessly replayed.

Too many web-marketing departments need to see the value of thinking and acting a little more like bees and a little less like locusts.

[engine]

Ahh, yes, user control: It seems a thing many users crave, but marketers detest. The simple reason marketers don't want it is because people will unsubscribe, given half the chance.

Even buying something from a company is a risk of getting swamped by marketing: It's one reason I use throw-away email addresses for new orders with an unknown company.

I came across a particularly bad example this week where the business has a model of getting sign-ups (phone, email, address), and then hound the individual for business. There was a red flag the moment I spotted the box to select accepting the T&Cs before entering any data. Bad practice, along with many, many complaints from various review sites.

Back on topic: I wonder if the publishers of the sites with popups traverse the web disliking other sites with popups.

[tangor]

I held off from using an adblocker for years. Beyond weary, I started using one about five years ago. I've never looked back.

Been there years ago ... and the number of new folks taking it up is increasing. Sadly, these publishers are doing more harm to themselves with these practices than they realize.

You don't want to annoy your visitors!

[csdude55]

Sadly, these publishers are doing more harm to themselves with these practices than they realize.

They're hurting all of us! My revenue is literally 1/4 what it used to be, and it looks like about half of my users have ad blockers. But the worst part is that most of them don't even know they have an ad blocker! It was installed by someone trying to "fix" a virus :-(

My main site is 20 years old and has NEVER used pop ups, pop unders, or anything of that nonsense; just a few standard Adsense banners. But the actions of those people you're describing have indirectly made ME lose money.

I don't know the solution to it, either. As ads become less profitable, we're going to continue seeing fewer and fewer free information websites.