Time to deflate popup ads

Via Wired News: If you hate those frustrating pop-ups that crowd your screen when you are in the middle of some serious surfing, you must be one in the 80% of people who have a "strong and intense dislike for pop-up ads, resulting in a negative attitude toward the Web site itself." But why then, are news Web sites such as The New York Times, Washington Post and CNN not doing anything about those irritating windows that pop-up on every page? Studies show that pop-ups discourage readers from returning to that site and even hurt new traffic. The high click- through rates were the result of trying to close the window or not being able to figure how to get rid of it. News sites may have to give that particular sales strategy a thought, according to the article, which also points out that "the reign of the much-maligned pop-up ad may be coming to an end."