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Some sites seem to think bigger is better, when they hit you with extra windows that pop up over and under the window you surfed in on, surveys, movies, and Java applets you can't stop, or even more extreme behavior at some sites, like trying to change your homepage to theirs, or trapping your browser in their site.
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Boomer recommends two (or three) add-on programs to stop or slow popup ads and other distractions.
The first is a
browser proxy that sits between your browser and the web servers you visit.
- Proxomitron makes changes to the HTML codes in the pages, before your browser displays them, removing references to popups, and companies that supply ads on many sites. Thus it looks for certain signatures the ads and other annoyances use, and filters them, while leaving the rest of the page intact. Proxomitron comes in two versions: as a Zip file, and with an automatic installer, and is around 1.1 MB.
- Webwasher is a similar filtering proxy made by Siemens. Apparently it was developed as a way to save bandwidth at the company, and Siemens found they had a gem on their paws, so Webwasher was released to the open market. 1 MB
- AdShield I found out about this one through an article in Access Magazine, a sunday newspaper insert for computer users. This one works with Internet Explorer 4 and up only, where Proxomitron and Webwasher can be used with any browser that supports a proxy. AdShield installs as a 'browser helper object', which means it effectively becomes part of the browser itself. Access to settings is through a right-click menu: add a banner to the list of ads to block, stop popups, and more. There are lots of proxy style programs out there, but AdShield is unique in what it does, and how it does it. 1.4MB
Keep in mind these are programs that I have used and found effective, but that filtering is not for everyone; it's a personal choice what you do with your own browser and system.
~Boomer