Safari’s and Firefox’s Pop-Up Blockers broken?

It’s happening again. This morning, we’ve noticed that the latest version of Safari (Version 2.0.1 (412.5)) 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 has happened previously with Safari and Firefox (back in February). The network ad code (Fastclick) that we are using is unchanged on our end. It is happening to us on one of our recently updated machines (Mac OS X 10.4.2, Build 8C46, Safari 2.0.1 (412.5)).

MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews serve 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 and iPodDailyNews have continued to run such advertising to satisfy our need to pay for the costs associated with running this site. 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.

Opt out of pop-unders
In our opinion, users who wish to block pop-under ads obviously should be allowed to do so. Because of our feeling on this issue, we want to tell you that there is a way for our users who do not wish to accept pop-unders to opt out. Users who wish to opt-out of pop-under and other ValueClick ad network ads may do so by installing the ValueClick Opt-Out Cookie. If you choose to install this cookie, please consider patronizing our sponsors via banner and text ads as MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews will be unable to derive any Fastclick revenue from your visits. MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews are ad-supported sites and ValueClick is a major component of this site’s revenue and helps greatly in offsetting our operational costs. Thank you for your support.

Related MacDailyNews articles:
Safari’s and Firefox’s Pop-Up Blockers broken? [UPDATE] – February 20, 2005

48 Comments

  1. I too have noticed getting pop up ads even with the block pop up ads checked.

    Glad that there is now a report from MDN. My pop ups began when I installed a new widget from DOFC?

    That was only a few days ago I have yet to report it to Apple.

    MW: ‘girls’ As in are there any girls that read MDN news postings?

  2. “MW: ‘girls’ As in are there any girls that read MDN news postings?”

    Of course there are girls that read the postings, but unlike some of the boys, they seem to be a lot more mature or don’t feel the need to to scream “FIRST POST!!” or give their own MW of the day…

  3. Thanks, MDN. I’ll take the one pop-under per day until Apple fixes Safari again.

    muntz,

    MDN are telling us how to stop them. If they turn them off totally, what happens to their usual pop-under revenue that they get from users of other browsers that don’t block? I used to run a website, so I understand the need for advertising.

  4. muntz,

    When you start paying MDN a subscription fee, then you can tell them to turn off ads. Ads keep this site and the Web free.

    Apple and Firefox devs will code around this just like they did earlier this year.

    Thanks for the transparent explanation and the opt-out info, MDN. Much appreciated!

  5. Oh well I was hoping that at times this feedback section at the bottom of each MDN posting would help spread the lurrrve that as Mac users are enjoying a return of our OS to the mainstream.

    Then again with the MW I got for my last feedback I had to come up with something for ‘girls’?

    Though adding the MW is a bit immature certainly, if but at times amusing. At least I don’t yell first post at least!

    MW: ‘support’, well I’ll leave that up to you to decide the context of that one!

    FWIW: I am a guy and I love my girls.

  6. I’ve been getting pop-unders all the time with both safari on a mac and firefox on a pc for almost 1 year now, ever since MDN started running them.

    It’s a minor annoyance, but as Geo points out, this is a free site. If MDN need the revenue from them to continue the site then so be it. That type of advertizing doesn’t work on me, but maybe they get some hits from other people.

  7. Neil,

    MDN said they’ve always run them, so they didn’t just start a year ago. I used to get them before Safari existed.

    That said, it such a small price to pay ($0), that I don’t care – I’ll wait for Apple to block them again.

  8. Safari or Firefox is NOT broken.

    I think your AD SPONSORS are getting more greedy and more cutthroat.

    I used to think that MDN did this to piss off Windows users if by chance they came to the site…in hopes that maybe they would buy a Mac because it would just frustrate them even more. But no…just more greed.

    Simple ads on the sides are slightly annoying, but pop-unders are a major violation of unspoken rules.

    MDN: Keep your annoying pop-unders away.

  9. Whilst surfing today I broke a nail. Bummer. I was trying to close (in a hurry) those pop under ads…. (haha.)

    [looks at iPod nano] I hope, for guy’s sakes, that it represents an inversely proportional ratio to something… like his truck size for example. Ahem.

    Can I get an iMac to go with my green and red bedroom decor?

    Btw, I have been getting poop-ups (yes, double o) – Safari 2.0.1 (412.5) on OS X 10.4.2 buld 8C46. Only updates applied recently was a Java one last week, and the iTunes one this week.

    Thus, I don’t think it is from the updates, but as Muntz says, from the ad servers. Great work guys. Oh, and bite me.

  10. i dispise the fact i HAVE to download exturnal code when the user has already decided that he doesn’t want too see pop up’s via his or her browser configuation

    GET OVER IT! it’s annoying even if it’s only once every 24 hours and it precisely why browsers today have such a feature what gives you the right to go against that? and exactly how secure is this cookie? does anyone know? how long before it’s twice a day then 3 times and on and on?

    mdn magic word “said” as in i’ve said it once, i don’t expect to say it again

  11. Give us a break with the “we only serve pop-UNDER ads” crap. “Under” is not the opposite of “up.” It’s still a pop-UP ad, even if it hides sneakily behind the browser window. It’s just a way of making it appear to be some other site that is being as annoying as hell. I still have to close it to get it out of the way.

  12. 1. In 2-D, “under” is the opposite of “over.”
    2. Thanks MDN/iPodDN for foregoing pop-over ads.
    3. Kudos for MDN/iPodDN for bringing the issue up at all.
    4. Thanks to MDN/iPodDN for these sites.
    5. Thanks to MDN/iPodDn for giving us a way to opt-out.

  13. chad sez: “It’s not that big of a deal to me, because it rarely ever happens, unlike a WIndows machine where you could get one pop-UP ad per second, it seems.”

    Sorry to report Chad, but I am running firefox on a windows computer right now and no pop-ups. (Except an occasional rare one like on my Mac.)
    Now if I was using IE it would be another story.

  14. simple fix

    When visiting MDN, turn off Javascript in Safari preferences.

    These popunder ads companies are exploiting a Javascript flaw to achieve their results.

    Under normal conditions the popunder ads shouldn’t occur.

    If these companies are using exploits to serve their goals, we have the right to deny them the benefit of those exploits.

  15. The problem is not MDN, but the greedy marketeers who wil use ANYTHING possible to collect their data.

    This data is worth a lot of money, companies buy it, the US Governement buys it.

    So when MDN hosts a ad on this site, the ad is called from servers outside of MDN’s control.

    So whenever the marketeers wish, they send the Javascript flaw down the pipe at us.

    It sounds like MDN told Fastclick of their problem, that the clientel here are leaving from all the pop-unders, that the marketeers are defeating themselves. So a deal was struck to do it less often.

    I say it’s wrong, they are exploiting a Javascript flaw that ordinarily wouldn’t be there. So they have no right to anything.

    You see how the corruption of Microsoft has influenced these people?

    They got so used to the “anything goes” attidude of Windows users, to let Windows users suffer needlessly with pop-up ads, adware and other intrusions into their surfing habits.

    Microsoft is the greatest evil on this planet, giving away billions to charity off the backs of millions of sufferers doesn’t make it right either. (not to mention the censorship ties with the chinese government)

    This is why it’s important not to buy, use or encourage the use of M$ software. Even OfficeMac, there are plenty of decent alternatives and open source options with universal file formats.

    We must stand up against the Redmond beast.

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