Mousetrapping

Definition

Using browser tricks to lure a visitor to a website, often by disabling the back button or creating repeating pop-ups.

Information

The mousetrap is one of the most extreme marketing tactics on the internet. The goal is to get the most out of unique visits, usually bombarding visitors with an endless amount of traffic exchange banners and pay-per-click links. Aggressive forms of mousetrap are common in the red light district of the Internet, where there is little regard for the user experience. Since these sites cannot count on repeat visits from satisfied visitors, they often resort to trickery to attract new visitors. The mousetrap is available in several versions. The most harmless form of mousetrap is disabling the back button. (Note that not all broken back buttons are the result of intentional mouse ■■■■■■■■■; some are the result of script routines used for other purposes.) The most aggressive forms of mouse include disabling the browser's core functionality and loading it constantly of contextual ads.