Methods and apparatus to identify sponsored media in a document object model

1. A method to identify sponsored media in a webpage, the method comprising:

in response to determining that a first node of a document object model of the webpage is not a candidate node, determining, by executing an instruction via a processor, whether a child node of the first node is the candidate node based on determining that the child node has a characteristic common to sponsored media nodes in document object models;

identifying, by executing an instruction via the processor, the candidate node as sponsored media when dimensions of the candidate node meet a geometric threshold of specified dimensions and match dimensions of replacement media;

in response to identifying the candidate node as sponsored media, parsing, by executing an instruction via the processor, the sponsored media to generate monitoring information;

modifying, by executing an instruction via the processor, a user agent setting to include a unique identifier;

modifying, by executing an instruction via the processor, the webpage to cause the replacement media to be presented in place of the sponsored media during presentation of the webpage; and

in response to the initiation of a search for the sponsored media in a first branch of the webpage, initiating, by executing an instruction via the processor, a first timer having a first search time period and a second timer having a second search time period, wherein the first search time period and the second search time period overlap, the search to be terminated upon completion of traversing the first branch when the search reaches a document node that is at a root of the first branch of the document object model for the webpage, the first branch including sponsored media.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including:

generating a topology map of the webpage based on the document object model; and

identifying the child node to examine by traversing the topology map.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including:

determining whether to include a user in a sample group in response to identifying the sponsored media; and

based on a determination to include a user in the sample group, presenting the user with the sponsored media based on a second determination to include the user in a test group.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 , further including blanking the sponsored media based on the second determination to include the user in a control group.

5. The method as defined in claim 3 , further including presenting the user with the sponsored media based on a determination to exclude the user from the sample group.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including repeatedly examining child nodes in a topology map of the webpage until at least one of a sponsored media node is identified or there are no further nodes to examine.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including:

repeating the search for the sponsored media until at least one of a sponsored media node has been identified or the first timer expires.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 , further including presenting the sponsored media during presentation of the webpage when the first timer expires.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including:

identifying the first branch based on a tag included in the sponsored media, the tag identifiable by a tracker;

in response to identifying the first branch, identifying a first node of the first branch as a parent node;

determining if the parent node is a sponsored media node; and

in response to determining that the parent node is not a sponsored media node, recursively parsing child nodes of the parent node within the first branch to identify the sponsored media node.

10. An apparatus to identify sponsored media in a webpage, the apparatus comprising:

a candidate node identifier to, in response to a determination that a first node of a document object model of the webpage is not a candidate node, determine whether a child node of the first node is the candidate node based on a determination that the child node has a characteristic common to sponsored media nodes in document object models;

a sampling candidate tester to identify the candidate node as sponsored media when dimensions of the candidate node meet a geometric threshold of specified dimensions and match dimensions of replacement media;

an impression logger to:

in response to the sampling candidate tester identifying the candidate node as sponsored media, parse the sponsored media to generate monitoring information; and

modify a user agent setting to include a unique identifier;

a media presenter to modify the webpage to cause the replacement media to be presented in place of the sponsored media during presentation of the webpage; and

an initiator to initiate a first timer having a first search time period and a second timer having a second search time period in response to an initiation of a search for the sponsored media in a first branch of the webpage wherein the first search time period and the second search time period overlap, the search to be terminated upon completion of traversing the first branch when the search reaches a document node that is at a root of the first branch of the document object model for the webpage, the first branch including sponsored media.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , further including a topology mapper to:

generate a topology map of the webpage based on the document object model; and

identify the child node to examine by traversing the topology map.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the candidate node identifier is to determine the child node has a characteristic common to sponsored media nodes by comparing node types.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the candidate node identifier determines that the first node is not the candidate node when the first node includes executable instructions.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , further including:

a surveyor to determine whether to include a user in a sample group in response to identifying the sponsored media; and

a media presenter to present the user with the sponsored media based on a second determination by the surveyor to include the user in a test group.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the media presenter is to blank the sponsored media based on the second determination to include the user in a control group.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the media presenter is to present the user with the sponsored media based on a determination to exclude the user from the sample group.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the candidate node identifier is to repeatedly examine child nodes in a topology map of the webpage until at least one of a sponsored media node is identified or there are no further nodes to examine.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the candidate node identifier repeats the search for the sponsored media until at least one of a sponsored media node has been identified or the first timer expires.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 , wherein the media presenter is to present the sponsored media during presentation of the webpage when the first timer expires.

20. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

in response to determining that a first node of a document object model of a webpage is not a candidate node, determine whether a child node of the first node is the candidate node based on determining that the child node has a characteristic common to sponsored media nodes in document object models;

identify the candidate node as sponsored media when dimensions of the candidate node meet a geometric threshold of specified dimensions and match dimensions of replacement media;

in response to identifying the candidate node as sponsored media, parse the sponsored media to generate monitoring information;

modify a user agent setting to include a unique identifier;

modify the webpage to cause the replacement media to be presented in place of the sponsored media during presentation of the webpage; and

initiate a first timer having a first search time period and a second timer having a second search time period, in response to an initiation of the search for the sponsored media in a first branch of the webpage, wherein the first search time period and the second search time period overlap, the search to be terminated upon completion of traversing the first branch when the search reaches a document node that is at a root of the first branch of the document object model for the webpage, the first branch including sponsored media.

21. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

generate a topology map of the webpage based on the document object model; and

identify the child node to examine by traversing the topology map.

22. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine that the first node is not the candidate node when the first node includes executable instructions.

23. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

determine whether to include a user in a sample group in response to identifying the sponsored media; and

based on a determination to include a user in the sample group, present the user with the sponsored media based on a second determination to include the user in a test group.

24. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to repeatedly examine child nodes in a topology map of the webpage until at least one of a sponsored media node is identified or there are no further nodes to examine.

25. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 20 , further wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

repeat the search for the sponsored media until at least one of a sponsored media node has been identified or the first timer expires.