Because your resident dragon-mod is a dunce when it comes to things beyond basic technology.
As it turns out, I love wandering around Imgur. I don't have an account, but I roam about the site anyway lookin' at pics.
And a while ago, I noticed... this. Yes, you may freely note the irony of using Imgur while I puzzle over Imgur.
How are ads creeping through when I have an adblock? Is there some sort of whitelist they've creeped in through or something? I use adblock primarily to avoid malware and viruses that slips through some sites' third-party advertizements, and when that ceases to be a problem in the world is when I will consider ending my use of adblock permanently.
But UNTIL THEN, I've run some scans so I think I'm okay, but seriously tech folks, what the heck is this tomfoolery? In the very least I'd like to know both for peace of mind why the occasional odd ad slips through, and because I do like learning things about computers and programs.
As it turns out, I love wandering around Imgur. I don't have an account, but I roam about the site anyway lookin' at pics.
And a while ago, I noticed... this. Yes, you may freely note the irony of using Imgur while I puzzle over Imgur.
How are ads creeping through when I have an adblock? Is there some sort of whitelist they've creeped in through or something? I use adblock primarily to avoid malware and viruses that slips through some sites' third-party advertizements, and when that ceases to be a problem in the world is when I will consider ending my use of adblock permanently.
But UNTIL THEN, I've run some scans so I think I'm okay, but seriously tech folks, what the heck is this tomfoolery? In the very least I'd like to know both for peace of mind why the occasional odd ad slips through, and because I do like learning things about computers and programs.
Adblocks don't catch everything. Sometimes you need to help them out a little and tell them that an ad slipped through. Usually if you right-click on an ad, or open the Adblocker settings page, you get an option to adjust the levels of what is displayed.
My recommendation however is to use two adblockers. I use Adblock and Adblock Plus (two different extensions for Chrome) at the same time and together they catch everything. The only thing to note is that using two can be super-effective and sometimes block things you want to see. Same as before though, you can tweak the settings to indicate how much you want to see. I only had to tweak once or twice in several years so it's not a huge issue, just a minor calibration every now and then.
Does this help?
My recommendation however is to use two adblockers. I use Adblock and Adblock Plus (two different extensions for Chrome) at the same time and together they catch everything. The only thing to note is that using two can be super-effective and sometimes block things you want to see. Same as before though, you can tweak the settings to indicate how much you want to see. I only had to tweak once or twice in several years so it's not a huge issue, just a minor calibration every now and then.
Does this help?
Wow, weird! I use Adblock (not plus) and I see nothing on Imgur.
Try right clicking it. An option for Adblock will appear on the menu and you can attempt to manually block it.
Or check your extension settings. You might have accidentally whitelisted Imgur, or you have an option selected that could allow that ad to seep through the cracks.
Finally, if you see a lot of ads, on sites that used to be safe you might be infected with malware.
Try right clicking it. An option for Adblock will appear on the menu and you can attempt to manually block it.
Or check your extension settings. You might have accidentally whitelisted Imgur, or you have an option selected that could allow that ad to seep through the cracks.
Finally, if you see a lot of ads, on sites that used to be safe you might be infected with malware.
there is always the possibility that the site is supported by the add. they may get funded by an ad here and one there, but unless they start hindering your use of the site,then you should be fine. i use a vpn most of the time so most of the adds get blocked. sorry if my noobish response doesn't help.
linktheriolu wrote:
there is always the possibility that the site is supported by the add. they may get funded by an ad here and one there, but unless they start hindering your use of the site,then you should be fine. i use a vpn most of the time so most of the adds get blocked. sorry if my noobish response doesn't help.
Ads always support the site the're on (which is why even though I'm an epic member and don't see ads, I never block ads on RPR no matter what). But the problem is that ads are provided by third parties, and sometimes these ads are malicious or contain sounds that are incredibly bothersome. Exploits of weaknesses can deliver malware to your computer through ads, which is why adblockers are really important in a lot of places. Imgur is a massive site and their ads have been known to be troublesome and noisy, so it's generally a good idea to block them.
Most free VPNs don't block ads though, in fact I've encountered a few that actually give you ads if you use a free version. So please be cautious with that.
Arms race! Predator/prey evolutionary cycle in action. Many sites have no revenue but ad revenue, so ad blockers say to them "we want your stuff but we want you to pay for it instead of us via ads" (even if all the users are trying to say is "you have annoying or dangerous ads and you should protect us better.")
So there is a ton of incentive for sites to find ways to trick ad blockers. Ad blockers in turn rush to find the new tricks and close the loopholes (without hiding the actual content) so sites find new ways to be tricksy. Every once in awhile you'll see the new trick before it's been addressed. Ad blockers are not 100% reliable, just pretty good.
So there is a ton of incentive for sites to find ways to trick ad blockers. Ad blockers in turn rush to find the new tricks and close the loopholes (without hiding the actual content) so sites find new ways to be tricksy. Every once in awhile you'll see the new trick before it's been addressed. Ad blockers are not 100% reliable, just pretty good.
