Member Page Advertising

Tripod would not be able to offer our Web page building and hosting services without the help of advertising. Tripod advertises on member pages through a small pop-up window served simultaneously with member pages. In addition to advertising, this pop-up window contains links to Tripod and is a navigational aid. This section provides answers to questions about advertising on member pages and the pop-up window.

I lost the letter that Tripod sent announcing the pop-up window. Can I get another copy?
Why does Tripod advertise on member pages?
Why is Tripod using a pop-up window for advertising?
How is the pop-up window launched?
Will the pop-up window be served or updated with every member page?
Can the pop-up window be closed?
What's the difference between the pop-up window being "updated" and being "relaunched"?
Will the pop-up window interfere with other JavaScripts that I have on my pages?
What browsers will properly display the pop-up window?
What browsers will NOT properly display the pop-up window?
What happens to my page if the person viewing it does not have a compatible browser?
I use frames. Does that mean that a separate pop-up window will show up for each frame?
Where do I send problems with pop-up window?
What is a guestbook and how do I get one for my page?
What is an answering machine and how do I get one for my page?

Q: I lost the letter that Tripod sent announcing the pop-up window. Can I get another copy?

A copy of the letter that was sent to all Tripod members with homepages announcing the launch of the pop-up window is available here.

Q: Why does Tripod advertise on member pages?

Advertising is Tripod's primary source of revenue and ad revenue helps defray the enormous cost of hosting hundreds of thousands of Tripod member's Web sites. The decision to begin advertising on member pages was made with the help of member feedback. Way back in August 1995, Tripod was faced with the dilemma of how to continue offering our Web page services given the significant cost. After conducting a survey, more than 80% of members who answered the survey felt that advertising on member pages was a good way to help keep the service free. Tripod has advertised on member pages ever since, and continue to keep members involved with every decision affecting them.

Q: Why is Tripod using a pop-up window for advertising?

With the help of extensive feedback from our members and our advertisers, Tripod identified a number of issues with advertising on member pages.

Advertisements placed directly on member pages interfere with the design of member pages.
Putting a the legal disclaimer on member pages is unattractive.
Advertisements are more effective if they are more visible.

Tripod tested two alternatives to address these issues, an interstitial page served before entering a Tripod member page and a pop-up window served simultaneously with a member page. The interstitial page was not an adequate solution and member feeback was generally negative. The pop-up window was a better, less intrusive option and has the added benefit of providing a useful navigational tool for connecting with the Tripod community.

Q: How is the pop-up window launched?

Tripod uses JavaScript to implement the pop-up window. The code for the pop-up window is inserted by the server at the top of member pages.

Q: Will the pop-up window be served or updated with every member page?

No, the pop-up window is designed to be served once per member Web site directory. In other words the pop-up window will be served the first time someone visits a Tripod member page, but will not be updated if the person visits another Web page in the member's directory. The pop-up window will only be served or updated if the person visits another member's Web site.

For example, if someone visits a page by Tripod Member TriMember,

http://members.tripod.com/~TriMember/index.html

the pop-up window will be served. If the viewer goes to another page in that directory,

http://members.tripod.com/~TriMember/mylinks.html

the pop-up window will not be updated. Moreover, if the pop-up window was closed, it would not be relaunched. The pop-up window would not be updated or relaunched until the viewer visited another member's Web site.

Q: Can the pop-up window be closed?

Yes, the pop-up window is just another browser window and can be closed by the person viewing a member page. It will not be relaunched until the person goes to another member's Web site.

Q: What's the difference between the pop-up window being "updated" and being "relaunched"?

While exploring Tripod member pages, if the pop-up window is closed, it will be relaunched when a person visits another Tripod member's Web site. If the pop-up window has not been closed, when a person visits another Tripod member's Web site, the pop-up window will be updated with a new advertisement.

Q: Will the pop-up window interfere with other JavaScripts that I have on my pages?

In most cases, no. But there is some chance that some JavaScript commands that Tripod uses to launch the pop-up window may conflict with commands that you may be using. If you suspect this may be a problem, please send us a message.

Q: What browsers will properly display the pop-up window?

We tested the pop-up window successfully with the following browsers on the following platforms:

Mac
Netscape Navigator 2.0, 3.0, 4.0

Q: What browsers will NOT properly display the pop-up window?

The most notable browswers that have problems with the pop-up window are:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0 on a PC
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 on a Mac

Q: What happens to my page if the person viewing it does not have a compatible browser?

The incompatible browser should ignore the JavaScript used to launch the pop-up window and display the rest of the page normally. We've tried to make sure that the pop-up window does not interfere with page viewing.

Q: I use frames. Does that mean that a separate pop-up window will show up for each frame?

No, Tripod addressed the technical issues with frames and pages that use frames should not have a problem with the pop-up window. Only one pop-up will be displayed with a member page that uses frames regardless of the number of frames on the page.

Q: Where do I send problems with pop-up window?

If you believe the pop-up window is causing problems with your page, please use the membership comment form to send us a message. Please provide as much information as possible.

Q: What is a guestbook and how do I get one for my page?

A guestbook is a feature that allows visitors to your page to leave a note and read other notes that other people may have left. For more information about Guestworld guestbooks on Tripod, go to guestworld.tripod.com

Q: What is an answering machine and how do I get one for my page?

An answering machine is a feature that allows visitors to your page to leave a message, but unlike a guestbook, only the owner of the answering machine can read the messages. For more information about the answering machine and instructions on how to turn them on, please see the Tripod Answering Machine page.

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