When pop-up ads started appearing a few years back, I thought I was going to go insane constantly trying to close the boxes one by one. Then gratefully, companies began to develop pop-up blockers. The first time I used my pop-up blocker, I thought it was great. Wow, finally less of those pesky ads. But still somehow, even with it turned on those ads seem to haunt me. But that is not what I’m ranting about here. Every once in awhile, you need those pop-up boxes.
Often when making on-line purchases, a separate box pops to complete the check-out process, with pop-up blocker turned on the box appears, but I can’t see the text. The only way to remedy this is to hold down the control key. Who can always remember to hold the control key? I’m all excited about that great new dress, but now I can’t seem to get it.
Or some times I’m purchasing online content. What I purchased appears in a new pop-up, but with blocker turned on, I can’t see what I just purchased.
Will it ever be possible to have the best of both worlds? Not receive any annoying unsolicited pop-ups, but when I make a purchase I can see what I ordered without holding the shift key? There are some pop-up blocker products available that allow you to see desirable pop-ups by creating an "allow-list" for sites like online shopping or financial institutions, but these are mostly paid products. Even if I can customize what sites I want pop-ups from, how am I to know when I visit a new site whether or not they use pop-up boxes that I might find desirable.
In conducting some preliminary research, I was surprised to find out that this topic has not received much coverage in mainstream media. Pop-ups only seem to be a minor point when discussing the greater issue of spyware/adware. Have you ever had the problems I experienced?
