ABSTRACT
The Internet is the medium of our time. Although not everyone has access, use of the Internet for a myriad of purposes is now commonplace. Survey data from 2006 established that 73 percent of adults (approximately 147 million) were using the Internet, and over 40 percent of the adults surveyed reported having broadband connections in their homes (Madden, 2006). Internet communication has transformed political campaigns, facilitated the sharing of important research, and assisted millions of people in finding answers to questions. From specific sites such as WebMD to general inquiry tools such as “Ask Jeeves,” those with access to the Internet have a wealth of information and viewpoints available to them day and night—“24/7” in Internet lingo. Along with these resources and potentials come the problems of unregulated Internet communication. The biggest plagues facing many Internet users are pornography and advertising—both of which have proliferated because they are successful in this new cyberspace venue. Pornography claims about 13 percent of the Internet activity, making it the largest part of web traffic (Gerson, 2007), and Internet advertising is “in your face” just about every time you log on. Software to control pop-ups helps those who want fewer advertising distractions and interruptions, and Spam blockers can keep out unwanted messages that carry advertising. Yet, as a new frontier, the Internet demands that advertisers continuously develop innovations in both format and style to try to keep the potential consumer's attention. Reports from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers announced 2006 Internet advertising revenues at $16.8 billion, an increase of 32 percent from 2005 (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2007). Simply stated, in aggregate, those companies who produce Internet advertising are seeing dramatic revenue growth pointing to the speed with which the Internet craze is reshaping advertising.
