metlin's Journal: Slashdot Java Ads

For the past few days, Firefox on Windows XP would freeze everytime I opened up Slashdot. I wasn't exactly sure why or how, and thought it was a problem with Firefox, and would kill it.

And _then_ I realized that Slashdot has actually started embedding a Java Applet in the ads, and this freezes up FF on Windows.

I mentioned this in passing in this post, and it looks like I'm not the only one who's subjected to this.

I usually like the ads that Slashdot puts up and feel bad about blocking them -- but if Slashdot continues this, I simply don't care. Between my browser freezing up and me losing a good minute everytime I see Slashdot and blocking the ads, I'd simply block the ads. And no, I'm not going to disable Java on FF just because Taco & Co. decide to be retarded enough and add something ridiculous like this.

What next? Are we gonna have one of those ridiculous click-the-monkey ads?

Click the jumping monkey!
Click the jumping monkey!
Click the jumping monkey!

That'll be the day I'll definitely leave Slashdot.

Update

I guess someone did take notice that the Java ads are a big pain, and I don't see them anymore. Yay!

Good job, guys. And thanks!

Two words.

[cygnusx]

Ad. block. [mozdev.org]

Re:Two words.

[ForestGrump]

If your afraid of rouge programs such as adblock, there is always Internet Exploiter [microsoft.com]

*ducks and hides*

Re:Two words.

[metlin]

Man, that's what I call cruelty.

Maybe it's a secret Slashdot plan to make all the firefox users switch to IE.

*raises eyebrows*

Next thing you know, they'd be taking our children. OUR CHILDREN!!! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!!111!!!!

Re:Two words.

[the_mad_poster]

There's also your hosts file...

Re:Two words.

[metlin]

Yup, that too.

I really didn't want to block out /. ads, but oh well.

Re:Two words.

[BandwidthHog]

I try to be very narrow in what I add to my AdBlock entries. Non seizure inducing ads I leave in place. Stuff that makes the back of my head twitch or those Flash ads that manage to use all of my and half of my neighbor's CPU (I'm looking at you, Vonage) get gone with a quickness.

Maybe if enough people were ruthless yet thoughtful in their ad blocking, it would show up in the stats that tolerable ads were pulled from the server at a much higher rate, and the most obnoxious shit would wither away. Oh yeah,

Re:Two words.

[metlin]

That's true.

Non-siezure inducing ads is one, another is non-targetted advertising. I really like the ads on Slashdot. If some of the other sites that I frequent did this, I'd only be more than willing to click through.

Okay, that's as bad as your pony wish :-p