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
Been recieving pop-under ads for the past week now in both safari and firefox no matter what i try to do hey seem to keep coming. I read on spymac’s forums it was a new type of scripting that the ads were using that fools the pop-up blockers.
It’s been happening to me before 10.3.8.
No pop-ups lately and I’m using a Ti PB 500 with Safari (1.2.4 v125.12). I did get a few pop-ups a couple of weeks back but no more.
Good luck with nailing this curious problem, MDN.
I have been getting pop unders from your site for a couple of days now, and this morning I started getting them from other sites that I check daily as well, I use Safari 1.2.4(v125.12).
Safari 1.2.4 (125.12)
Just reset Safari and the popup appeared.
Firefox 1.0
Firefox notified me that it had blocked the popup but the bugger got through anyway.
I get the Pop Under with firefox in win98. (I just ordered a 17″ iMac). I see when it arives.
Just starting receiving the pop-unders on MacDailyNews two days ago. But just once a day. I’m running Safari 1.2.4 (v125.12), and haven’t ran the 10.3.8 update as of yet, since I run MySQL databases.
I had forgotten that MDN had had the pop-ups, I just assumed it was some coding from a particular ad server. While, I’m 95-98% ad free with Safari, I have gotten other occasional pop-ups in Safari, generally ones inadvertently triggered by clicking on a link, that then spawns multiple windows. I just don’t revisit those sites (namely some of the more aggressively lyric sites). But MDN has never been a real problem.
Here’s the source code for the pop-up. Maybe someone who knows something about html can tell how it’s defeating the blocking.
<html>
<head>
<title>Win Cash on Jackpot!</title>
<script source=”javascript”>
function KW(){
if(navigator.appName!=”Netscape”){
setTimeout(‘window.close();’,50);
}
}
</script>
</head>
<body bgcolor=”ffffff” link=”0033CC” vlink=”0033CC” leftmargin=0 rightmargin=0 topmargin=0 bottommargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0>
[url=”
[/url]
</body>
</html>
Getting them here – on safari and on firefox and on camino and on ie
Pop under ad only appears for me if I disable Pith Helmet on my latest release of Safari. Looks like the ad companies have been busy scripting.
Magic word is ‘love’. As in ‘Don’t you just love ads?’ <sarcasm>
I have been getting the pop-unders in Windows FireFox (darned work PC) for a couple of days now. I was wondering if I clicked to allow pop-ups, but I checked yesterday and I hadn’t.
I just checked and it also pops under on my Windows 2003 terminal session.
Just updated from 10.3.6 to 10.3.8 a couple of days ago and that’s when the pop-up ad started to appear when visiting MDN.
Using Mozilla 1.7.5
Perhaps something in the 10.3.8 update modified some underlying OS X service that these browsers use?
I was able to replicate this using Firefox and Camino. I’m just glad it isn’t just me.
Could someone explain to me why this is such rocket science? Don’t pop-up ads just use a function in JavaScript that opens a new window? Can’t this function just be turned off? iCab allowed JavaScript functions to be turned off, and no pop-up ever got past it. You can’t use a function if it doesn’t exist. (And if it disables the occasional website, well, you turn it back on when you need to.)
You lame-Os should stop your bitching about pop-ups and just get a Dell so you can use Internet Explorer® like I do. No pop-ups at all for me on my Mom’s eMachine.
I’m amazed that you Mac zealots will pledge undying allegiance to Apple and all that is Mac (including this chat room) when even their bare-bones browser sucks so totally bad that it can’t block pop-ups.
Ha! Figured out a way to block the pop-ups. If you are using a firewall, block the following url:
http://205.180.85.40
All the ads are served from this address.
Enjoy!
Bill
I have a secure operation in blocking evil. So, I’m not getting any popups from Satan’s minions.
NoMacForYou – That would be the same Internet Explorer that does a great job of blocking pop-ups while at the same time liberally sprinkling your system with malware shite, right? No thanks. And you an keep your under-powered emachine. A travesty in its own right.
Magic word ‘data’. As in what you’ll lose if you continue to use an emachine.
There was a report on the web within the last few weeks, maybe at el Reg, that said new code was being written to avoid users blocking adverts.
Also I recall a report (possibly the same one) of advertising servers (doubleclick?) changing cookie prefs/contents so if your browser is set to refuse connections from a web site the advertisment served code to change the setting. This was reported as likely to be illegal – the server altering code on your computer without your permission.
Not a Mac specific problem. I’ve been seeing the pop-under on MDN for a few days now on my work box (Win98/Moz 1.7.5). Not seeing it on my Macs running Safari (latest version with Pith Helmet).
……and shiira.
I knew I wasn’t going crazy. For a second I thought I had adware, but then quickly realized that I was on a Mac. LOL. Duh. But yeah, after updating to 10.3.8, that is when the problems began. Apple must have tried to make Safari mode compatible with IE.
Joe McConnell
“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.”
LOL. That’s going to go over most current MDNers heads. Whatever happened to Mr. “IQ of 142” anyway?
“Whatever happened to Mr. “IQ of 142″ anyway?”
Right here, bee-yotch.
Dave, I am sure he is counting his money and typing fast………….at the same time don’t you know!