A survey of Internet users done by the Ponemon Institute and reported on by USA Today found that online advertising is despised, yet people still respond to them.

Here’s a synopsis of the Ponemon Institute’s findings:

• Close to 80% of those surveyed always find pop-up ads annoying.
• More than 60% always find e-mail spam always annoying (about on par with telemarketing).
• Almost 60% report that Internet banner ads and text ads are always annoying.
• 31% of respondents report that they have responded to a product or promotional offer made from an Internet advertisement.
• 7% state that they actually have made a purchase or engaged a particular service based on a banner ad.
• 65% of respondents still aren’t willing to pay for Internet services to block unwanted ads and unsolicited messages.
• The majority of respondents are not willing to give up free services to avoid ads.
• 52% of respondents report that they would be more likely to respond to a banner ad if it were more relevant to their particular interests.
• 66% would deem banner advertisements less annoying if they were more relevant to a consumer’s particular interests or needs.
• 45% of respondents reported that they would disclose additional personal information if that meant that they would receive more targeted Internet advertisements.
• 55% of respondents believe that a technology that would allow Internet marketers to achieve better targeting without collecting personal information would make them more likely to visit a particular Web site.
• 31% would have greater confidence in an advertiser if its Web site posted a “good privacy practices” seal from a third-party such as TRUSTe or BBB.Online.
• 44% of respondents believe that unwanted online ads should be “banned by law.”