If your view of my website includes any "text enhance ads" -- those annoying hyperlinks on individual words that produce pop-up ads, please know that I didn't put them there.
This shows off my web naiveté, but I always assumed when I saw those on other people's websites that they were being paid for allowing them. I didn't understand why the website owner would agree to it, since the links direct the reader away from the site and the stupid things are just annoying when you're trying to scroll through an article or post.
So, when I saw them on my site, while looking at it on a family member's computer, knowing damn well that I didn't want them and didn't agree to them and wasn't getting paid for letting another business advertise on my website, I hit the roof.
I have no legal or financial arrangement whatsoever with these third party advertisers. They are hijacking my content for their financial gain. They are implying to my readers that I'm endorsing certain products, which I most emphatically am not.
They are also pissing me off. Monumentally.
I'll see if I can track down anything on my site that might be causing it. But it's not showing up when I view the site on my computer so, if you see text enhancements, it's probably malware or adware on your computer. The good folks at Weebly, my web host, recommended you do a virus scan and then use an adware remover like Adaware. They also recommended this instructional guide for removing text enhancement malware from your computer.
I'm probably tilting at virtual windmills here but I really want to smack these pirates down. With my legal superpowers. Which honestly probably aren't all that super when dealing with something like adware.
But at least I can draw attention to the problem. If readers know that these types of ads are generally foisted on website owners, many of whom are small business owners like myself, against their will, and that readers can make them go away pretty easily, then maybe they'll be less likely to tolerate them and more inclined to regularly scrub malware off their computers.
But I'm going to keep looking at it. If it's not illegal, it should be. If I rented a billboard and in the middle of night somebody climbed a ladder and pasted an additional, completely different, ad up there, it would be trespass.
I'll keep you posted.
This shows off my web naiveté, but I always assumed when I saw those on other people's websites that they were being paid for allowing them. I didn't understand why the website owner would agree to it, since the links direct the reader away from the site and the stupid things are just annoying when you're trying to scroll through an article or post.
So, when I saw them on my site, while looking at it on a family member's computer, knowing damn well that I didn't want them and didn't agree to them and wasn't getting paid for letting another business advertise on my website, I hit the roof.
I have no legal or financial arrangement whatsoever with these third party advertisers. They are hijacking my content for their financial gain. They are implying to my readers that I'm endorsing certain products, which I most emphatically am not.
They are also pissing me off. Monumentally.
I'll see if I can track down anything on my site that might be causing it. But it's not showing up when I view the site on my computer so, if you see text enhancements, it's probably malware or adware on your computer. The good folks at Weebly, my web host, recommended you do a virus scan and then use an adware remover like Adaware. They also recommended this instructional guide for removing text enhancement malware from your computer.
I'm probably tilting at virtual windmills here but I really want to smack these pirates down. With my legal superpowers. Which honestly probably aren't all that super when dealing with something like adware.
But at least I can draw attention to the problem. If readers know that these types of ads are generally foisted on website owners, many of whom are small business owners like myself, against their will, and that readers can make them go away pretty easily, then maybe they'll be less likely to tolerate them and more inclined to regularly scrub malware off their computers.
But I'm going to keep looking at it. If it's not illegal, it should be. If I rented a billboard and in the middle of night somebody climbed a ladder and pasted an additional, completely different, ad up there, it would be trespass.
I'll keep you posted.
