This tip was sent to me by a regular reader to investigate, though I think others might be able to help me with this if they’re on dial-up and using ISP Bonanza. Here’s an excerpt of the email sent to me:
I’m using ISPx Bonanza pre-paid internet card (dial-up). and recently, i’m getting an ad for Unisilver time watches after clicking on links on websites that are not affiliated with the watch company (see my attachment for the screenshot and the url), it happens at random times and i have to click “back” to visit the link i clicked.
I did a domain WHOIS look-up and I found out that Tri-isys (the providers of ISPx Bonanza) owns the domain and I’m wondering if they have the right to interrupt my browsing just to show me Sam Milby!
A sample screen shot of the ad is shown below:
Click on image to see larger version.
At first, I thought this was just your ordinary spyware or malware inserting ads during browser session. But, the fact that the ads were local means there’s more to it, so this needs a little more looking into.
Let me clarify though that Internet Service Providers should not be employing this kind of scheme. I think, the ISP or the ISP reseller is trying to augment the low revenue from prepaid card sales by popping ads in between user sessions. See, if the dial-up market is plunging and over saturated, we get really competitive prices sometimes in the tune of Php5 per hour plus unlimited browsing during off peak hours (usually 12 midnight to 7AM).
However, due to the massive competition among dial-up ISPs and their resellers, they might resort to other schemes for additional revenue and you end up with something like this incident. Just read the fine print at the back of the prepaid card — it may say they can do that too.
This is just my opinion though. We haven’t really established a pattern here but if any of your guys running on dial-up could try if they do get into similar situations.
When I initially commented I seem to have clicked the
-Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox
and now every time a comment is added I get 4 emails with the
same comment. Perhaps there is a way you are able to remove me from that
service? Thanks a lot!
ISP Bonanza was my fav ISP since I got a modem of my own in 1999. :D I think I might have given them thousands of pesos already considering I’m a netaddict hahaha. :D :D Those were the times, that was until we got broadband in 2007.
tri-isys internet sucks..sobrang bgl n2..prang nagtatapon ka ng pera…dc pa ng dc…magDSL k nalng..pro kung wla kang choice..DO NOt SUbScribE here…kalahati lang ng pinayaran mo ang nagtatanggap mo..minsan prang wla pa..madalas pang naccra yung system nila…prang pinapabayaan dahil dial-up lang nmn siya..
There are more irate users here –> http://songsinthecity.blogspot.com/
The re-imagined Sam Milby graphics made my day!
I just got that ad before getting to this page! so that’s where it came from huh. pretty irritating at times, given that how dial up is…slow. but i’ll have to make do with it now, the speed that is. but the ads really need to go. sam melby!
Hard times, when PLDT is your competition!
Never tried ISPx Bonanza before, even when I was still on dial-up. I used Surf MAXX before I had broadband connection. Still, this is not only extremely annoying, this is downright unethical of the ISP.
I heard from a reliable source that Tri-isys recent income is indeed low due to the competition.
It’s happening to my friend too. Thanks God I’m on DSL now.