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Odd file download when using AI forums

post #1 of 9
10/14/12 at 2:30am
Thread Starter 

Is anyone else having this problem? Every time I load a page in the AI forums, Safari downloads some mystery file called "ai". I've searched these forums and found no reference to this, but I'm having it happen at work and at home so it's not just an isolated thing.

 

Using the "cat' command in Terminal reveals that it's a GIF file.

 

Rex:~ rick$ cat /Users/rick/Downloads/ai 
GIF89a????!?,D;

 

 

 

 

Anyone know why this is happening? It just started recently and it's very annoying.

• • Programmer and designer of Ship out of Luck, an action/arcade game for iPad • • 

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• • Programmer and designer of Ship out of Luck, an action/arcade game for iPad • • 

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post #2 of 9
10/14/12 at 6:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by inkswamp View Post

Is anyone else having this problem? Every time I load a page in the AI forums, Safari downloads some mystery file called "ai". I've searched these forums and found no reference to this, but I'm having it happen at work and at home so it's not just an isolated thing.

Using the "cat' command in Terminal reveals that it's a GIF file.


Rex:~ rick$ cat /Users/rick/Downloads/ai 
GIF89a????!?,D;






Anyone know why this is happening? It just started recently and it's very annoying.

Started happening when I switched to Mountain Lion, and only with Safari as far as I can tell. Seems to be somewhat intermittent. I did see someone else (TS?) mention it a while back. I haven't tried to chase it down though.
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post #3 of 9
10/14/12 at 7:54am

Let me guess: you don't have Flash on your system.

 

You'll need to reinstall Flash. I am so, SO sorry. 

 

This file downloads when you navigate to a forum thread that has an embedded video (some articles do, users can post them, as well). I don't know the particulars of why it happens or what it represents, but if you don't have Flash, this auto-downloads instead of just not showing the video.

 

Again, I'm sorry, and I have no reason to apologize about the workings here. I'm also sorry that you'll need Flash again.

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post #4 of 9
10/14/12 at 8:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

Let me guess: you don't have Flash on your system.

 

You'll need to reinstall Flash. I am so, SO sorry. 

 

This file downloads when you navigate to a forum thread that has an embedded video (some articles do, users can post them, as well). I don't know the particulars of why it happens or what it represents, but if you don't have Flash, this auto-downloads instead of just not showing the video.

 

Again, I'm sorry, and I have no reason to apologize about the workings here. I'm also sorry that you'll need Flash again.

 

Right - that makes sense since Safari by default does not have flash. Not a big deal and only noticeable because of ML's flying icons.

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post #5 of 9
10/14/12 at 9:38am
Originally Posted by muppetry View Post
Right - that makes sense since Safari by default does not have flash. Not a big deal and only noticeable because of ML's flying icons.

 

I think it's a big deal; it's crap downloading ITSELF onto your system without your say-so simply because of bad coding. I can't stand it, and so I reinstalled Flash myself, but that's me.

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post #6 of 9
10/14/12 at 10:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

Originally Posted by muppetry View Post
Right - that makes sense since Safari by default does not have flash. Not a big deal and only noticeable because of ML's flying icons.

 

I think it's a big deal; it's crap downloading ITSELF onto your system without your say-so simply because of bad coding. I can't stand it, and so I reinstalled Flash myself, but that's me.

 

That's a good point, but presumably the fault lies with Safari for downloading the unrequested file. That seems like an incorrect behavior.

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post #7 of 9
10/14/12 at 11:14am
Originally Posted by muppetry View Post
That's a good point, but presumably the fault lies with Safari for downloading the unrequested file. That seems like an incorrect behavior.

 

Oh, I'd love it if Safari disallowed all sites from auto-downloading stuff, but I'd also require it to return the ability to manually download everything. I want the Activity window back, is what I'm saying.

 

Safari should also forcibly ignore all websites that take over keyboard commands. You know those? Like Engadget steals your +W so that you can't close the tab it's in. That ticks me off so much.


Safari should also stop tabs from stealing focus. If I make a post HERE, for example, hit "Submit", and go to a new tab (heck, a different application in OS X), I SHOULD NOT BE DRAGGED BACK TO THIS TAB from wherever else I am. Websites should know better than to do something that stupid, but browsers should also prevent it entirely. Or like on 9to5Mac when a tab finishes loading, it rips you from wherever else you are over to that tab. Completely unacceptable.


Edited by Tallest Skil - 10/14/12 at 11:29am
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post #8 of 9
10/14/12 at 11:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

Originally Posted by muppetry View Post
That's a good point, but presumably the fault lies with Safari for downloading the unrequested file. That seems like an incorrect behavior.

 

Oh, I'd love it if Safari disallowed all sites from auto-downloading stuff, but I'd also require it to return the ability to manually download everything. I want the Activity window back, is what I'm saying.

 

Safari should also forcibly ignore all websites that take over keyboard commands. You know those? Like Engadget steals your +W so that you can't close the tab it's in. That ticks me off so much.


Safari should also stop tabs from stealing focus. If I make a post HERE, for example, hit "Submit", and go to a new tab (heck, a different application in OS X), I SHOULD NOT BE DRAGGED BACK TO THIS TAB from wherever else I am. Websites should know better than to do something that stupid, but browsers should also prevent it entirely. Or like on 9to5Mac when a tab finishes loading, it rips you from wherever else you are over to that tab. Completely unacceptable.

 

I agree, but the onus is definitely on Safari to block those actions rather than expecting all websites to play fair.

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post #9 of 9
10/15/12 at 9:39am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

Let me guess: you don't have Flash on your system.

 

You'll need to reinstall Flash. I am so, SO sorry. 

 

This file downloads when you navigate to a forum thread that has an embedded video (some articles do, users can post them, as well). I don't know the particulars of why it happens or what it represents, but if you don't have Flash, this auto-downloads instead of just not showing the video.

 

Again, I'm sorry, and I have no reason to apologize about the workings here. I'm also sorry that you'll need Flash again.

 

Nicely deduced! 1biggrin.gif

 

I guess I can live with it for now until someone at AI fixes the code. I'm perfectly fine living in a Flash-free world even if it means dealing with this kind of weirdness. Still, sort of odd that an Apple site, of all places, would give a user grief for not having Flash available. 

 

Thanks for the clarification though. I appreciate it.

• • Programmer and designer of Ship out of Luck, an action/arcade game for iPad • • 

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• • Programmer and designer of Ship out of Luck, an action/arcade game for iPad • • 

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