In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a client application for enabling access to an online service and displaying advertisements while the user is accessing the online service. The client application receives play lists from the online service provider. The play lists include information about advertisements to be played and the order of play. In conjunction with the client application displaying advertisements, the client application and an online service provider server also track and record the occurrence of hardware and software errors and malfunctions that occur in relation to the provision of the online service. The types of errors may include errors in a communication channel from a local device to an online service provider server, data access errors, and any other errors that may occur in the operation of software and hardware, such as software crashes and the incorrect display of advertisements.