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Old March 4th 08, 08:09 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Mike M
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,047
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

Ben,

Let's get one thing straight. The ONLY BBC site that is blocked by the
MVP hosts file is stats.bbc.co.uk which as should be obvious from its name
is a stats/tracking site. The only visible effect of blocking this site
is that in the left hand frame below the "Related BBC Sites" you will
probably see the infamous "Red X" icon. If you right click on the icon
and select Properties you will see something similar to
http://stats.bbc.co.uk/o.gif?~RS~s~R...ghWeb_Story~RS
indicating that stats.bbc.co.uk is the URL of the blocked image.

No other BBC content is blocked however if there is a link to an advert OR
other external content whose server is blocked via the Hosts file then
this will be blocked.

If you are seeing an empty box with Advertisement in it then I'll give you
a clue. This box would normally contain an advert or perhaps other
external contents but access to the site concerned is being blocked by the
hosts file. What that site might be can be determined in the usual way,
right click, properties.

All other sites display ads.


So what? All this means is that the site serving the ads isn't blocked.
If you don't want to see the ads, be adventurous, add the urls of the
sites serving those ads to your copy of the hosts file.

As for my being in the UK, that is immaterial. I use a customised copy of
the MVP hosts file (however for this test reverted to the original copy)
and as a test have accessed the BBC news site via a US proxy (non UK IP
address) and see none of the problems that you are seeing. I suspect you
need to look a lot closer to home than the BBC site for the cause of your
problems,

What some consider to be a problem when using the hosts file to block for
example access to ad serving sites is that the behaviour of the browser
back button can be erratic as the back route might include links to a
blocked site. In such cases it is often easier to jump back to the
required site using the drop down box rather than step back site by site.
--
Mike Maltby



Ben none wrote:

Hello Mike,

I must quote you. "If you don't want this to happen forget about the
hosts file and display
the ads". I don't want this to happen. But I have no ads (this only
on the BBC web site) when I "forget" (de-activate) the hosts file.
All other sites display ads.

I believe I do understand the purpose (and value) of the hosts file.

The BBC web site is not behaving like any other web site. Its display
is, in part, contrary:
No hosts file = no ads displayed and no spaces. And an activated
hosts file = blocked (no) ads and spaces.

All other web sites respond normally. No hosts file = ads displayed
and no spaces. Hosts file activated = no ads but spaces.

I wonder if you, in the UK, see the ads when you de-activate the
hosts file. I on the other hand, and in western Canada, see no such
ads when I do so. None whatsoever. And no spaces.

This is, in my view, an anomaly.

Perhaps we will have to leave it at that, Mike. But I am curious as
to what ads the BBC is using? Perhaps this is a clue for me:

style type="text/css" media="all"
@import "/css/screen/shared/styles.css";
@import '/css/screen/shared/toolbar_ifs.css';
@import "/css/screen/nol/styles.css?v2";
@import "/css/screen/nol/furniture.css";
@import "/css/screen/nol/promo.css";
@import "/css/screen/nol/business.css";
@import "/css/screen/nol/ifs.css";
/style

Cheers,

Ben.


"Mike M" wrote in message
...
You do not need to deactivate the hosts file when visiting the BBC
web site. Where advertisements are blocked the word advertisement
will appear. If you don't want this to happen forget about the hosts
file and display the ads. If you want to see some ads and not
others then edit the hosts file accordingly. The properties of an
ad will tell you its source and you can then add or remove the url
or ip address to the hosts file.

Any suggestions?


In the same way that you have repeated your question I will repeat my
reply. Learn and understand the purpose of a hosts file..
--
Mike Maltby



Ben none wrote:

Hello Mike,

This image is of the front-page of the news international version.:

http://www.geocities.com/cowichancricket/MNG1.gif

The hosts file is de-activated - the page displays normally. No ads.

This image reflects the blocking of ads. i.e., the hosts file is
activated.

http://www.geocities.com/cowichancricket/MNG2.gif

I do wish to use the hosts file. I don't want to de-activate it
everytime I access the BBC. However if there were a way I would
prefer to see the site appear without the blocked ads space i.e., as
in the first image..

Any suggestions?

Ben.


"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Ben none wrote:

Hello,

With the Hosts file de-activated this website displays normally:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ,
however, on activation of the file, a white space appears across
the top of the page with the word 'Advertisement' showing twice
together with a spacing in the left hand links bar.

I have tried deleting the three references to the bbc in the hosts
file but this has no effect.

Any help appreciated.

Since you appear not to understand the purpose of the hosts file
why are you using it? Its purpose amongst other things is to
prevent the display of unwanted advertisements and this it is
clearly doing. If you want the adverts don't use the hosts file.
Alternatively learn its purpose and understand what it is doing.

Clue: Adverts are rarely served from the website being viewed.
The only BBC reference in the MVP Hosts file blocks the stats
counter and has nothing to do with the display of adverts. Other
blocked sites include the string bbc but have nothing to do with
the BBC web site. --
Mike Maltby