Well that TTI isn't Travelling Ticket Inspector; it is Trick That Idiot.
This style of advertising on the net must have a nice academic name. Unfortunately I am unaware of it so I am using the non-pedantic TTI.
As you know, we love apps, we love music and we love books. And we love them even more when they can be had for free. Our search for such freeware often takes us to sites that employ TTI. So, they will give you a download link for the stuff you are looking for. But it will not be so prominently displayed as another big Download button that will download something very different from what you are looking for. And because of this visual design, you are more likely to click on this button instead of the one that you intend to. Now it doesn't take a great marketing guru to figure out that this other Download button must have been placed there by someone who has paid for it. It is paid TTI advertising. Similarly some websites, notably the Readers Digest site, present content in the form of slide shows. When a slide is presented you will find back and forward arrows for navigating the show. Alongside other and more prominent arrows will be placed prominently on the screen. These are TTIs that will take you not to the next or previous slide, but somewhere where the paying advertiser wants you to go. I am sure you have experienced this TTI yourself and I would be happy to know what name you have given to them.
You may not mind being tricked when you are looking for something for free. After all, the fellow maintaining the website has to seek revenue from somewhere. But it does come as a nasty surprise when such TTI is embedded on an e-commerce website like IRCTC where the visitor is paying for what he wants from the site. Let me narrate to you what happened today morning.
Someone approached me for online booking of train tickets from Mumbai to Lucknow in the sleeper class for her journey 120 days later. She was very insistent that I sign into the website before 8 am so that I can initiate the booking as soon as the clock strikes eight. Each second counted. I was ready with the train and the class selected at 7:59 am. However there was no link to book. Then I noticed this huge "Book a seat" button and clicked it. It took me to Bla-Bla car website. I thought this was IRCTC's way of keeping you amused till 8:00 when the booking will open. So I kept closing the popped up ad and clicking on the said button. By the time I noticed that a row in which availability and booking link were displayed, had appeared on the screen, I was late by those few critical seconds. I also think that I was under the impression that the same button which opened BlaBlaCar ad will open the booking form at eight. By the time I noticed the actual booking link, all berths (449) had been taken and RAC had started!
Of course, I have learnt the lesson now. But the question, dear reader, is whether it is fair for IRCTC to go for this TTI style advertising?
This style of advertising on the net must have a nice academic name. Unfortunately I am unaware of it so I am using the non-pedantic TTI.
As you know, we love apps, we love music and we love books. And we love them even more when they can be had for free. Our search for such freeware often takes us to sites that employ TTI. So, they will give you a download link for the stuff you are looking for. But it will not be so prominently displayed as another big Download button that will download something very different from what you are looking for. And because of this visual design, you are more likely to click on this button instead of the one that you intend to. Now it doesn't take a great marketing guru to figure out that this other Download button must have been placed there by someone who has paid for it. It is paid TTI advertising. Similarly some websites, notably the Readers Digest site, present content in the form of slide shows. When a slide is presented you will find back and forward arrows for navigating the show. Alongside other and more prominent arrows will be placed prominently on the screen. These are TTIs that will take you not to the next or previous slide, but somewhere where the paying advertiser wants you to go. I am sure you have experienced this TTI yourself and I would be happy to know what name you have given to them.
You may not mind being tricked when you are looking for something for free. After all, the fellow maintaining the website has to seek revenue from somewhere. But it does come as a nasty surprise when such TTI is embedded on an e-commerce website like IRCTC where the visitor is paying for what he wants from the site. Let me narrate to you what happened today morning.
Someone approached me for online booking of train tickets from Mumbai to Lucknow in the sleeper class for her journey 120 days later. She was very insistent that I sign into the website before 8 am so that I can initiate the booking as soon as the clock strikes eight. Each second counted. I was ready with the train and the class selected at 7:59 am. However there was no link to book. Then I noticed this huge "Book a seat" button and clicked it. It took me to Bla-Bla car website. I thought this was IRCTC's way of keeping you amused till 8:00 when the booking will open. So I kept closing the popped up ad and clicking on the said button. By the time I noticed that a row in which availability and booking link were displayed, had appeared on the screen, I was late by those few critical seconds. I also think that I was under the impression that the same button which opened BlaBlaCar ad will open the booking form at eight. By the time I noticed the actual booking link, all berths (449) had been taken and RAC had started!
Of course, I have learnt the lesson now. But the question, dear reader, is whether it is fair for IRCTC to go for this TTI style advertising?
