EAST LANSING, MI—Shedding new light on the origin of modern online advertisements, a comprehensive new study published Monday by researchers at Michigan State University has found that pop-up ads evolved a decoy “X” as a way to distract predators. “After carefully examining samples of the ads dating back to the 1990s, we can conclude with a high degree of certainty that the fake ‘close’ button that sends an unwary person to a sponsor’s site rather than making the window disappear is actually a survival tactic selected for by evolution,” said research director Dr. Sheila Rebolini, who explained that over the years, pop-ups that lacked this trait were more likely to be picked off quickly by a sharp-eyed internet user, making ads that possessed the decoy ‘X’ more likely to live to see another day. “Our findings show that developing a simulation of the real ‘X’ button—a false version that was bigger, more colorful, and nearer the center of the ad—also provided a reproductive advantage. By attracting a single click, an ad could multiply at a prolific rate, opening as many windows and tabs as were necessary to accommodate its numerous offspring.” The research comes on the heels of another study that determined a pop-up ad that jumps half an inch up the page as you try to click on it is in fact engaging in an intricate courtship ritual.
