I’ve specifically programmed stuff like that. Very specific specs are given to the devs to show a close button after a certain amount of time, only showing back

I’ve specifically programmed stuff like that. Very specific specs are given to the devs to show a close button after a certain amount of time, only showing back/next buttons after a certain time/event, all mangled with deliberate tracking scripts that capture all of those user events. It wasn’t necessarily to increase clicks, but more so to prolong time on page, and sneak in more ads in between their browsing. When we were done jamming all this in, our boss took a look at it and said ‘increase the time before the buttons are visible, and show one more ad as well’. Relentless. Tracking the user and showing syndicated content/ads is more profitable than just charging them a flat fee for many businesses. The user experience did not matter at all to the stakeholders.