An e-mail I sent to the Public Editor at the NY Times today:

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Hi,

I logged on to the NY Times site, looking forward to reading a dance review and to my surprise a large tarantula spider crawled across my screen as part of a pop-up advert. A dance friend of mine is an arachnophobe and I have had to write to her to tell her not to log on to the NY Times website for the present. If she had seen this unexpected ad, she would probably have had a stress attack that might have had the effect that it was impossible for her to go to work tomorrow.

Given that arachnophobia is one of the commonest phobias I am staggered that the NY Times has allowed this. Please do all you can to have this removed and that similar instances don't arise in the future.

Best regards

Stuart

<small>[ 17 April 2005, 10:43 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>