So point is to get as much traffic to site as fast as possible, which is why page from a proven high-traffic site is stolen. It already works and no development is needed. Once traffic arrives, as many banners, links and other advertisements must be shown as quickly as possible (but not so quickly as to crash system or prevent them from being viewed or clicked). This gives your poor trapped visitors plenty of opportunity to see banners, click on them or even possible buy something (you never know).

Ah, but wait, it can get even worse. Up until this point site has been playing with browser, which has some reasonable security (usually) and must follow a set of rules. But what if site tries to download an ActiveX control or an executable file? Yes, browser will ask you if it's okay (unless you've had a serious case of stupids and turned off ALL security) and only install or run it if you say yes.

But if you do say yes, then you've potentially added, willingly I might add because browser did ask for permission, a totally unknown element to your system. There is absolutely no telling what this could do. In fact, it might do anything at all.

This program does not usually destroy anything. No, what it wants to do is dial up a phone number - a 900-type number. You know, one of those phone lines which charges by minute.

Now you are really in trouble and you will not even know it until you get your phone bill. Something on your computer, something over which you have no control, can do anything it wants, including charging you money on your phone bill. And heaven help you if you, in some moment of insanity, give this program your credit card number or numbers. (And, of course, it could theoretically scan your hard drive for such things).

So what do you do to protect yourself from mousetraps or worse? Number one, set reasonable security. What I like to do is define internet as high security (this is done using "security" tab of "Internet Options"). This prevents javascript and other dangers from running at all. When I find a site which I trust which requires these features, I add it to trusted sites list. Thus, it's not possible (baring a browser bug) for a site to even begin to cause me trouble.

If you don't want to go through those lengths, you can examine security tab and set things to "prompt" instead of "enable". Be especially sure all ActiveX controls at least prompt (never, ever allow ActiveX controls to install themselves without at least your permission).

If you do go to a site which traps you, don't panic. Close windows, trying not to click on any links or banners (why give them any more money) as quickly as you can. Then make a mental not to never, ever come back. You might also shoot an email off to webmaster and perhaps some of their advertisers protesting their use of these tactics. This way you make your feelings known and perhaps produce a change.

Now system has no choice except to look outside to internet to try and translate URL. So your system will send a translation request out to your primary DNS server. This is usually supplied to you by your ISP when you installed your computer on internet. If primary DNS server cannot be reached for some reason, then secondary DNS server will be queried.

Okay, now it gets a little more complicated so we will work with an example. Assume address "www.internet-tips.net". A name server may or may not (depending upon what type of name server and how it is configured) remember addresses that have been requested before. If they remember, then they will simply return translation directly back to your computer.

Most likely, though, primary DNS does not know how to translate hostname, so it will go out and ask some other name servers. It will start with root domain (.NET in our example) and ask it if it knows how to translate "internet-tips". The .NET name server may or may not know. So it will either say "sure, here's address" or "no, I don't know, but here are addresses of some other name servers in .NET that may know." These servers will be asked, and will perform same actions. This will continue until there is no where to turn for answer (there is no resolution) or translation is found.

Once name server who knows address of "internet-tips" is found, it will be asked if it knows address of "www". It will either return address (this is very likely) or return name(s) of name servers that might know answer themselves.

Now that name server (primary or secondary) as actual TCP/IP address it sends it back to your machine.

I hope that helps explain, just a little, how magic really works under covers.