metalfury
@swbell.ne
| CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS!!
* Opera »www.opera.com - screamin' fast HTML rendering!! Pop-up blocker, tabbed browsing, mouse gestures (do stuff just by moving the mouse and holding Ctrl or left button, whatever), keyboard browsing (no mouse, no prob). It does have rather annoying bugs, though. Printing correctly from Opera is an exercise in tweaking. Some username/password sites won't work at all (»sbc.yahoo.com comes to mind). To learn more, go to usenet group opera.general (NOT rec.opera, unless Bizet's Carmen is your cup of tea).
* SlimBrowser »www.flashpeak.com - for pages that only render correctly in IE. It's all I use at work, since our intranet sites were all built using Front Page. Same features as Opera, but only as fast as IE. Oh yeah, it has Groups, where you click on a group in the list (like a bookmark, to open a set of browser tabs. Geez, if only I could convince Operations to include this baby in the ghost image...
I've tried many other IE-based browsers suchs as CrazyBrowser, iTrix, Avant Browser (nice, but no go on NT4, shit!), MyIE2, but this is by far the best.
* Avast! »www.avast.com - anti-virus, with regular updates, just like Norton, but FREE. Note: the software will ask you to register, and you have 60 days to evaluate the product, blah, blah, blah... but registration is free. Concerned about privacy? Fake all the info except your e-mail, since that's where you'll get the reg code. They accept free web mail too.
* Ad-aware 6 »www.lavasoft.com - no comments required. The stick by which all pop-up blockers are measured.
* SpywareBlaster »www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html - just found this out yesterday, and it's AWESOME. The software disables certain ActiveX controls that spyware software commonly use to install themselves. Kiss shit like Xupiter godbye. It also has a "system restore" kind of thing, so if anything ever falls through the cracks, you can always restore your settings. Last but not least, it has a Flash blocker (since 99% of Flash movies are ads or useless crap), which disabling and enabling is far simpler than uninstalling the Flash plug-in. They say their spyware database is constantly being updated, but only time will tell. The last update was dated 7/18.
I think I'm well prepared. If you have a better solution, let the discussion begin!! |
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nil
Java Geek
join:2000-11-27 | Opera is pretty strict about html and javascript.. I found the sites that don't work well in it are the ones not adhering to standards.
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Life is too short to be boring |
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Kambriel
join:2001-02-10
Sanford, FL
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to metalfury
You are recommending AdAware? About six months ago, AdAware used to be the stick that others were measured by until a few watchdogs discovered that AdAware removed some sites from their list after receiving funding from these adware/spyware companies and allegedly still do so. Many former AdAware fans have moved on to Spybot Search & Destroy. Personally, I haven't looked back since Spybot found about eight items that AdAware left behind and this was before I even updated my Spybot defs to the then current version.
And so far, no one has mentioned a well stocked hosts file. I can't live without mine. It may not block pop-up windows, but it sure blocks the content.
[text was edited by author 2003-07-26 14:27:48] |
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Techie2000
In Vertigo
Premium
join:2001-12-05
clubs: | reply to nil
Yeah. I like Opera, although the latest 7.20 Beta 1 is a bit unstable and renders the forums kinda funky... |
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hhawkman
Premium
join:2001-02-08
Port Hueneme, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to Kambriel
said by Kambriel  :
And so far, no one has mentioned a well stocked hosts file. I can't live without mine. It may not block pop-up windows, but it sure blocks the content.
That is a damn good tool, but by no means the answer. Taking things like doubleclick for example, they add or change server names on almost a daily basis. to keep them all in check is almost a 24 hr/day job. By the time you add all the sites you want to block, the HOSTS file gets so large that basic surfing slows to a crawl as every link is checked against the "list", and it won't help direct IP links.
I have had good results by using a PAC file like is available at:»www.schooner.com/~loverso/no-ads/
Instead of tracking each "doubleclick" server, it will allow you to use wildcards, and even block whole IP ranges. |
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Nanoprobe
Crunching in subspace
Premium
join:2003-05-11
Crab Nebula
clubs: 
 ·Skype
·magicjack.com
 ·AT&T Southeast
| reply to Kambriel
I also use Spybot and have it programmed to search on start-up but there are things that it doesn't detect that ad-aware does,like those annoying data-miner cookies that websites like to sneak onto your computer.I also use 2 other programs that block and/or remove spyware.My router is firewalled as is my computer and I have a 357 on my desk.It that enough?  |
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jerho
join:2000-07-06
Salix, IA
| reply to nil
said by nil :
Opera is pretty strict about html and javascript.. I found the sites that don't work well in it are the ones not adhering to standards.
opera pretty much bites
doesn't work with many sites and really not worth paying for
I've been trying it for a while and not worth the time
sorta like linix
unless you hate microsoft that much |
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tadmaz
join:2002-05-30
Mount Prospect, IL
| reply to Kambriel
said by Kambriel :
Many former AdAware fans have moved on to Spybot Search & Destroy.
