Great Firefox add-on: Flashblock

Undertoad · 03-10-2007, 01:31 PM

I don't mind looking at advertisements on the web. I understand that my favorite news sites need advertising to make it worthwhile to write and publish.

But recently there's been a flood of really nasty, inappropriate advertising, which blocks the text you're trying to read, growls at you when you move your mouse over it, moves and wriggles in ways to catch your attention.

In this shot, the page is just loaded, and the UPS whiteboard guy has blocked part of what I was looking at, and has started his rap. Out loud, at maximum volume. At this point all sane readers are diving desperately for the "X close" button to click on. (It never looks the same, so you have more trouble finding it.)

These ads are written in Flash, a technology from Adobe which lets programmers and designers easily develop web tidbits with motion and sound. These new ads are worse than the much-hated "pop-ups" -- which became one of the main reasons for the general public to switch to using Firefox, a few years ago.

Once again Firefox users win. If you install Flashblock, you'll find that immediately, instead of those intrusive ads, you get an "f" symbol, for Flash.

Flashblock is blocking two Flash ads on the page. Mousing over the top box shows you where the Flash bit will actually appear on the page. It's covering part of the news image... one of those crappy ads.

But if you want to see what you're missing, you just click in the box with the symbol, and the Flash runs, springing the box to life.

The Flashblock add-on works very well, and has not caused any problems in everyday browsing. The one downside is that some sites use Flash for legit purposes -- most notably, YouTube, which uses Flash to present its video window, and MySpace Music, which uses it to produce that window of sampler songs. But that's OK; Flashblock lets you specify domains that are allowed to send you Flash without asking first.

Take back the web, people... use Firefox with Flashblock. This is the Internet, and we are in charge here.

WabUfvot5 · 03-10-2007, 03:48 PM

Flashblock is great. I've been using it for over a year now. I've never understood annoyance as a business model and that's what flash ads amount to.

Beestie · 03-10-2007, 07:12 PM

And for IE, here is the ticket: SpyAd. Takes some getting used to - there is no installation interface but its deadly effective. Simply, it adds thousands of domains into IE's restricted list preventing those domains from running any scripts.

I use Firefox at home but IE at work.

And I heartily recommend Mike's list which works for all browsers by using the hosts file to override the DNS map. For those new to the idea, didja ever wonder how when you type cellar dot org that you end up at cellar dot org? Simply, cellar dot org is mapped to a specific IP address. You can override a site name's IP address map by putting in a different IP address. You do that in a file in your PC called 'hosts' (no extension) so Mike put together thousands of notorious advertising sites and mapped all of them to the same IP address: 127.0.0.1 which is the IP address of... your very own computer. Sneaky but it works like a charm.

Additionally for Firefox, I use AdBlock with either the FilterSetG list or Jamie Plucinski's list of sites to block.

I haven't seen an ad or unwanted flashup or popup at home in years. And all my banking and shopping sites work just fine.

busterb · 03-12-2007, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Beestie. And I heartily recommend Mike's list which works for all browsers by using the hosts file to override the DNS map.

Looks like a great program, but it removed all my printers. Could be cause I don't understand all I'm suppose to know about such things.

bb

69

Happy Monkey · 03-12-2007, 02:38 PM

Hopefully, you or the program backed up the original hosts file. You need to copy your printer info from the original one into the new one.

WabUfvot5 · 03-12-2007, 04:55 PM

Windows is using the hosts file for printers now? Not a day goes buy when I miss using Microsoft®.

Happy Monkey · 03-12-2007, 05:18 PM

I hadn't heard of it doing so, but that's the only way I can think of that you could lose your printers by modifying the hosts file.

busterb · 03-12-2007, 09:31 PM

Al I know is I had a backup and uninstalled the program from above and my printers were back after reboot??? bb

Ibby · 03-12-2007, 10:48 PM

The best firefox add-on?

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1645/

fargon · 03-13-2007, 06:44 AM

The only problem I'm having with flashblock is it blocks allot of things I want to see. And I can't turn it off.

Happy Monkey · 03-13-2007, 09:52 AM

Right-click on the little "f" symbol, and click "allow flash from this site". After a few days, you should gave gotten most of the common ones.

(also, just to cover all bases, you do know that you can left-click on the "f" to start the flash in any case.)

fargon · 03-13-2007, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Right-click on the little "f" symbol, and click "allow flash from this site". After a few days, you should gave gotten most of the common ones.

(also, just to cover all bases, you do know that you can left-click on the "f" to start the flash in any case.)

Thanks Happy Monkey.

Kingswood · 03-18-2007, 07:14 PM

I have intentionally disabled Flash because of the obnoxious Flash advertisements. Thank you for posting this. It will allow me to re-enable Flash for those sites where I do want it, such as youtube.

Maui Nick · 04-02-2007, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibram

The best firefox add-on?

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1645/

Broken in FF 2.X.

