You've heard of a privacy policy, but how about an advertising policy?

Privacy policies came about when Internet users were concerned about their personal information being given out or sold to companies who send unsolicited commercial E-mail, or SPAM as it is commonly called. But there are still many concerns about Internet advertising. Many Web sites have allowed a high number of pop-up advertisements to appear, some on every single page. Many advertisers have also attempted to deceive advertisement viewers into thinking that they've won something when it's really a sales gimmick and everyone sees the same ad, or that the advertisement is actually a new E-mail notification, or similar tricks. But there are those Web site owners who will not stoop to that level. Among these Web site owners is Kenny Bentley, owner and Webmaster of Virtua Bowl (http://www.virtuabowl.com). In fact, he is taking a stand against such advertising methods by including an advertising policy on his Web site.

Not only does Virtua Bowl's advertising policy disallow excessive pop-up ads or deceptive ads as mentioned before, but it also includes guidelines for use of animation, advertisements that resemble Windows dialog boxes, sweepstakes ads, and even the use of male and female models (especially female models) in advertisements. Virtua Bowl's advertising policy clearly states which types of advertisements are displayed on Virtua Bowl and gives specific information about them. For example, Virtua Bowl's policy on pop-up ads is that they will pop up under the user's current browser window so they can view it at their leisure, and will only pop up once per visitor session. The policy also contains information about how advertising is sold, the degree of control Virtua Bowl has over advertising, and how cookies are used in advertising.

Virtua Bowl is not the only site, and certainly not the first, to include an advertising policy. Among others is igrandparents.com, a site dedicated to grandparents and their grandchildren. Many health-related sites, such as healthatoz.com and drspock.com, also contain an advertising policy. But what makes Virtua Bowl's advertising policy unique is that it's more than just a legal agreement. "I am an Internet user myself, and I'm just as cheesed off about the advertising methods of many sites and advertisers as anyone else," says Mr. Bentley. "So I decided to write an advertising policy for my Web site as my way of taking a stand. I hope this will be a wake-up call to both advertisers and users, and will encourage users to click on ads that meet the guidelines I've set in my advertising policy on both my site and other sites. I hope my advertising policy will soon set a standard that many others will follow. Even many corporate giants, including Yahoo, have yet to catch up to this standard, so they might as well start now while they have the chance to stay ahead." Virtua Bowl's advertising policy can be viewed by going to http://www.virtuabowl.com/adpolicy.html, or going to the home page (http://www.virtuabowl.com) and clicking on "Advertising Policy" link.

About Virtua Bowl:
Virtua Bowl (http://www.virtuabowl.com) is a Web site dedicated to the sport of bowling. Virtua Bowl offers online bowling games and some non-bowling games, bowling tips, bowling-related message boards, an online store where the user can buy bowling merchandise, and even free E-mail. The site is designed for bowlers or for anyone who likes to play games. Virtua Bowl is owned and operated by Kenny Bentley, a bowling fan who bowls on a Sunday night bowling league. He also enjoys computers and has an AS degree in computer programming.



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