Just a quick note that we’ve noticed that the latest version of Safari (1.2.4 (v125.12)) sometimes seems to allow pop under ads that we and other sites serve to appear even though “Block Pop-Up Windows” is checked in Safari. This never happened with any other version of Safari that we know of – and the network ad code (Fastclick) that we are using seems to be unchanged. It is happening to us on one of our recently updated machines (Mac OS X 10.3.8, Build 7U16, Safari 1.2.4 (v125.12).
MacDailyNews serves one pop-under ad per browser session per 24-hour period. We do not, have not, nor will we ever, run pop-up ads. You shouldn’t see more than one per 24-hour period per browser session from our site.
In the days before Safari, Mac users received these pop-under ads. Since Safari’s “Block Pop-Up Windows” feature, Mac users have gotten used to surfing without such ads. All along, MacDailyNews has continued to run such advertising to satisfy our need to actually pay our web host for the bandwidth we use. Before this issue with pop-under ads reappearing, the nice thing was that mainly the MDN visitors using Windows and Internet Explorer to visit the site were being served their daily allowance of one pop-under ad per day. Of course, they are used to receiving these types of ads and never even mentioned our pop-under ad. Oh, and the three Mac OS X users who are still using MSIE for Mac were seeing the daily ad, too. Thank you for your support.
So, the once per day pop-under ad has been running here as usual, you just might have forgotten it thanks to Safari’s ability to block it. It doesn’t seem to be happening to all Safari users, either. Please let us know what version of Safari (use “About Safari” under the Safari menu) you are using if you are suddenly receiving our pop-under ads even with Safari blocking enabled. Some users have also informed us that using the “Reset Safari” option has cleared up the issue.
We have not changed any code on MacDailyNews. If anyone has additional information, please let us know.
[UPDATE: 11:06 am ET: We have replicated the issue with Firefox v 1.0 on the Mac. This would indicate that it is not an issue with Safari. It is also happening on other web sites, not just MDN. We are investigating to see if the network ad service’s code has changed. We’ll let you know what we find out. If you encounter ads while visiting other websites that also aren’t blocked when they should be, please let us know below. Thank you.]
[UPDATE: 2/20, 1pm ET: The silence from the network ad service(s) is deafening. Or maybe they didn’t get our 50+ emails? Anyway, until we understand exactly what’s going on and/or Apple fixes Safari’s pop up blocker to once again effectively block our pop-under ads for users that desire to block them, we will not be serving pop under ads. We’ll work to make up the lost revenue in some other way.]
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Safari’s and Firefox’s Pop-Up Blockers broken? [UPDATE] – February 20, 2005
You think wrong, becauser it’s been happening to me as well, but I use Firefox. Not daily, but every few days I do get popups.
Uh, it happens with Firefox as well.
I use the Newsfire RSS app, and I think it is putting in a pop up ad. Its always for the Moto Razr.
It’s annoying nevertheless
The following post is about to get me lynched, but I have to let you guys know, that I do not get any popups.
Now you may ask what system I am using, and I would be ashamed to tell you that it is a 466MHz G4 with OS 9.2 running IE 5.17. (We will be getting new Macs this year and then finally I won’t be 4 generations behind all my fellow Macatics
Same here.
I still use Mozilla/5 (not Firefox) on Windows, and generally use Camino 0.8.2 on Mac. No pop-ups or -unders with either of those.
No “pop ups” here. Using latest version of Safari (1.2.4 (v125.12)
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Yeah for me!
with Firefox, I mean
Its funny, I think right after I updated Safari I had a few popup adds come through, but after I reset Safari I’ve been popup free.
Sorry, but your suggested solution does not work. I reset Safari and emptied the cache twice and each time the pop-under ads appeared as soon as I connected to MDN. I am running Safari 1.2.4 (v125.12) under OS X 10.3.7.
I am wrong, it has nothing to do with NewsFire.
Recently I started getting an occasional popup on Safari version 1.0.3 (v85.8.1).
I haven’t seen the pop-up problem on Safari, but I have been getting errors where Safari says it can’t open something. Switching to Camino solved the issue for me. Since updating to 10.3.8, I have had connectivity problems with Mail, Safari, iTunes Music Store, Cyberduck, and others have reported problems with Tomato Torrent, and some more I forget. Something is amiss in OS X networking is all I can think. C’mon Apple. I’d love you more if you didn’t break my Internet.
I use Safari last version and I do not have that problem. Even with MacCentral, that places a pop-up window every time it refreshes, that window is blocked.
I have a TiPB 400Mhz with Mac OS X 10.3.8 and Safari 1.2.4 (v125.12). Which build of 10.3.8, I don’t know, sorry.
Popups are also appearing for me using Firefox on a Windows 2000 system at work and also on my PB (10.3.8) using Safari (1.2.4 (v125.12)). Both are set to block popups.
So this issue occurs across browsers and across platforms.
Interesting why this is happening, but not the end of the world. I thank MDN for at least recognizing this issue.
Neil
I keep my software updated, so I’m using the latest Mac OS X and Safari. I’ve never had any unwanted ads or pop-ups from MDN. I am using the Pith Helmet plugin, as well. Turning that off and refreshing MDN did not generate any pop-ups. I may have to leave Pith Helmet shut off longer for a proper test.
I am occasionally having this problem as well. I use Safari 1.2.4 on OS X 10.3.8.
So far only MDN has served any ads to me.
No pop unders on Safari (10.3.8), but noticed that lately Firefox on my XP machine has been allowing ocassionally pop unders, even though it’s checked block pop ups.
Perhaps someone found a hole on the code to disable pop ups?
Ditto BigmacX on windows 2000, it’s a recent development.
It would be ok if they would change the damn IQ test once in a while, I am getting as smart as that guy I used to argue with a year or so ago.
It’s also been happening with Camino here, though just the once per day as expected.
No pop-ups. Safari 1.3 (v168)
I haven’t had any pop ups on this site using any version of Safari. However I am using Pith Helmet and suspect that is what prevents them for me.
In Safari 1.2.4 (v125.12) I’ve been getting pop-up ads from several web sites that I never got pop-up ads from before. At least 3 or 4 different sites.