Serious journalism meets banner ad.

I was just on the NY Times site, trying to read the news. I consider the NY Times to be a serious, sacred place.

But then I rolled over this banner - rolled over, not clicked - and it expanded to take up my reading space. It was a Capitol One ad, a "What's in your wallet?" campaign piece. So a wallet opens and a picture of a child in a bath comes out with a rubber duck and water.

I was just looking at a picture of rows and rows of graves where people in Africa are dying of cholera. I had perused a headline where white collar jobs are falling to the terrible economy. And you're going to invade my screen with a picture of a child in a bath?

Not okay.

Please be aware of where you place your ads. Maybe try a parenting site next time. Or at least don't make it expand and infringe on my serious space.

Thank you. And goodbye.