Hi y'all! THanks for your lengthy and educational responses, it's helping me learn a good deal!
I do use Adblock Plus's add-on for FireFox (that's just my preferred browser of choice), for the record, and it does block pretty much 99% of content I stumble over, and the only two types of ads I've seen go through are the one I made a screenshot of (often advertizing different things, but the layout is the same) and a Kelly Blue Book ad on Doll Divine (which I've only used twice). I'm not suspecting malware at all by this point, but I did try right-clicking on the add and for some reason I couldn't find an option to block it. There's probably some manner to do it in ABP's filters, but I am not intelligent enough; once a long time ago I tried to block a phobia-triggering icon here on the RPR someone was usin', and my efforts accidentally blocked half the image-based content on the site. Oi!
I have been pleased with ABP's performance though, for the record. Prior to moving to FF and getting the add-on, I used IE and would get viruses up the wazoo because of ads on very common sites I visited. For the record, I'm not thinking I whitelisted imgur somehow or did anything that would let the ad go through.
I've never even TOUCHED ABP's settings in the two years I've used it on this laptop.... which might be part of the issue, but seriously, I have no idea what I'm doing ever whenever I'm told to tweak a program's/add-on's settings.
Edit: Until/if I do figure out what to do with that ad that slipped through, for the most part I can avoid browsing imgur, which is no big deal with me. I USE it for hyperlinking images--character refs, for example--and the ad doesn't show up on the main page nor the page that displays my uploaded image (which I assume is the viewable page before you choose to share it to a gallery/in public). Avoiding browsing imgur for a while will not kill me.
Edit2: I did report this suspect thing to AdBlock, so we'll have to see what they say about it, if anything! It's a start in the very least, as far as my ignorant self is concerned.
I do use Adblock Plus's add-on for FireFox (that's just my preferred browser of choice), for the record, and it does block pretty much 99% of content I stumble over, and the only two types of ads I've seen go through are the one I made a screenshot of (often advertizing different things, but the layout is the same) and a Kelly Blue Book ad on Doll Divine (which I've only used twice). I'm not suspecting malware at all by this point, but I did try right-clicking on the add and for some reason I couldn't find an option to block it. There's probably some manner to do it in ABP's filters, but I am not intelligent enough; once a long time ago I tried to block a phobia-triggering icon here on the RPR someone was usin', and my efforts accidentally blocked half the image-based content on the site. Oi!
I have been pleased with ABP's performance though, for the record. Prior to moving to FF and getting the add-on, I used IE and would get viruses up the wazoo because of ads on very common sites I visited. For the record, I'm not thinking I whitelisted imgur somehow or did anything that would let the ad go through.
I've never even TOUCHED ABP's settings in the two years I've used it on this laptop.... which might be part of the issue, but seriously, I have no idea what I'm doing ever whenever I'm told to tweak a program's/add-on's settings.Edit: Until/if I do figure out what to do with that ad that slipped through, for the most part I can avoid browsing imgur, which is no big deal with me. I USE it for hyperlinking images--character refs, for example--and the ad doesn't show up on the main page nor the page that displays my uploaded image (which I assume is the viewable page before you choose to share it to a gallery/in public). Avoiding browsing imgur for a while will not kill me.
Edit2: I did report this suspect thing to AdBlock, so we'll have to see what they say about it, if anything! It's a start in the very least, as far as my ignorant self is concerned.
I suspect they will close this loophole in due time, if loophole it is! 
I should hope so! I like browsing the internet in relative peace of mind, since my infected days are long gone! *knocks on wood*
That and our IT friend was here a week and a half ago, and it would STINK SO BAD if he had to remotely work on my computer after he was already in town from out-of-state doin' stuff for us..
That and our IT friend was here a week and a half ago, and it would STINK SO BAD if he had to remotely work on my computer after he was already in town from out-of-state doin' stuff for us..
Oh so AS IT TURNS OUT!
If I turn off the "allow some non-intrusive advertising" option, it removes those ads I was fussing over. Well whaddya know? I can return to imgur, huzzah! Why did it take me 2-3 weeks to figure this simple solution out, instead of wasting Adblock's time? IDK, dat's how Copper Dragons accidentally do.
If I turn off the "allow some non-intrusive advertising" option, it removes those ads I was fussing over. Well whaddya know? I can return to imgur, huzzah! Why did it take me 2-3 weeks to figure this simple solution out, instead of wasting Adblock's time? IDK, dat's how Copper Dragons accidentally do.
Glad you worked this out!
Me too! I'm... not sure how any of that happened though. I don't remember fiddling with my ABP settings to allow non-intrusive ads in the first place, especially since no other site changed! Ah well, 'issue' solved. :B
I'm... not sure how any of that happened though. I don't remember fiddling with my ABP settings to allow non-intrusive ads in the first place, especially since no other site changed! Ah well, 'issue' solved. :B
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