Exactly right, I used to love Adaware, but not love spybot!  |
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wolfox
Gentle Wolfox
join:2002-11-27
Dunnellon, FL
| reply to Kambriel
AdAware will also not clean up it's own company's spyware. AdAware is developed and distributed by "Wild Tangent" - makers of fine Winamp plugins, desktop distractions & video games - all of it is spyware enabled software...
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Nothwest Arkansas' ONLY all Techno Radio Webcast, powered by SBC DSL! |
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FauxReal
join:2001-12-11
00000
| reply to metalfury
I really do like Ad-Aware from »www.lavasoftusa.com
I also like Sbot Search & Destroy from »security.kolla.de
They seem to catch things the others dont... another great trick is to add the ad/spyware company hostnames to your hosts list redirected to localhost.. there's a good list here: »pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/
Of course it doesnt work when they try to redirect you via IP address instead of hostname. But it does cutdown on the banner ads and popups... and if you happen to be on dialup... it makes browsing a tiny little bit faster. |
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jlv
Cantankerous - Can't take errors
join:2001-11-02
Southborough, MA | reply to hhawkman
Thanks for the positive comment on no-ads!
A hosts file doesn't come close to the capabilities of a PAC file, which lets you block URLs by pattern matching. |
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FauxReal
join:2001-12-11
00000 | Would you like to explain what a PAC file is and how the everyday net browser can apply it? |
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jlv
Cantankerous - Can't take errors
join:2001-11-02
Southborough, MA
| PAC files & no-ads.pac
said by FauxReal :
Would you like to explain what a PAC file is and how the everyday net browser can apply it?
See my note at »www.schooner.com/~loverso/no-ads/#howwork or read on...
Basically, a Proxy Auto Config file is supposed to be used to allow you to select an HTTP proxy based upon the URL you are visiting. It allows you to apply some JavaScript code against the URL.
Blocking ads via a hosts file means you lose access to all content at that hostname or IP address. Some sites put their ad images on their main server, such as www.example.com/adsales/banner_place.gif. You wouldn't want to add "www.example.com" to your hosts file because then you couldn't get to the rest of the site.
With a PAC (and with my no-ads.pac file), you can do:
if (dnsDomainIs(host, ".example.com")
&& shExpMatch(url, "*/adsales/*"))
*BLOCK* That's close to how no-ads works. *BLOCK* means the PAC returns a non-existent proxy for the ad image URLs, in which case your browser is unable to retrieve these images or iframes. If it can't retrieve them, it can't show them to you. Some browsers get annoyed if pointed at a non-existent proxy, so instead you point them at a proxy that returns either a "not-found" or a transparent 1x1 filler GIF. I call this a black-hole proxy.
But, you don't need to write any code. Just download my no-ads.pac from the link above and follow the directions. |
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hhawkman
Premium
join:2001-02-08
Port Hueneme, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
| I especially like the ability to block entire subnets via IP number so that even if they try to fool you by using "xxx.xx.xxx.xxx/banner.gif" instead of "abc.doubleclick.net/banner.gif", you still don't get the stuff. Something you can't do with a HOSTS file.
Basically how it works, is you put the file (no-ads.pac) in your C:\ drive, and you set up a "proxy configuration script" in your browser as "file://c:\no-ads.pac", and all content is filtered through the script. The script is a simple text file that can be Modified with wordpad (if you are running windows)
It's pretty slick.
It also is semi-good for parental control blocking of some things. My 16 year old daughter was OBSESSED with the TV show "Buffy the vampire slayer". she would spend hours upon hours and bandwidth trying to find anything to do with the show or it's charactors/actresses. A few carefully placed lines in the PAC, and she gets tired of seeing the "server error" page and gets her homework done.
[text was edited by author 2003-08-01 19:42:35] |
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