Dynaverse.net

Off Topic => Engineering => Topic started by: Clark Kent on October 21, 2009, 09:22:25 am

Title: Pop up blocker not blocking
Post by: Clark Kent on October 21, 2009, 09:22:25 am
This is a really annoying thing for me.  There is one site in particular that I'm thinking of right now (weather.com), but the problem is that I go to a site, and I have security settings set up to limit pop ups and what not.  Well, every time I visit this friggin site, my pop up blocker settings are shut off.

Quite frankly, I don't like that a website can affect my internet security settings, especially a well known commercial one.  Where I have the problem is at work, running Win XP SP 3, IE 7.  Updating or using another web browser is not an option here.

Is this kind of thing really typical on the web?  How is it ok for this kind of thing to happen?
Title: Re: Pop up blocker not blocking
Post by: Bonk on October 21, 2009, 06:35:48 pm
Is the pop-up blocker built into IE7 or was it installed separately? How many plugins and toolbars are installed? What are they? The browser itself may not be the issue.

Why not go with portableapps.com and a usb stick?

The other thing here is that weather.com and other non-government weather sites have become more and more spammy over the years. Quite remarkably spammy in fact. I'm not at all surprised at your report.

If you live in Canada go here:
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/

If you live in the US go here:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Not sure about other countries.

Almost all weather services get thier information from local government authorities anyway. Why not go right to the (tustworthy?;)) horse's mouth.

I seem to recall having a very similar discussion with another member.
Title: Re: Pop up blocker not blocking
Post by: Just plain old Punisher on October 21, 2009, 06:42:10 pm
Did you tell windows to allow popups from that site?
Title: Re: Pop up blocker not blocking
Post by: Clark Kent on October 21, 2009, 08:57:56 pm
I'll have to look at what specific plug ins are installed, but it's only a handful, and they seemed pretty standard (like JAVA, PDF viewer).  I had the computer set to medium internet security, some pop up blocking, but every time I would visit this site the settings were automatically turned off.  After going through this several times, I upped security to maximum within IE and in my internet control panel, but once again, a visit to weather.com shut off all security settings.  So I will take your advice Bonk, and I will stop using weather.com.

that portable apps site sounds promising, I will have to pick up a decent capacity flash drive and give it a shot.
Title: Re: Pop up blocker not blocking
Post by: Pestalence_XC on October 21, 2009, 11:35:54 pm
pop up blocker on medium settings working fine blocking pop ups from Weather.com in IE 8 on my end..

Just a heads up.

Could be a security invunerability in IE 7.

According to their HTML code, they have cache busters for many web browsers in their code that looks like they are designed to override many web browsers security settings most probably targeting the built in pop up blocker.. seems IE 8 is more secure than IE 7 is as far as pop ups go.