Prompt Cast
The Unintentional Creation of the Pop-Up Ad and Its Impact on Internet Culture
TLDR Ethan Zuckerman accidentally invented the pop-up ad, which eventually became annoying and intrusive. He now regrets his role in its creation, as it has contributed to the normalization of surveillance and complacency about privacy in the online world.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Ethan Zuckerman accidentally did something that made the internet worse and most of us are living in the broken world that he helped create.
02:37
Ethan Zuckerman accidentally created a tool that allowed anyone to build a website, causing Tripod's traffic to skyrocket.
05:19
Tripod.com experiences a surge in web traffic but is losing money, so they turn to advertising, but encounter a problem when a Ford ad is displayed alongside a gay porn website, prompting Ethan to come up with a solution using JavaScript.
07:58
Ethan Zuckerman unintentionally created the pop-up ad, which eventually became annoying and intrusive, and he now regrets his role in its creation.
10:52
Ethan Zuckerman publicly confesses his role in inventing the pop-up ad, leading to widespread media coverage and late night shows making fun of him.
14:00
Ethan Zuckerman believes that the true sin of the pop-up ad was ushering in a world in which the American public has grown too comfortable with the idea of being under surveillance.
16:18
The normalization of surveillance through advertising has made people complacent about their privacy and less likely to protest against government surveillance.
Categories:
Technology
Society & Culture
