Something with a green monster and horoscope stuff.

do you mean in general or specific to MousePlanet/MousePad?

Adrienne

If you're using Firefox, I recommend getting the NoScript extension. You can find it here:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722

This extension won't allow any scripts to run unless YOU allow it. I've been using it for awhile and I haven't gotten any pop-ups. The only problem is that you have to allow all the sites that you normally visit (as simple as a Right-click and "Allow ____").

Hope this helps.

Not sure if it's what the OP was referring to, but I just got a pop-up on MousePad that's different than the normal ones. It's for monster.com, and it's not in a full window - it's just the "monster" in a little blob in the middle of the screen with a "click here to close" button at the top section.

Ok, then I moved the thread so it can get appropriate attention from the PTB.

Adrienne

Not sure if it's what the OP was referring to, but I just got a pop-up on MousePad that's different than the normal ones. It's for monster.com, and it's not in a full window - it's just the "monster" in a little blob in the middle of the screen with a "click here to close" button at the top section.
That's the one and it's back again this morning.

That's the one and it's back again this morning.
We're looking into it, but could you explain why this particular ad is so offensive to you? Monster.com is a job placement service, not a scam.

Not sure if it's what the OP was referring to, but I just got a pop-up on MousePad that's different than the normal ones. It's for monster.com, and it's not in a full window - it's just the "monster" in a little blob in the middle of the screen with a "click here to close" button at the top section.

This hapened to me a couple of days ago, only it wasn't a "... little blob" In fact it was quite large and really startled me. It appeared to "explode" out of the center of the screen and just as quickly shrank to oblivion.

We're looking into it, but could you explain why this particular ad is so offensive to you? Monster.com is a job placement service, not a scam.

Hmmm.... an odd question. I find something jumping that suddenly appears in the middle of my screen quite offensive and, in light of recent news reports, this is a real concern. Check out
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/08/23/monstercom-users-face-ma_n_61512.html

We're looking into it, but could you explain why this particular ad is so offensive to you? Monster.com is a job placement service, not a scam.

I think popups are offensive in general. But especially the ones that are big green blobs (about 20% of the screen) in the area I'm trying to read. Also I'm just calling it a scam because I won't click on it to discover if it is or isn't. I just assumed that a popup that's that annying and doesn't clearly identify its purpose is for a scam. Also note that Monster just was just involved in a massive hijacking of its data that generated millions (?) of phising emails--I even got one or two myself.

http://a1.interclick.com/Transition.aspx?requesturl=http%3A//mousepad.mouseplanet.com/&wsid=7635&ind=

Not sure if you can do anything about this but this has been popping up the last two days or so. It takes up the whole screen and to get rid of it you have to hit the 'skip' button in the top right corner.

If you use Firefox, you can install the No Script add-on. I did that and it has worked wonders.

http://a1.interclick.com/Transition.aspx?requesturl=http%3A//mousepad.mouseplanet.com/&wsid=7635&ind=

Not sure if you can do anything about this but this has been popping up the last two days or so. It takes up the whole screen and to get rid of it you have to hit the 'skip' button in the top right corner.

Yeah I am getting that too. It just takes me away from mousepad, and I don't even click on anything. McAfee SiteAdvisor always turns red when it comes up too, but I can't help it. It started about 4 days ago.

http://a1.interclick.com/Transition.aspx?requesturl=http%3A//mousepad.mouseplanet.com/&wsid=7635&ind=

Not sure if you can do anything about this but this has been popping up the last two days or so. It takes up the whole screen and to get rid of it you have to hit the 'skip' button in the top right corner.

I've gotten it a couple times today as well. At first, I thought I accidentally clicked on an ad by mistake.

This ad is seriously obnoxious and obtrusive.

I've gotten it a couple times today as well. At first, I thought I accidentally clicked on an ad by mistake.

This ad is seriously obnoxious and obtrusive.

Ditto. In fact, I got this when I clicked on my favorites to get here!

Yeah I am getting that too. It just takes me away from mousepad, and I don't even click on anything. McAfee SiteAdvisor always turns red when it comes up too, but I can't help it. It started about 4 days ago.

Me, too. I dislike being hijacked by an ad. I dislike being warned that MousePad is a known phishing site.

