Automated Changing Text and Backgrounds

[peterinwa]

I wasn't sure what to title this and it won't be easy to put in words.

What it's about is the banner ads I've created with text because Norton and other software is stopping banner ad graphics from appearing on the page more and more often now. (Actually this whole matter came up because my pages are created entirely with JavaScript and when I put banner ad graphics on them Norton crashed them. So I've reverted to text.)

Anyway, my question is... is there a way to make a banner with HTML and table code and, obviously, JavaScript, and have the contents change. For example, when the banner first appears it might flash Free Trial a couple times then settle down so as not to be annoying.

I know you can create timers with JS and so I could call a function at certain times. But the only way I can think to do this would be to re-write the page each time I want the banner to change. And I don't want to re-write the whole page... just the banner.

I could also do it using Frames and just re-write a single frame containing the banner, but I don't want to divide up the page that way.

I also don't want to use FLASH.

What I want is probably either impossible, or done all the time and I just need to be pointed in the right direction.

Thanks, Peter

[lZakl]

peterinwa,

You ever consider using an animated gif to do this? They're easy to make with Photoshop and Imageready. This is a great alternative to flash, and you don't have to have a lengthy Javascript running...

Just my 2¢ :0)

-- Zak

[Bernard Marx]

For the example peterinwa is giving, an animated gif sounds just the ticket. No complications.

Not sure about the 'lengthy script' bit. A script to do this could weight in at less bytes than my lunch. A script will be needed to do anything more complicated than a number of 'flashes' of the image. Changing the entire page code won't be necessary. Just changing the src of the image will do.

[peterinwa]

I have completely given up using gifs. Norton Internet Security stops them from displaying and tosses some JS code into YOUR PAGE in doing so.

Because I create the entire page in JS (the pages are very complex calculators) it crashes the page.

So it's kinda "been there tried that," but thanks very much for the suggestions.

Of course I do have non-ad graphics on my pages, and those are okay. The graphics will appear so long as you don't keep them in a directory like Banners or have common ad sizes like 460x60. But the problem still comes with the link code because the Affiliate programs use all the words that Norton catches.

[Bernard Marx]

Does Norton et al stop images when used as background images?

[peterinwa]

Don't know, but it looks for text in the directory and file name, and common ad sizes for the graphics. So I suppose if you had a standard size anything it could stop it.

When Norton stop all ads then all the free websites like mine will go away.

Stoping annoying pop-ups is a great service. Beyond that is... well, come to think of it I tape the news every night and fast-forward through the commercials. So...

[Bernard Marx]

I agree with your sentiments - on both sides.

I was just wondering whether Norton has got round to checking CSS files for image URLs. If not, ads could be sourced that way, perhaps in the background of 'block' displayed links.