[WEB4LIB] Re: Banner ads and ages

[Brian Smith]

At 06:55 PM 8/17/00 -0700, Hillary Theyer wrote:
<snip>
>There are reasons for limits on advertising to kids.  TV shows for kids
>specifically have "bumpers" to tell the audience you are leaving or
>returning to the show.  That's where the cheery few seconds of "Scoooby Doo
>will be right back!" comes from, it's mandated by law.  You also cannot show
>a commercial featuring characters from a show during a kids show.  That is
>why Flintstones cereal is not advertised during the Flintstones, and the
>Simpsons are not selling Butterfingers during the Simpsons show.  Again,
>mandated by law.
>
>I think the same should apply to ads of any kind on kids web sites.  They
>should be labeled "advertisement" and not feature the same "characters" as
>the site.  I think most ads for kids on the Internet are brighter, flashier,
>and more visually "attractive" than the sites they are on, and that is a
>pity.

And given the number of adults -- particularly older adults -- who come to
the Web as new computer users, I think banner ads which resemble Windows
error messages should be outlawed.  "Why is the computer telling me my
software is obsolete?  I just bought the thing!"


Brian Smith
Assistant Head of Adult Services
Villa Park (IL) Public Library
http://www.villapark.lib.il.us/
bsmith at linc.lib.il.us
... But writing only on my own behalf
===========
"It's all about the guy sitting behind the desk."
-- Johnny Carson