I hate peeping Toms. For one thing they usually step all over the hedges and plants on the side of someone's house killing them and setting back the vegetation's gardener countless time and effort. Another thing that I don't really like about them is that they're such sideline actors, lacking the abilities to participate actively, that I just can't offer them any respect, whatsoever. Finally, I hate peeping Toms because of the very nature of their field. What is that nature? Its one of intrusiveness. And intrusive, unwelcome company is intolerable in any form. This leads me to internet advertising trends.



Now, I'm not like Robin, that weirdo from my cultural anthropology class; I think that advertising is something that has its place in our society; which for better or worse is structured along a marketplace economy. But, simply because I feel advertising has a right to exist, doesn't mean that I like or agree with it, in its many forms and mediums. Such is the case with the recent trends in internet advertising. Pop up windows, banners and the like seem to offer me nothing but irritation. And soliciting emails...10% of emails received in 2000 were advertisements!

It seems though that some of the biggest problems with the internet advertising trends are the lack of accountability. Where do you register your complaints? How can you protest in any form against companies whose advertising techniques you don't agree with? You don't. And on another point of difference between traditional products and their advertising and those of the internet nature, simply ignoring internet advertising is ineffective due to their incredible cost effectiveness, for example email advertising. I don't like this business of faceless intruders. At least peeping Toms personally stand there and intrude. So in final analysis: it's true, I hate peeping Toms, but if I had to choose, I'd take one any day over an internet advertiser.