|
It seems you can hardly surf the Web these
days without a cascade of popup browser windows springing open across your
desktop. With flashy graphics and promises of hot deals, these popup
advertisements attempt
 to lure customers, but more often than not they only
annoy and frustrate those of us who find the ads disruptive and intrusive,
distracting us from our real purpose online.
If you've had it with popup advertisements
littering your desktop, and if you're worried that they're trespassing on
your privacy, here are a few tricks you can use to eliminate them.
Popup Blockers
If you think you
just might scream the next time you see a popup advertisement, you might
want to try out one of the numerous applications for blocking them. Usually
you can download these programs for free from the Internet. Check with your
Internet Service Provider (ISP) to see if they have one available to their
customers. If not, visit the following Web sites by clicking on the name.
Popup Washer
automatically identifies user-initiated and navigational popup windows to
ensure you get key information needed to use your favorite sites, no need to
hold down the 'CTRL' to open links you want to open. It also blocks
Windows Messenger Service spam windows that appear as gray boxes on the
desktop without affecting items such as MSN/AOL Instant Messaging.
The
newest generation of popup blocker software allows you to choose the level
of filtering you want to apply. With some programs you can selectively
choose which popup will be displayed and build a blacklist of those you
don't, and you can even import blacklists from other users. The strongest
filters will let you block other forms of web advertising, such as banner
advertisements, and offer protection from intrusive "spyware" downloads that
some web sites use to track visitors. Be aware that such extensive filtering
can slow down your browsing or even block new browser windows that may be
required for the Web site you are viewing, but your privacy is well worth
the cost. You can change from an aggressive setting to one that is
less aggressive to get around this.
Simple Solution
If you're not ready to install new software, you can still beat popup
advertising with a simple tweak to your web browser's preferences. popup
windows are triggered by computer scripts that are embedded in the web page
code; by disabling these scripts from running, you can keep your browser
from displaying the advertisements.
The drawback, of course, is that many web
sites use scripts for less offensive purposes than popup advertisements.
Disabling scripts will hamper your ability to view or use some web sites
correctly. If you find you are having trouble with an online tool or game,
you can always turn scripting back on.
To disable scripts in Internet Explorer for Windows®:
|
1) |
Select "Tools", then "Internet Options"
from the menu bar. |
|
2) |
Choose the "Security" tab, and click the
"Custom Level" button. |
|
3) |
Scroll down until you see "Active
Scripting" and select the "Disable" radio button. |
|
4) |
Click "OK" twice. |
In Internet
Explorer for Apple Macintosh:
|
1) |
Select "Edit", then "Preferences" from the
menu bar. |
|
2) |
On the left menu, click on "Web Content." |
|
3) |
Under "Active Content" on the right,
uncheck the box next to "Enable scripting." |
|
4) |
Click "OK." |
In Netscape Navigator for Windows and Macintosh:
|
1) |
Select "Edit", then "Preferences" from the
menu bar. |
|
2) |
On the left menu, click on "Advanced." |
|
3) |
On the right, uncheck the box marked
"Enable JavaScript." |
|
4) |
Click "OK." |
Windows® is
either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries.
|