Troubleshooter · 04-08-2007, 09:07 PM

Another good one is Adblock.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865

03-10-2007, 01:31 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Great Firefox add-on: Flashblock I don't mind looking at advertisements on the web. I understand that my favorite news sites need advertising to make it worthwhile to write and publish. But recently there's been a flood of really nasty, inappropriate advertising, which blocks the text you're trying to read, growls at you when you move your mouse over it, moves and wriggles in ways to catch your attention. In this shot, the page is just loaded, and the UPS whiteboard guy has blocked part of what I was looking at, and has started his rap. Out loud, at maximum volume. At this point all sane readers are diving desperately for the "X close" button to click on. (It never looks the same, so you have more trouble finding it.) These ads are written in Flash, a technology from Adobe which lets programmers and designers easily develop web tidbits with motion and sound. These new ads are worse than the much-hated "pop-ups" -- which became one of the main reasons for the general public to switch to using Firefox, a few years ago. Once again Firefox users win. If you install Flashblock, you'll find that immediately, instead of those intrusive ads, you get an "f" symbol, for Flash. Flashblock is blocking two Flash ads on the page. Mousing over the top box shows you where the Flash bit will actually appear on the page. It's covering part of the news image... one of those crappy ads. But if you want to see what you're missing, you just click in the box with the symbol, and the Flash runs, springing the box to life. The Flashblock add-on works very well, and has not caused any problems in everyday browsing. The one downside is that some sites use Flash for legit purposes -- most notably, YouTube, which uses Flash to present its video window, and MySpace Music, which uses it to produce that window of sampler songs. But that's OK; Flashblock lets you specify domains that are allowed to send you Flash without asking first. Take back the web, people... use Firefox with Flashblock. This is the Internet, and we are in charge here.

03-10-2007, 07:12 PM	#3
Beestie -◊\|≡·∙■·∙≡\|◊- Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Parts unknown. Posts: 4,081	And for IE, here is the ticket: SpyAd. Takes some getting used to - there is no installation interface but its deadly effective. Simply, it adds thousands of domains into IE's restricted list preventing those domains from running any scripts. I use Firefox at home but IE at work. And I heartily recommend Mike's list which works for all browsers by using the hosts file to override the DNS map. For those new to the idea, didja ever wonder how when you type cellar dot org that you end up at cellar dot org? Simply, cellar dot org is mapped to a specific IP address. You can override a site name's IP address map by putting in a different IP address. You do that in a file in your PC called 'hosts' (no extension) so Mike put together thousands of notorious advertising sites and mapped all of them to the same IP address: 127.0.0.1 which is the IP address of... your very own computer. Sneaky but it works like a charm. Additionally for Firefox, I use AdBlock with either the FilterSetG list or Jamie Plucinski's list of sites to block. I haven't seen an ad or unwanted flashup or popup at home in years. And all my banking and shopping sites work just fine. __________________ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

03-12-2007, 02:38 PM	#5
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	Hopefully, you or the program backed up the original hosts file. You need to copy your printer info from the original one into the new one. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

03-12-2007, 05:18 PM	#7
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	I hadn't heard of it doing so, but that's the only way I can think of that you could lose your printers by modifying the hosts file. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

03-12-2007, 09:31 PM	#8
busterb NSABFD Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: MS. usa Posts: 3,908	Al I know is I had a backup and uninstalled the program from above and my printers were back after reboot??? bb __________________ I've haven't left very deep footprints in the sands of time. But, boy I've left a bunch.

03-10-2007, 03:48 PM	#2
WabUfvot5 Operations Operative Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 634	Flashblock is great. I've been using it for over a year now. I've never understood annoyance as a business model and that's what flash ads amount to.

03-12-2007, 04:55 PM	#6
WabUfvot5 Operations Operative Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 634	Windows is using the hosts file for printers now? Not a day goes buy when I miss using Microsoft®.

03-12-2007, 10:48 PM	#9
Ibby erika Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: "the high up north" Posts: 6,127	The best firefox add-on? https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1645/ __________________ not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh

03-13-2007, 06:44 AM	#10
fargon Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 8,924	The only problem I'm having with flashblock is it blocks allot of things I want to see. And I can't turn it off. __________________ Annoy the ones that ignore you!!! I live a blessed life I Love my Country, I Fear the Government!!! Heavily medicated for the good of mankind.

03-13-2007, 09:52 AM	#11
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	Right-click on the little "f" symbol, and click "allow flash from this site". After a few days, you should gave gotten most of the common ones. (also, just to cover all bases, you do know that you can left-click on the "f" to start the flash in any case.) __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

03-18-2007, 07:14 PM	#13
Kingswood Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Melbourne, Vic Posts: 316	I have intentionally disabled Flash because of the obnoxious Flash advertisements. Thank you for posting this. It will allow me to re-enable Flash for those sites where I do want it, such as youtube. __________________ Ur is a city in Mesopotamia.

04-08-2007, 09:07 PM	#15
Troubleshooter The urban Jane Goodall Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 3,012	Another good one is Adblock. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865 __________________ I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. - Aristotle

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