Weird browser behaviour

[kiwiblue]

Only recently (the last few days) when browsing PPRuNe I have had to click the 'back' button on my browser (IE7) 2-3 times to go back just one page! I've been watching pretty closely and this seems to be related to these wee (Ads by Google) advertisements that have been appearing under the personal information of late -it looks as though they have to go 'back' before the main page will go back! There's been no changes on my system here locally for some time (months) so this would appear to be a server issue? Has anyone else experienced this? Can anyone offer a fix for this frustrating recent behaviour?

TIA

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

I thought it was just my computer having a "bad hair" day!

FTDK:cool:

[J430]

Yep and its got something to do with the google ads or something.:ugh:
Here is the fix
Go to C: \WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc
on your PC and you will find a file called "hosts".
Open this file with NOTEPAD
the text will look something like this
# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
127.0.0.1 localhost
then add in directly below the last line this
127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com
Then save the file how it is.
Close any Internet Explorer apps and re start IE again.....BINGO!:D

[Peter Fanelli]

Why should we fix it, it happens only on pprune, let them fix it.
Good reason to get rid of the google ads if they are causing it.

[27/09]

Yip,

Happening to me to, and only on this site. Pleased to know that it's not my computer.

It's a right PITA. I agree we shouldn't have to go digging into our computer to fix it. A sticky telling users what was going on would have been nice too.

[kiwiblue]

J430 you beaut! This fix just kills the Google ads stoney-cold dead -I love it!!! They are a prize PITA, inelegant and IMO an unnecessary imposition on the enjoyment of this site. Your fix is a classic.

I can't but agree with other posters' though... it does seem less than ideal that we have to make a change to our OS locally to fix an issue imposed on us by the administrators of this site. Obviously there must be plenty of other people out there with the same issue, assuming their local systems to be at fault. The administrators here must be aware of this issue and so should either move to rectify it at server level or remove these ads forthwith.

[The Darkness]

Yep, it's happening here too!!! I just thought it was my laptop and wireless access. Am pretty computer-savvy, but not sure if I want to go fussing around with code stuff to fix it - may just wait and see if the administrators can fix it?!?!? And put up with it until then. Then again, maybe I'll try.......................

[Zhaadum]

Danny et al, PLEASE FIX THIS NOW!

I am not going to go into my PC code to fix this when it is your doing.

TA.

[kiwiblue]

Have a go Darkness -it's a doddle.

I hope the admins will act appropriately and leave this thread here where most people are likely to see it, rather than move it to an esoteric computer-specific forum visited only by geeks. This is info that needs to be readily available to everyone.

[lk978]

i assume the option is everyone sing up for a $5 per month account or just put up with the ads. Web sites like this just dont run themselves, the e-business model that is being used here is the standard forum supscrition model used across the web, it is great that there are free accounts and thus this creates the need for advertising. Google advertising is one of the most sucessful forms of revenue for many web services such as pprune and why google make $6b per year. it is also one of the best ways to market your company. i would show my brilliance with all the stats under the sun but - i think i would be shot down.


good luck to pprune, everyone here whinges if people fly for free these guys are just trying to make a buck too.

thats my 2 cents anyway :oh:

[Bidgee]

I'm using IE6.
All functions seem to work fine.

[kiwiblue]

I think you are missing the point here lk978: the revenue-raising advertisements are causing an issue that obviously leads most people to assume there to be a fault within their own computer. Nobody objects to anyone trying to make a coin -we all do that in one way or another. However when our efforts to raise schekels cause problems for a number of our customers, it is necessary to revisit our decisions and where necessary make improvements -or risk losing those customers. That is the point of this thread.

These Google ads are causing a number of users issues within their browsers. That is the issue that needs to be sorted. It has nothing to do with how Danny chooses to raise revenue on his site, beyond the fact that in its current iteration, there is a fault that needs rectifying.

[YesTAM]

With the greatest of respect, why are you dumb bastards (I mean this in a caring and sharing way) still using Microsoft products???

Switch to Firefox - a free open source browser, and your problems (and virii attacks) will disappear. Might as well get Thunderbird email software at the same time.

Download from www.mozilla.org you'll thank me.

[kiwiblue]

haha YesTAM :)

This particular dumb bastard still uses Microsoft because someting like 97% of my customers still do too... I need to be seeing what they are seeing, as they are seeing it. Firefox is OK (I have it here and even use it occasionally) but I don't like the way it displays some things and I don't have the time to spend trying to figure out another piece of software and customise it to do what IE already does -out of the box.

