The Wonder of Internet Advertising

I may have commented before on the idiocy of the ads that get churned out when using Amazon. The funniest was when I was looking at a free jazz CD by Bobby Hutcherson called "Oblique". Amazon told me that people who looked at Oblique might be interested in Oblique, a perfume by Givenchy. Well, maybe...

Yesterday, I was browsing a website on HTML - HTML Source (which I would highly recommend) - since I have this insane desire to learn to write HTML. Presumably to pay for the site, they take ads from Google.

One of the pages I was looking at was about the HTML "marquee" tag - that's the really irritating effect that has words scroll across the page.

Thing is, the ads provided by Google were for the hire of outdoor marquees, tents and camping equipment.

That's what I call targeted advertising!

The Wonder of Internet Advertising

I may have commented before on the idiocy of the ads that get churned out when using Amazon. The funniest was when I was looking at a free jazz CD by Bobby Hutcherson called "Oblique". Amazon told me that people who looked at Oblique might be interested in Oblique, a perfume by Givenchy. Well, maybe...

Yesterday, I was browsing a website on HTML - HTML Source (which I would highly recommend) - since I have this insane desire to learn to write HTML. Presumably to pay for the site, they take ads from Google.

One of the pages I was looking at was about the HTML "marquee" tag - that's the really irritating effect that has words scroll across the page.

Thing is, the ads provided by Google were for the hire of outdoor marquees, tents and camping equipment.

That's what I call targeted advertising!

More Internet foolishness...

Actually, whilst I am on about the Internet, I came across a really dumb piece of website design the other day.

I was looking at various travel insurance sites, trying to decide whether I should take out annual travel insurance. (Not that I have been abroad in the last couple of years, but I never know when the spirit may move me...).

On the Norwich Union site, I went to their travel insurance page to get a quote. I checked the box that said "Annual Policy."

However, you can't proceed with the quote unless you also fill out the box that asks "For single trip please enter the length of your trip. ( No of Days )".

Doh!

More Internet foolishness...

Actually, whilst I am on about the Internet, I came across a really dumb piece of website design the other day.

I was looking at various travel insurance sites, trying to decide whether I should take out annual travel insurance. (Not that I have been abroad in the last couple of years, but I never know when the spirit may move me...).

On the Norwich Union site, I went to their travel insurance page to get a quote. I checked the box that said "Annual Policy."

However, you can't proceed with the quote unless you also fill out the box that asks "For single trip please enter the length of your trip. ( No of Days )".

Doh!

Cartoons...

( Cartoons from the Independent - 12 and 13 June 2006 )

Cartoons...

( Cartoons from the Independent - 12 and 13 June 2006 )

Birdsong

The evenings are so light that we have taken to sleeping with the curtains open, watching the fading sunsets as we drift to sleep.

At the other end of the night, the open curtains let dawn in; I have been waking early, brought on by the chattering birds outside.

The other morning, I woke up at 4am; it was light. Keen to drift back to sleep for a couple of hours before I had to get up, I put on my radio in the hope of some gentle piano music to lull me away.

Instead, there was an orchestra blasting out the triumphal last movement of Mahler’s 8th Symphony.

It was wonderful, though I didn’t get back to sleep.

Birdsong

The evenings are so light that we have taken to sleeping with the curtains open, watching the fading sunsets as we drift to sleep.

At the other end of the night, the open curtains let dawn in; I have been waking early, brought on by the chattering birds outside.

The other morning, I woke up at 4am; it was light. Keen to drift back to sleep for a couple of hours before I had to get up, I put on my radio in the hope of some gentle piano music to lull me away.

Instead, there was an orchestra blasting out the triumphal last movement of Mahler’s 8th Symphony.

It was wonderful, though I didn’t get back to sleep.