Pop-up's

What do you think of popup?

[preachers]

What do you think of those site using popup's Like top site and things like that?

[physics]

Hi preachers, welcome to WebmasterWorld.com!
I don't like popups unless they are 'optional', i.e. the pop-up just comes up when I click on something on the page intentionally (i.e. 'enlarge this image'). That being said I try to avoid them in my own sites; there are several ways to do this like javascript mouseovers or a full reload of the page with the information printed on the page instead of in a popup.
Now do you mean those 'benign' types of pop-ups or do you mean ones with ads plastered on them?

[physics]

Oh the reason I avoid them on my own sites is that a lot of people have 'popup blockers' now so will have to click 'allow popups from this page' or something even for 'useful' popups.

[mcavic]

There's no excuse for any kind of popup except under two conditions: it's the direct and only result of clicking a link (click here to enlarge, etc) AND the popup is smaller than the window that it came from (so that novices can tell that it's a popup and that the old page is still behind it). Those rules also imply that it must not be a pop-under.

Mouseovers that raise a little box inside the page are okay, but not for ads.

[txbakers]

I use them sparingly where it makes sense to have a separate window for clarification or a mini-form for submission. Also, the user initiates the popup with a click.

I detest them for ads and when they happen by themselves.

[preachers]

Why pop under is not correct?

[phantombookman]

pop up equals backclick to me - cr*p site
I thought htey went out with the ark on decent sites, maybe that's just me though

[mcavic]

Why pop under is not correct?

Is there any purpose for a pop under, except for an ad that doesn't get seen until later?

[tbear]

Boil the creators in oil..... ;)

[zeus]

it depends, I accept them if a site is delivering me a free service, the site has to generate a income, ok I dont accept 2 popups on a single page.

[zooloo]

Pop ups?

Do they still exist?

Perhaps being a Firefox user has something to do with me not seeing any.

;)

zoo

[Gargen]

the only pop ups on my site are when some clicks to go to the forum, anything else you make your site less intriguing to visitors

[moTi]

popups and layers as advertising tools are the biggest mistakes in online marketing ever, right before flashing banners.

99% of users feel annoyed.

annoying advertisement = bad advertisement

it's as simple as this.

by the way.. popup links to content windows are ok, moderately used of course.

[2oddSox]

pop up equals backclick to me - cr*p site

I use a pop-up for advertising on one of my sites only. The site in question delivers one pop-up (related to the subject), just once every three days.

As far as I'm concerned, this is a very small price for the visitor to pay for the wealth of information that this particular site offers. I would suspect that a large proportion (if not all) of my visitors would acknowledge that once they see the content, but those that think my site is cr*p are more than welcome to move on.

[JAB Creations]

A website should always be a one window solution and there is only one specific instance where frames are acceptable.

So a direct answer is that popups are NOT acceptable for any reason. If you can not achieve your goal without a popup then your goals are erred.

[mcavic]

I don't quite agree, JAB. Here's an excellent example: I just logged on to a stock analysis site. While looking at a list of stocks, I clicked "Chart Analysis" on one of them. It popped up a window that was 25% of my screen size with the chart inside. After glancing, I closed the popup (using the thumb button on my mouse), which was much faster and easier than clicking Back would have been.

[physics]

I agree that not all popups are evil. But it's a good point that they're to be avoided when possible (i.e. by embedding the information in the page somehow). Problem with that is then you might have to present your information with flash or js or something so it can change in the page, or reload or send them off to another page where some of the necessary info on the curent page doesn't exist (especially a problem if it's a product page, don't really want to send them away! ...).

[preachers]

And pop ups for top site? with points and all .. shoud they be allowed, banned, or should they be different?

Different with more content, information you need etc...

[physics]

Preachers what do you mean by "top site"?

[topr8]

isn't the top site thing where you vote for the site for a kind of top list, in the old days the adu7t business did this a lot.

... maybe i'm wrong, but if i'm right, i think thats an old fashioned and not very effective way to promote a mainstream site.

[rfontaine]

I LOVE popups.

The more popups a site has, the more I know I do not want to visit that site again.

It's a big web. I need to filter the number of sites I regularly go to somehow. Popups make the choices easy.

[physics]

I love your logic rfontaine ;) That is a good use of popups.

[Leosghost]

The sort of sites which run non informative pop ups ..I actually hate the "under" variety even worse .. ( ie those that are not there 'cos <I clicked to enlarge an image> tend to make me look to see if I have the time to fire up a port sniffer with eventual evil intent and extended familiy relationships to the walking dead who only know three letters DDOS ( yes it's 4 but 2 r the same )..I suspect from time spent on other fora , irc etc that I am not alone ...do it by all means ..just dont complain when **** happens ) ..

There are business models that are much more polite ..et plus cool ..;)

[swoop]

Never see popups anymore, due to browser blocking them. :)

[preachers]

When I talk about top site, it's the site who show popups with points .. IN or OUT ... like those from <snip>

[edited by: Brett_Tabke at 12:41 pm (utc) on Aug. 29, 2005]
[edit reason] please no specifics [/edit]

[econman]

Pop ups are like pollution.

Everyone hates having to deal with the adverse effects of other site's pop ups, but many sites continue to pollute the web with them, because they are (or at least once were) profitable.