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Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 3rd 08, 08:53 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Ben
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 7
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

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.

Ben.


  #2  
Old March 3rd 08, 11:25 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 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



  #3  
Old March 4th 08, 03:03 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Ben
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 7
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

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
|
|
|


  #4  
Old March 4th 08, 09:45 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Mike M
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,047
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

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


  #5  
Old March 4th 08, 04:24 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Ben
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 7
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

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
|
|


  #6  
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


  #7  
Old March 4th 08, 11:08 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Ben
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 7
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

I can only thank you, Mike, for sharing your expertise with me.

I would like to perhaps end my input by leaving you with one sentence:

When I de-activate the hosts file and open the BBC news page I see no
spaces, no word 'advertisement', no small box with the red cross in it and
no boxes of any kind.

Best wishes,

Ben.


"Mike M" wrote in message
...
| 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
|
|


  #8  
Old March 5th 08, 12:14 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Mike M
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,047
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

You have yet to establish the site being blocked. Why haven't you done
this and by so doing contribute something to this thread? I've explained
how to do this.

For the fourth time the word ADVERTISEMENT is an indication that a link is
being blocked. That link could be as small as a 1 pixel web bug. Why not
establish what that link might be?
--
Mike Maltby



Ben none wrote:

I can only thank you, Mike, for sharing your expertise with me.

I would like to perhaps end my input by leaving you with one sentence:

When I de-activate the hosts file and open the BBC news page I see no
spaces, no word 'advertisement', no small box with the red cross in
it and no boxes of any kind.


  #9  
Old March 5th 08, 12:24 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Ben
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 7
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

Hello Mike,

The site being blocked was an 'ad.doubleclick.net' one. I wasn't able to
find this in I.E. but a user of Firefox told me of it. I edited the hosts
file by placing the # before this entry: 'ad.doubleclick.net
#[MVPS.Criteria]', and achieved the desired result with the BBC news
homepage.

This satisfies me.

Ben.


"Mike M" wrote in message
...
| You have yet to establish the site being blocked. Why haven't you done
| this and by so doing contribute something to this thread? I've explained
| how to do this.
|
| For the fourth time the word ADVERTISEMENT is an indication that a link is
| being blocked. That link could be as small as a 1 pixel web bug. Why not
| establish what that link might be?
| --
| Mike Maltby
|
|
|
| Ben none wrote:
|
| I can only thank you, Mike, for sharing your expertise with me.
|
| I would like to perhaps end my input by leaving you with one sentence:
|
| When I de-activate the hosts file and open the BBC news page I see no
| spaces, no word 'advertisement', no small box with the red cross in
| it and no boxes of any kind.
|


  #10  
Old March 5th 08, 02:24 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
Ben
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 7
Default Using the MVP's Hosts file causes problem...

But it didn't satisfy me.

I have restored the hosts file to its original content; switched to using
Mozilla Firefox as my default browser and installed AdBlock Plus and several
allied extensions. Having done this I am now able to control the manner in
which web pages display - especially the BBC News page (which prompted this
thread) without resorting to placing limits on the MVP's hosts file.

Ben.


"Ben" none wrote in message ...
| Hello Mike,
|
| The site being blocked was an 'ad.doubleclick.net' one. I wasn't able to
| find this in I.E. but a user of Firefox told me of it. I edited the hosts
| file by placing the # before this entry: 'ad.doubleclick.net
| #[MVPS.Criteria]', and achieved the desired result with the BBC news
| homepage.
|
| This satisfies me.
|
| Ben.
|
|
| "Mike M" wrote in message
| ...
| | You have yet to establish the site being blocked. Why haven't you done
| | this and by so doing contribute something to this thread? I've
explained
| | how to do this.
| |
| | For the fourth time the word ADVERTISEMENT is an indication that a link
is
| | being blocked. That link could be as small as a 1 pixel web bug. Why
not
| | establish what that link might be?
| | --
| | Mike Maltby
| |
| |
| |
| | Ben none wrote:
| |
| | I can only thank you, Mike, for sharing your expertise with me.
| |
| | I would like to perhaps end my input by leaving you with one sentence:
| |
| | When I de-activate the hosts file and open the BBC news page I see no
| | spaces, no word 'advertisement', no small box with the red cross in
| | it and no boxes of any kind.
| |
|
|


 




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