Just edit your hosts file so that ad server addresses are 0.0.0.0. With Safari blocking popups that I don't request, and with my hosts file customized, I don't see nearly any web advertising.
Well, it's a shame. I'm on a PC which I don't have permission to modify (aka change browsers) and so I have to suffer with the spazoid pop up freaky ad... (grrrr)
Just curious: Did no one acknowledge my last post because after they read it, they thought, "Damn, why didn't I think of that?" or did they say, "WTF is he talking about?"
For the uninitiated, the easiest way to explain what I was talking about--just in case it's necessary--is that you can edit the Hosts file so that when the HTML source of a web page tells your browser of choice to go to an ad server's address to look for the ad, it goes to the address 0.0.0.0 instead. Since there's no server sitting at 0.0.0.0, there's no ad to load, so you don't see one. As an example, in the source for this page where I'm typing my message, I see this:
Well, my hosts file says that ad server can be found at 0.0.0.0, so whatever ad is supposed to be served to me from that server, I don't see it. Yes, you can set Safari to block pop-ups. Yes, you can set OmniWeb to effectively block ads. But this trick works for any browser in any OS.
In the pre-OS X days, the hosts file used to sit in the System folder, where it was plainly visible. Nowadays you need to have root privileges to have access to it. I confess I didn't doctor my own hosts file, but I replaced it with one that a friend of mine had doctored himself.
For a good explanation of what I'm talking about, you can go here:
Comments
Originally posted by Luca Rescigno
I can't figure out how the hell PithHelmet works. It's too complicated. I want something like OmniWeb.
or you know you could just use OmniWeb...8)
Originally posted by Paul
or you know you could just use OmniWeb...8)
too darn slow, but it looks nice
Originally posted by Nebagakid
too darn slow, but it looks nice
Just like the computers we're all using.
Originally posted by Nebagakid
too darn slow, but it looks nice
the new sneaky peeks are VERY nice... and fast... didnt you see my above post?
For the uninitiated, the easiest way to explain what I was talking about--just in case it's necessary--is that you can edit the Hosts file so that when the HTML source of a web page tells your browser of choice to go to an ad server's address to look for the ad, it goes to the address 0.0.0.0 instead. Since there's no server sitting at 0.0.0.0, there's no ad to load, so you don't see one. As an example, in the source for this page where I'm typing my message, I see this:
<a href="http://a.tribalfusion.com/>;
Well, my hosts file says that ad server can be found at 0.0.0.0, so whatever ad is supposed to be served to me from that server, I don't see it. Yes, you can set Safari to block pop-ups. Yes, you can set OmniWeb to effectively block ads. But this trick works for any browser in any OS.
For a good explanation of what I'm talking about, you can go here:
Mac OS X Hosts File [macwrite.com]
http://www.macwrite.com/criticalmass...sts-jaguar.php