Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 12:55:28 -0500
From: {name removed}@doubleclick.net

We are an ASP - so other folks are scheduling ads that
they create (or get from agencies or advertisers) on sites that they tag and
control.  Our servers are dumb in the sense that a request comes to them for
an ad asset and they respond.  Without boring you with how the ad is
determined, the call usually passes criteria like "sect=sports",
"area=hockey","sz=468x60" and the system chooses the "appropriate" ad and
sends the asset which is sometimes HTML and sometimes merely a gif.  Once
the ad leaves our system we have no control over how it is used.  We, for
instance, don't know when a gif leaves our server if it to be used on the
top of a home page (where you may expect it) or to fill in a newly created
pop up window.  

The trick is in who makes the decision to generate the pop up.  That choice
is made in one of two ways:
1) JavaScript hard coded to the page itself (outside of DC's control)
2) JavaScript embedded in an primary ad.  When the primary ad is served
(usually a typical banner) the JavaScript executes popping up a new window
and sending that new window instructions to go to DoubleClick to get the ad
to fill in the window.  (again we no control over the content of the ads
that our clients allow on their sites (well very limited))

The only control that can be exerted by any primary adserver, like the ones
you link to from your site, is encourage publishers to either not use
scenario 1 or to do so with their own cookie to limit.  In the case of
scenario 2 we need to encourage publishers to frequency cap the primary ad,
thereby capping the secondary calls. 

As to the original question the not so great answer is to disable
JavaScript.  The other answer is to let the publishers/advertisers know that
you aren't going to frequent their sites if they continue.  Obviously the
trouble here is that publishers are under hard financial times and need to
stay in business.  With deflated revenues, they are to some degree at the
mercy of advertisers and agencies who increasingly demand results.  In comes
the pop up - love it or more likely hate it - it creates value for the
advertiser, for the agency and eventually to the publisher...