[18-Wheeler]

This particular dumb bastard still uses Microsoft because someting like 97% of my customers still do too... I need to be seeing what they are seeing, as they are seeing it. Firefox is OK (I have it here and even use it occasionally) but I don't like the way it displays some things and I don't have the time to spend trying to figure out another piece of software and customise it to do what IE already does -out of the box.

If you use standard HTML, then all broswers should show the pages correctly.
IE is terrible, with its proprietry coding and bloat in general.

www.opera.com user for years here, wouldn't think of using anything else. Years ahead of IE in pretty much every way.

[capt.cynical]

your fix worked,I am real chuffed with myself.
I am over 50 and self taught,the most dangerous person to be near a PC.
:O :D :ok:

[Cyclone Bob]

Just did your fix. Easy. But why should I have to do it? I noticed PPrune was down for website maintenance recently and the funny behaviour only ocurred after this?

[J430]

Glad it helped. For those not to savy, its really not hard. Its no harder than editing a letter in MS Word or something. Just remember you need to use Notepad not Word no change it.

J:ok:

[APMR]

Why are you guys even using the "back" button?

Using the "back" button can be an extremely inefficient way of doing your browsing - especially if the page you are going back to is laden with ads and popups.

Open the link you wish to go to in a new browser window, or on a "new tab" if you are using IE7. Then, when you have finished viewing it, just close that window (or tab). The original page will still be somewhere on your screen so you won't have to reload it.

In fact, over a slow connection (such as dialup), you can be reading one topic whilst several others are loading - the key is to open the pages in new windows (or new tabs). On expensive connections (such as via a mobile phone), you really should open all the pages first (via separate browsers, or tabs), then disconnect, then spend the next 30 minutes or so doing the reading.

On IE browsers prior to IE7, right click on the link you wish to go to and choose "Open in new window". On IE7, right click and choose "Open in new tab". Read the page then close it. No need to reload the original page!

Guys, come on!

[chode1984]

Got to agree with Yestam, got rid of IE a while ago and got Firefox. Never had a virus/problem. It was so well done that IE7 has even ripped off a few of its features.

[Bankstownboy]

For some strange reason it seems to be working perfectly again. Good job mods!

[tail wheel]

I posted a link to this thread in our Admin Forum. There has been some debate in the hallowed halls about similar problems and I understand Danny and the geeks are working on a fix.

Please understand someone must pay for your PPRuNe forums and that presently comes from advertisements, although PPRuNe Administration has tried to keep the adverts as subtle as possible.

It doesn't give the Dunnunda Mods too much bargaining power when Dunnunda accounts for 13% of PPRuNe "traffic" whilst Aussie adverts accounts for less than a nominal percentage of the revenue.

Over the past ten years or so, PPRuNe, with 130,000 registered users and many more viewers, could have become a major cash cow, but that was never Danny's intention. He still aspires to an independent professional pilot's forum, not compromised by commercial allegiances and considerations. The Mods, Admins and systems guys are still all voluntary, despite the size of the site.

On the subject of browsers, I use Firefox. It appears to be a vast improvement over IE7. The only time I use IE7 is when I wish to log into PPRuNe under my personal users name, whilst I am also logged in as a Mod in Firefox.

[DX Wombat]

You're a bit slow down there aren't you? :confused: :hmm: This thread (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=267243) was started in the Computer Forum ages ago and the solution provided by Data Dad on 10th March.

[Peter Fanelli]

ok I weakened and applied the "fix".
Doesn't work for me, still having the problem.
Maybe the great poms will fix it one day for us lowly colonials.

[18-Wheeler]

Just use a decent browser, as mentioned before.
Firefox or Opera are much better than IE.

[Zhaadum]

I have no problems with PPRUNE obtaining revenue from adverts, BUT when it changes how my browser functions then I object!

I don't think them in old blighty care what we think down under anyway, so I eventually applied the fix also. It works nicely, but I dont really know how or what it does. I have no idea what the hosts file thingy is.

At least we smashed them in the cricket...SUFFER IN YOUR JOCKS!

Cheers,

Z:ok:

[The Darkness]

J430 - Thanks, from this dumb bastard. Seems to have worked. And kiwiblue - sure was a doddle!!!

Thanks again,
The Darkness

[Bankstownboy]

At least we smashed them in the cricket...SUFFER IN YOUR JOCKS!

We did?

Forgetting the limited over comp are yee?:p