Why are popups and popunders evading the Firefox popup blocker? If you know why, and how to fix it, let me know.
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Showing messages 1 through 12 of 12.

• Get the fix - Popups Must Die!
  2005-03-31 22:51:04  DanielVeditz [Reply | View]
  
  
  The current rash of popups are coming from two sources: flash, and click-event hitchhikers. There are a couple of ad-servers in particular who throw every trick in the book at the visitor, hoping one of them will work depending on what browser they're using.
  
  We've posted an extension that simply blocks all new windows. It stops the unwanted popups but at the cost of requiring explicit whitelisting for desired popups.
  
  Because it's an extension it's easy to remove if you feel it goes too far. We're thinking of making these the default settings in the next version of Firefox so we welcome your feedback.
  
  Read more at Asa's notblog

• So don't go there...
  2005-03-30 17:57:05  dmccunney [Reply | View]
  
  
  The problem you are encountering is not surprising. As popup blockers become more common, the folks who think they are effective ad forms get more creative in ways to produce them that aren't blocked. Mozilla based browsers such as Firefox block popups by disabling the Javascript "open unrequested window" function. The stuff you see now is probably using something other than Javascript to create the popup.
  
  There are several options, though none are transparent. Under IE, I used to run a program called Naviscope. Naviscope functioned as a proxy server. I pointed Naviscope at my network connection, and told IE to connect through Naviscope. Among other things Naviscope filtered ads and blocked popups. Another popular product like that was the Proxomitron, which functioned in the same fashion. The drawback was the need to configure them for optimal performance, which might require site-by-site tweaks to handle special cases. Most users likely lack the knowledge to do that efectively. Some of us who have the knowledge begrudge the time required.
  
  Developers have created a couple of extensions for Mozilla products that can help, such as AdBlock and FlashBlock. I've also encountered an extension that tried to amke it easier to train AdBlock.
  
  Personally, I haven't gone that far yet. I use the built-in popup blocker of Firefox, and I've installed a set of CSS rules that blocks most in-line ad content. I suppose I'm lucky, as the sites I visit haven't resorted to the more advanced (and annoying) forms of pop-ups/pop-unders. Sites that do will probably lose my visit, and may get a note to the webmaster saying I won't be back and why.
  
  The big question is "Why visit a site that has this crap in the first place?" In my case the answer is "Only if the site has something I need and can't get elsewhere". So far, I haven't seen any sites that qualify.
  ______
  Dennis
  

• adblock
  2005-03-30 16:40:50  bingalls [Reply | View]
  
  
  Privoxy requires a reasonably Linux compliant system, such as Mac OS X. For Firefox based solutions, take a look at the Adblock extension.
  It is mostly useful for sites that you frequent, and also blocks Flash nicely.
  Perhaps some of those popups are really floating iframes? Use Adblock.
  Adblock lets you import its filters from a plain text file. Consider offering shared adblock.txt files to our community! I'd be happy offer mine, under GPL or other license.

• Easy answer
  2005-03-30 15:45:42  IDunno [Reply | View]
  
  
  Just google for Proxomitron

• An Example of an offending site
  2005-03-30 14:56:47  Blaine_A [Reply | View]
  
  
  Everytime I visit http://www.drudgereport.com one of these pop-ups appear.
  
  After making the Config File changes as suggested, I have noticed the pop-up that would always sneak by is now blocked.
• An Example of an offending site
  2005-03-31 16:05:24  pixelgeek [Reply | View]
  
  
  I've never seen them but then I have adblock stopping everything from tribalvision.com so that might be the reason.
  
  

• The answer is...
  2005-03-30 12:59:12  jrs_66@yahoo.com [Reply | View]
  
  
  To block pop-ups from plugins, open your Firefox 1.0 or 1.0.1 browser, type about:config in the address field. Right-click in the resulting config page somewhere and select New -> Interger. Type privacy.popups.disable_from_plugins in the resulting dialog, hit OK, type 2 in the next dialog and you're all set.
  
  This pref can actually take three values:
  
  * 0: open allowed
  * 1: the opened windows are treated as popups, but they're allowed to open (we limit the number of these types of popups)
  * 2: the window is a popup, block it
  
  
• The answer is...
  2005-03-31 05:03:37  mattfein [Reply | View]
  
  
  Also, there's a privacy.popups.firstTime preference in about:config that's set to False. This worked for me, killing a couple of the new-style popups with no ill effects. Note that these prefs are undocumented and may have side effects...

• same
  2005-03-30 12:52:43  msporleder [Reply | View]
  
  
  I have seen this too and they are difficult to reproduce because (I think) it usually comes from a banner-ad, which changes on refresh. If you start reading dilbert every day, I think you might run into one.

• I have an idea
  2005-03-30 12:48:45  caspy7 [Reply | View]
  
  
  I believe (and have read) that this new breed of popups is primarily caused by Macromedia Flash.
  
  Firefox is set to block popups caused by the standard code that makes up web pages. Flash however is a plugin with rights to open popups on its own. Unfortunately, if you block it's ability to do so, you may hinder safe Flash content from performing as designed.
  
  My solution is to use the FlashBlock extension for Firefox (http://flashblock.mozdev.org/). FlashBlock replaces Flash content with a placeholder on the page that allows you to click to view the content. It has a whitelist so you can turn on Flash (for every visit) on pages you trust.
  
  I have used this extension for some time now simply because advertisements were becoming too distracting - hindering my reading. I noticed that popups began appearing on one of my computers that did not have Flashblock installed while I saw no new popups on those with it.
  
  I hope this helps.

• Example and possible reason
  2005-03-30 11:56:55  honkerdown [Reply | View]
  
  
  An example would be helpful.
  
  If I remember correctly, this is being caused by Flash multimedia objects, which now seem to be one of the mediums that advertisements are being distributed. The Flash plug-in is allowed to open URL's in new windows, which it can do at anytime. You could block the plug-in from spawning new windows, but this would also block desirable new windows. :/
  
  For lots of great info just on this particular topic, check out Asa Dotzler's blog posting

• Can you give an example offending page?
  2005-03-30 11:29:07  http://www.advogato.org/person/ReadMe/ [Reply | View]
  
  
  Preston,
  
  Can you give an example offending page?