download sites always take you to a

February 26, 2005 5:32 AM

Why do download sites always take you to a "your download will begin shortly" page? Is there a technical reason for this or is it all about ad revenue? Usually there are a few ads on those pages and you have nothing better to do but look at them until the download begins.
posted by skallas to technology (8 comments total)

To prevent you from direct-downloading. Usually the actual address of the file is obfuscated by a PHP script.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:40 AM on February 26, 2005

1. Keep other websites from directly linking to said file.
2. Allow an automated script to decide which site to download from.
3. Give the server a cushion of space to reduce overall bandwith usage by stopping a minority of downloaders.
posted by Dean Keaton at 5:50 AM on February 26, 2005

Depending on the particular server, these scripts can be used for queue purposes, redirection for server load balance, prevention of direct-linking, and the ad revenue doesn't hurt either.

Also, they may be checking for particular download accelerators (hard on many servers), and preventing more than 1 or 2 d/ls at a time from any given IP.

In the end, it's all cost control.
posted by Saydur at 6:28 AM on February 26, 2005

It could also be to count the number of downloads.
posted by Orange Goblin at 7:14 AM on February 26, 2005

For game demos, it's all about ad revenue. The problem is getting worse; there's often six or seven pages of ads you have to click through before you get to the download. Or, more likely, a "server busy" error. It's horribly obnoxious.
posted by Nelson at 7:54 AM on February 26, 2005

Live and learn. I was curious about this as well. Thanks all.
posted by BlueTrain at 1:11 PM on February 26, 2005

To prevent you from direct-downloading. Usually the actual address of the file is obfuscated by a PHP script.

Yes, but now with Firefox you can get the absolute address of any file you download by right-clicking on it in the "Downloads" window and selecting "Properties".
posted by FieldingGoodney at 6:22 PM on February 26, 2005

FieldingGoodney: that's why you make the address of the file work only temporarily.
posted by grouse at 1:46 PM on February 27, 2005