If MP decides to discontinue accepting these hijacking ads, will a mod or admin send me an e-mail so I can come back?

http://a1.interclick.com/Transition.aspx?requesturl=http%3A//mousepad.mouseplanet.com/&wsid=7635&ind=

Not sure if you can do anything about this but this has been popping up the last two days or so. It takes up the whole screen and to get rid of it you have to hit the 'skip' button in the top right corner.

I have been getting this, too...yesterday & today. Sept. 19th & 20th. If I click on a thread it pops up, then if I hit the back arrow, the thread I was trying to reach comes up.

We're working on it. If I had any more information than that, I'd share it. I don't.

There are various technologies that will allow you to block offensive advertising. I suggest you make use of them.

Edit to add: In the absense of the person who knows how to block certain ads, I have temporarily disabled all advertising on MousePad. If you are seeing problematic ads, please log out, clear your browser cache and log back in. Please continue to report issues with advertising in this thread. We are aware of and working on the problem.

While I'm looking into the problem from the server side, I suggest that anyone experiencing these problematic ads do some preventative maintenance, specifically scan your machine for adware/spyware. I like Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE (http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php&sa=X&oi=smap&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&usg=AFQjCNF53SENulSzQCPv296FDNkrWB-DzA) for this, but Spybot (http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html&sa=X&oi=smap&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&usg=AFQjCNEruywuLCQtArYV_GYq3w8MVczirA) also gets good reviews.

Spybot also gets good reviews.

First, many thanks to the MP tech staff.

I don't know if this is a helpful piece of information but in case it is, my computer already runs Spybot.

If MP decides to discontinue accepting these hijacking ads, will a mod or admin send me an e-mail so I can come back?Forgive me if this sounds defensive, but I want to address this.

Your comment makes it sound like the ad network said to us "hey, we want to run this ad," and we said "sure!"

That isn't how it works.

We set up the ad server to accept ads from a series of networks. We have filters in place that are intended to block ads we have deemed objectionable, either for content, (alcohol, tobacco, adult subjects, gambling, etc), or for format (takeover ads, auto-redirect, auto-refresh, etc)

Sometimes ads slip through those filters. Kinda like we have filters on words that can and can't be used on MousePad, but members still find ways to slip them past. When we identify those ads, we (by which I mean usually Tony or I) have to actually see the ad ourselves so we can try to get info from it that will let us track it down. Then we (and by that I mean Tony) has to go to the network in question, block the ad, and remind them that they aren't supposed to serve said ad types to us. Unfortunately, Tony and I have been out of daily contact during our vacation, and were not aware of the issue until today. Andrew has taken steps to deal with the problem right now until Tony can look into it in greater detail.

But back to the original issue, MousePlanet isn't "accepting" these ads, rather, they are being served to us despite the filters we have in place with the networks to block them. It's an imperfect system, but it's the way network advertising works right now.

AVP

Thanks mods for looking into this. It was annoying me too and I know it isn't your fault! Thanks for keeping MousePad/Planet a safe and pleasant place to visit!

Forgive me if this sounds defensive, but I want to address this.

Your comment makes it sound like the ad network said to us "hey, we want to run this ad," and we said "sure!"

That isn't how it works.

Thank you for clarifying, AVP. I assumed wrongly.

I have never been hijacked by an ad anywhere else. It's a very off-putting experience, as it must be for you, also, to have traffic diverted from your site.

I generally don't mind ads and popups but my work network shows up some of the MP ads as blocked content (i think the monster (job search) and dating (dating and perosnals) ones). Whenever he system shows up a blocked content message - the firewall software keeps a record against my my name that i tried to access such a "prohibited" site. I have heard stories of people getting official warnings for logging too many of these "prohibited" hits.

The suggestion of installing anti-ad software is a great one and i do this at home - but our work machines are set so only administrators can install anything - inlcuding the ad blockers.

That's just my point of view on the situation, not criticising or condoning anything.

tripodjw, It might be worthwhile in your situation to subscribe to MousePad, and then you aren't subjected to the ads on MousePad (you still get them on MousePlanet). $19.95/yr. Cheap, if the alternative is an official reprimand at work!

tripodjw, It might be worthwhile in your situation to subscribe to MousePad, and then you aren't subjected to the ads on MousePad (you still get them on MousePlanet). $19.95/yr. Cheap, if the alternative is an official reprimand at work!

Just to clarify, you'd have to subscribe under the premiere level, which is the price Drince88 quoted. I'm subscribed under basic and I still get ads, since ad blocking isn't included in the basic level.

The other alternative is only to read MP at home and not at work.