Scenic ad doing my head in

[bakedpotato]

it's like something out of Terminator

I resent the way it spreads over the screen, I keep clicking to close it, and it shrinks momentarily, and then whump it spills back out again

Can it be restrained somehow

I've just got an irritating PO ferries one today. But I guess if it pays for Mumsnet it's fair enough!

I can't see any of these ads. the only ones i see are on the top of the talk page. I just have a big blank box to the right of the screen. still i shouldn't complain

I don't know how to get an ad blocker, and anyway it's only this ad I have a problem with.
I loathe that the 'close' button doesn't actually close the fricker. Makes it bigger if anything.

bakedpotato, click on Tools, do you have a pop up blocker option?

Mine comes with my Internet Security software (virus, firewall and all sorts of other things I have no idea about).

I have no ads at the top of the page and a grey box at the side of the thread. Fab.

thanks lucycat, no, nothing like that in tools but I've just checked preferences, and I see I have already blocked pop-up windows... so it shouldn't happen, right?

It's not a pop up, so no I'm afraid not.

mmm wouldn't have thought so? can you customise it in any way?

hark at me pretending I know what I'm talking about

Lucycat, thanks to you have just found my "Block pop up windows option" hope the sponsor ain't reading this!

or you could try installing Windows defender which should remove spyware.

I think!

By lemonaid on Thursday, 16 November, 2006 9:45:39 AM

The basic idea is to trick your PC into thinking that all those files are stored locally, so that it tries to find them on your own PC and just gives up when it can't find them, rather than downloading them every time. So that's what you do by editing the hosts file.

DISCLAIMER: Always backup your existing hosts file first. And while this works fine for me it is not my responsibility if it causes your computer to collapse into a pile of green dust... proceed at your own risk.

1. Find your hosts file (at C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts for Windows XP)

1. Mine has a very long list with lots of known adservers in it so that I block most ads anywhere (would be happy to email to anyone who CATs me) but I believe the specific line you need to add (under the line that says "127.0.0.1 localhost") to block the Mumsnet ads is

127.0.0.1 adserver.adtech.de

1. Save hosts file

1. Restart browser (you might also need to reboot the PC, I'm not sure)

What you actually need to do is block "animated media" then you don't have to fiddle with host files & stuff. I have managed to do it just for MN. Instructions for AOL down the page - for other browsers check the help menu for your browser.