To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=153511
19 messages

BS: How do I stop Pop Ups

26 Jan 14 - 03:43 AM (#3595594)
Subject: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: GUEST

How do I stop pop-ups? (this is not a sexual question).

Pat


26 Jan 14 - 07:21 AM (#3595628)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: gnu

Awwww... you spoiled my lewd comment.

Internet Explorer : Click - Tools; Internet Options; Privacy; Turn on Pop-up Blocker


26 Jan 14 - 08:51 AM (#3595646)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: artbrooks

In Firefox, go to Tools>Options>Content and check 'Block Pop-Up Windows'. An add-on called "Ad-Block Plus" will get most of them, and most ads. NOTHING gets them all.


26 Jan 14 - 09:38 AM (#3595651)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Midchuck

What Art said. But that means you have to use Firefox. But I've used it for years, and it "works good" (woodchuckese for "works well") for me.


26 Jan 14 - 03:42 PM (#3595710)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: GUEST

If you Google

stopping pop ups

there are five explanations for Firefox, Mac, Explorer, and Google.


26 Jan 14 - 11:06 PM (#3595769)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity

How do I stop Pop Ups??

Stop eating Viagra like it was candy!

GfS


26 Jan 14 - 11:57 PM (#3595778)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Gurney

I'm just trying a freeware blocker. It stops the Ads, but the text boxes are still there, which is a less-than-perfect cure.

There were getting to be LOTS of pop-ups, now there's lots of empty text-boxes, including one on this thread, in Guest's post above.


27 Jan 14 - 06:38 PM (#3595972)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: GUEST

An add-on called "Ad-Block Plus" will get most of them, and most ads. NOTHING gets them all.
Be careful, I have known ad blockers take out legitimate parts of a site as well.


28 Jan 14 - 03:30 AM (#3596072)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Roger the Skiffler

I'm tempted to say "put bromide in your tea" but I won't.

RtS


28 Jan 14 - 11:29 AM (#3596238)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: John on the Sunset Coast

I use Ghostery. At present it is blocking seven (7) trackers, including Doubleclick.


28 Jan 14 - 07:03 PM (#3596373)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: McGrath of Harlow

Nothing stops the bastards completely. Best thing is to avoid the sites that they infest, insofar as you can.

You don't get them with the Mudcat, fortunately. Touch wood.


05 Feb 14 - 01:35 PM (#3598583)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: JohnInKansas

Most popups are called by JScript links, so a first step to reducing their appearance is to simply turn off the Java Add-On except when you need it. (In Internet Explorer it's at Tools|Manage Add-ons) Most AV makers (and even Microsoft) recommend turning Java off for routine browsing anyway, simply because it's too powerful/versatile to be left idle for use by malware.

Internet Explorer has a built in PopUp Blocker that is reasonably effective, although it doesn't stop them all. (Tools|Popup Blocker or Tools|Internet Optiotns|Privacy Tab).

You should be aware that for many sites, the site receives a small payment each time you click on an ad but also often receives a small (often smaller) payment simply for each time the ad is displayed. Since only a small percentage of people "click," but everyone "sees" the ad (in the absence of an aggressive Ad-Blocker) the preferable procedure from the standpoint of the site is for you to allow reasonable numbers of the ads to appear, and just ignore them. (Sort of like when your spouse speaks but you just don't hear it? Any married person can explain how, a week after the honeymoon.)

It's difficult to know what "payment model" a site is using, but for most sites a "fairly friendly" explanation of the effect of ad blocking is at:

Why Ad Blocking is devastating to the sites you love (Too loong to post, but not hard to read.)

While popups are annoying, the tracking cookies are probably the most "invasive" for most people. A GOOD AV program should minimize their effect better than most add-ons you are likely to find.

John


06 Feb 14 - 01:34 PM (#3598901)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: GUEST,sciencegeek

it's only been in the past couple of weeks that the dang things have gone nuts...

I think there is a new update to firefox ( 27.0) & if so, I'm going to download it & see if it helps any.


06 Feb 14 - 10:21 PM (#3599016)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Bill D

Install Proxomitron load Level 4 configuration.

You will see no more ads....(level 5 & 6 stops almost everything...including stuff you want)


07 Feb 14 - 01:57 PM (#3599244)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Gurney

I wonder how much the virus killers add to the problem. I WAS using AVG, but switched to Avast, and from then the damn things multiplied.

Actually, the two virus killers seen to be working in parallel.
My son sometimes uses this computer, so I can't know where it goes. My own use is to a very limited in the number of sites.


07 Feb 14 - 05:04 PM (#3599303)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Bill D

Avast is ONLY a virus stopper. Pop-ups are (usually) a javascript command to load something... (which may be perfectly harmless)... in a separate box.

Control OF scripts requires code (often other javascript) designed to recognize ad-type javascript and intercept it. What Proxomitron and most other script stoppers do is act as a local proxy and filter all incoming content, then act on it by certain rules. Proxo has levels of rules with many separate rules within each level. Firefox has a similar thing, where YOU add specific rules about what to allow or reject to its adblock extension(s). It's like putting good lock and alarms on your house and perhaps giving a key to trusted people.

Stopping pop-ups does require some tweaking and attention, just as making your home or car safe from break-ins does. The bad guys are constantly looking for ways past the restrictions, so it pays to learn who the good guys are who keep reinforcing the safeguards.


07 Feb 14 - 11:02 PM (#3599371)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Gurney

BillD, I was wondering if Avast financed their free VK with pop-ups. They were never a problem that bothered me until I used Avast, and it was no problem on this site, but now, if I click on a thread, it keeps 'jumping' as the text-boxes develop (every third post!) and lengthen the page.

As I said above, I'm just getting empty boxes from 'online advertising.com'


08 Feb 14 - 08:58 AM (#3599441)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Bill D

*shrug*... I use Avast, and get only ads for enhancements for their own services when they refresh. I just close them. Unless there is something I've missed, I don't think I've ever gotten that sort of behavior. I'd suspect that some other script/malware has gotten in. Avast is good, but not perfect, and there are problems out there that are not actually viruses, and are not in Avast's domain.

Have you tried Malwarebytes? or do you use any other ad blocker?


08 Feb 14 - 05:36 PM (#3599585)
Subject: RE: BS: How do I stop Pop Ups
From: Gurney

Bill, I did install a freeware ad blocker, but now I can't find it, mostly because I can't remember what it's called! Not in Programs, not in Downloads, not in ADD-and-Remove. It IS working, but in a half-arsed fashion.
As I said above, it removes the script from the box, but the box is still there, and so I get the 'jumps' as they develop in the thread page. Five boxes on this thread, each as big as a three-line post.

So, I open a thread, click on what's new since I was last there, and before I can read the post, I'm a post or two further up. So, I find my place again, start to read....
Never used to happen.

I only downloaded Avast because AVG threatened to start charging me quite dearly for their VK. Then they didn't. Both VKs seem to be working reasonably well in parallel.
I just wanted to know if anyone else suspected Avast.