Download programs while skipping extra delays

Aug 21, '02 09:03:34AM

Contributed by: robg

Some software download sites, such as CNET's download.com and VersionTracker.com, add an extra page when you click the download link for a title of interest. On these (and other) sites, you'll be taken to a second page which, after a delay, then begins the download. Although I have nothing against a site's need for revenue from online advertising, I find this tactic highly annoying. After all, I've already seen at least one or two pages worth of ads by the time I hit the download link, and the artificial delay to allow me to view the ads is particularly grating.

Using most browsers, however, it's relatively easy to work around these behaviors. In my personal favorite, Mozilla, I just command-click the download link, and the download page opens in a new tab while keeping the current page frontmost (you can set this up in the Tabbed Browsing preferences). I notice a new tab has opened, and then five or so seconds later, I get the "Save file..." dialog box. I click "OK", and the download begins. When I'm done downloading the various programs I want, I just close the main browser window and all the tabs vanish.

You can do similar things in OmniWeb (control-click and then "Open link behind this window") and Internet Explorer (control-click and "Open link in new window," although it will open in front of (but offset from) your current window). Both of these methods will leave a number of windows onscreen if you're downloading multiple programs, which is one reason I greatly prefer the tabs in one window approach of Mozilla.

Editorial blurb: Does this mean that I deny these sites revenue by reducing their ads' impressions? No, as the ads themselves are still loaded and displayed, it's just that I never see them. It does mean those advertisers appearing on those pages will never get my click-through. And that's fine with me, for I'd rather not encourage this behavior. I do, however, often click-through on ads on the main pages if I see something of interest.

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