Next-Gen Pop-up Ads 547
bje2 writes "CNet has a disconcerting story about a new generation of pop-up ads that use a "kick through" technique such that you don't even need to click on the pop-up ad anymore, you just need to mouse over it...wow, can they make our web surfing experience any worse?"
This isn't the worst (Score:4, Informative)
You surf peacefully, and suddenly the screen is filled with lottery ad and the computer shouts " 50 millions!!! " at you.
There are other things, like a anti-virus ad that looks like the computer has been compromised, etc, which are just plain agressive.
Easy Fix.... (Score:5, Informative)
edit your hosts.... (Score:4, Informative)
Yes, I use mozilla a lot, but I still need IE for some sites.
Bloody annoying... as any pop under ad (Score:3, Informative)
A favorite quote from the article: "There's an enormous segment of the population that are appreciating these ads". Eh, name one!
Here is a simple example of such (Score:5, Informative)
simple javascript, surprised no one has thought of this before.
Re:Easy Fix.... (Score:5, Informative)
Nah, I don't think so. Doesn't Mozilla/Phoenix block the javascript open() on the onLoad event? These new popups were probably made to circumvent that kind of protection by using javascript open() on the onMouseOver event.
I don't think Mozilla blocks all open() calls regardless what since then a lot of web sites I've visited that popup stuff when you click on a link shouldn't work.
Re:Solutions (Score:2, Informative)
All the annoying flash and shockwave ads are gone as well. Bliss!
apt-get install adzapper
And then set your proxy. TaDa!
Re:excellent promotion for alternate browsers (Score:5, Informative)
Whenever a window wants to pop up although you didn't click any link (so, most likely it was an ad), Phoenix will inform you that this has happened with a small exclamation mark in the left corner of the status bar.
Clicking on this exclamation mark will bring you to a window with more detailed information about the popup window, and the possibility to add this site to your list of sites that are allowed to open popups.
Sure, that goes with your warning that you might then also allow ad popups, while allowing the good, needed popups, but I think it does the job quite well. Had no problems with it.
Re:Alternative browsers. (Score:2, Informative)
Go into the security settings and disable almost everything in Internet Zone. Add your bank to Trusted Zone's Site List. Add Orbitz to your Restricted Zone Site's List and make sure that the Restricted Zone has everything turned off including the Java Custom Settings.
There are a number of Web sites that detail how to harden IE so it is Impervious to this sort of crap.
Here's one.
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/btw/ie/ie-opts.
Re:excellent promotion for alternate browsers (Score:2, Informative)
Of course it can, in fact it even does so now:
Preferences> Advanced > Scripts & Plugins> Open unrequested windows.
I think it works by killing popups that are spawn by events like page loading and exiting, and allowing those that originate from user clicks. So it would work on these ads by dissallowing the evil popup in the first place.
Proxomitron (Score:4, Informative)
Re:If we could find the Pop-Up Authors, we could.. (Score:2, Informative)
I can't find much on the topic, so take what I say with a grain on salt. However, I know people that actually have a clue (ie. they know IE is a flaming turd and not to trust anything it tries to install) complaining that a spyware somehow gets autoinstalled on their windows boxes by just web surfing.
Gator itself does autoinstall on computers that have their IE security settings set too low and is documented on the web as doing so.
link typo - but found something else (Score:3, Informative)
I went to epsn.com - another "search engine" owned by domain squatters. They call themselves "megago" this time.
However, it dropped down a Mozilla warning field!! Your only options are "Cancel" or "OK." Obviously, "OK" is the default, so if you hit return, off you go to some other website. Now that is a bunch of crap.grr..
Screenshot here [pbp.net]
Ways to Revolt (Score:2, Informative)
Some sites might have a threatening message that says, "We have your IP and we'll contact you if you mess with us." If that's the case, simply connect through a free proxy server. [google.com]
I recommend everyone try this. You'll feel better afterwards.
Re:Any more ways of wasting our precious time? (Score:2, Informative)
print $this->ObPrivoxyPlug(); (Score:2, Informative)
Maybe it's under my threshold or something, but if you haven't installed Privoxy [privoxy.org] as a local proxy yet, you're n-v-t-s nuts..
Works great in Linux, and OS X from personal experience, and it's supported on just about anything.. Though I have a bug with Mac IE on OSX and Privoxy, which doesn't really bug me (Chimera works perfectly)..
Try Privoxy (Score:2, Informative)
Plus, you can configure it easily via its web interface. I have it set to allow some friendly but fragile sites, and replace the checkerboard blocked ad images with a transparent one (ads just magically disappear!).
Used in conjuction with Mozilla (cookie manager, allow images from site only) and the web becomes useful again.
Last time I checked the privoxy stats, I was blocking 17% of all requests