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Sick of popups? Sick of banner ads? Sick of third party cookies? -- a suggestion
1/26/2009 | Vanity

Posted on 01/26/2009 2:59:32 AM PST by markomalley

If you don't like going to Drudge and dealing with popups or getting tracked by third party cookies, I would suggest that you visit the following site:

Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File

This site maintains an updated "HOSTS" file that has a pretty comprehensive list of known ad and spyware sites and will cause your browser to not go to those sites if the page you are loading wants to get a banner ad, popup ad, webbug, or third party tracking cookie. The list of blocked sites is updated about once a month.

How does it work? When you type in "www.freerepublic.com" or "www.drudgereport.com," your computer first has to resolve that web URL to an IP address. It does this by first going to a file on your computer called the "HOSTS" file to see if there is a match and then goes to a server on the Internet called a "Domain Name Service" file.

The HOSTS file looks like this extract:

127.0.0.1 a.abnad.net
127.0.0.1 b.abnad.net
127.0.0.1 c.abnad.net #[eTrust.Tracking.Cookie]
127.0.0.1 d.abnad.net
127.0.0.1 e.abnad.net
127.0.0.1 t.abnad.net
127.0.0.1 z.abnad.net
127.0.0.1 banners.absolpublisher.com
127.0.0.1 tracking.absolstats.com
127.0.0.1 adv.abv.bg
127.0.0.1 bimg.abv.bg
127.0.0.1 www2.a-counter.kiev.ua
127.0.0.1 track.acclaimnetwork.com
127.0.0.1 accuserveadsystem.com

If you have a URL listed in the HOSTS file, it will automatically resolve to the corresponding IP address. You'll note that the above URLs all resolve to 127.0.0.1 -- 127.0.0.1 is the standard address for your local computer. So, what this file does, in essence, is to tell your browser to not do anything at all when it sees one of the URL listed in the HOSTS file.

Pretty comprehensive instructions for updating your HOSTS file are in the page I link to, above. There are special instructions for dealing with Vista and getting around various security software (such as Norton and Zone Alarm). Please read the instructions before actually doing the update.

Hope the above is of value to folks.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: hosts; privacy; tech
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1 posted on 01/26/2009 2:59:33 AM PST by markomalley
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To: ShadowAce

ping to the tech ping list


2 posted on 01/26/2009 3:01:11 AM PST by markomalley (Extra ecclesiam nulla salus)
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To: markomalley

Bookmark. Thanks.


3 posted on 01/26/2009 3:08:27 AM PST by defconw (You can't reason someone out of a position they were never reasoned into to begin with.)
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To: markomalley

Kudos from an old techie.


4 posted on 01/26/2009 3:13:21 AM PST by Yanni.Znaio (On the Palin smears: "Let he who is without stones cast the first sin.")
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To: markomalley

bfl


5 posted on 01/26/2009 3:20:18 AM PST by Skooz (Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us)
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To: markomalley

Bookmarked. I’m going to play around with this over the weekend and get it running properly. Thanks, Mark!


6 posted on 01/26/2009 3:24:37 AM PST by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: markomalley

bump


7 posted on 01/26/2009 3:25:18 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: markomalley

btt


8 posted on 01/26/2009 3:27:23 AM PST by blueplum
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To: markomalley

9 posted on 01/26/2009 3:31:54 AM PST by South40
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To: markomalley
 For Windows machines, try this HOSTS file manager:

Download, install, run.

With 3 clicks you can then: update the HOSTS file blocklists from 4 user groups that block unwanted ads, rebuild the HOSTS file, and be on your way to surfing the net free of popups and popunders and other unwanted ads.

 

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

HostsMan 3.2.70 Beta6 released

HostsMan 3.2.70 Beta6 is now available here.

Note that this is BETA (unstable) software. You can download the latest stable version (3.1.57) here.




10 posted on 01/26/2009 3:52:50 AM PST by JerseyHighlander
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To: markomalley

Hostsman automatically manages the MVPS HOSTS file that the original article is referencing. It provides a really simple GUI so there is no need for any technical knowledge on how to download and implement the MVPS user group HOSTS file.


11 posted on 01/26/2009 3:54:12 AM PST by JerseyHighlander
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To: South40

Bump


12 posted on 01/26/2009 3:56:30 AM PST by A. Morgan (Yikes! Are we in serious trouble, yet, or what?)
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To: JerseyHighlander
Hostsman automatically manages the MVPS HOSTS file that the original article is referencing. It provides a really simple GUI so there is no need for any technical knowledge on how to download and implement the MVPS user group HOSTS file.

That's interesting...however, does it support making the little tweaks necessary to get around the security software? How about dealing with the Vista security measures?

Not trying to dog the software...just askin'

13 posted on 01/26/2009 4:03:08 AM PST by markomalley (Extra ecclesiam nulla salus)
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To: markomalley

I’ve been using Firefox with adblock plus and haven’t seen a popup or banner in years


14 posted on 01/26/2009 4:06:40 AM PST by grjr21
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To: grjr21
I’ve been using Firefox with adblock plus and haven’t seen a popup or banner in years

Same here. And I have complete control on who I allow to set a cookie. FIREFOX RULES!!!

15 posted on 01/26/2009 4:14:11 AM PST by BullDog108 (A Smith & Wesson beats four aces)
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To: markomalley

BTTT!


16 posted on 01/26/2009 4:15:27 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: markomalley

I have limited experience using Hostsman on Vista, I’ve been using 3.2.70 Beta6 for a couple of month now on Vista Home Premium 64-bit with no problem whatsoever, also have used it on Windows Server 2008 without a problem.

Hostsman also has a full HOSTS file editor that is simple to use, has a search function, and appends user generated notes to HOSTS file entries as needed (using the # annotation).

According to Microsoft, Windows Defender blocks, at startup, programs and services that require UAC confirmation. However, HostsMan, since version 3.0.40, doesn’t request elevated privileges when it starts. Instead, HM starts in a reduced functionality mode, which can be elevated later by user request, and that’s when you should get an UAC prompt.

And if anything weird happens, you can add the -s argument to the startup command to start Hostsman in reduced privileges mode to avoid the dreaded UAC
“C:\Program Files (x86)\abelhadigital.com\HostsMan\hm.exe” -s


17 posted on 01/26/2009 4:23:53 AM PST by JerseyHighlander
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To: markomalley

bump


18 posted on 01/26/2009 4:35:48 AM PST by patj
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To: All

Firefox with the NoScript add-on(white list); no problems;
I dont even get Google advertising from each site because I dont want it.

The Hosts file stuff(black list) is essentially backwards.

The NoScript Firefox extension provides extra protection for Firefox, Flock, Seamonkey and other mozilla-based browsers: this free, open source add-on allows JavaScript, Java, Flash and other plugins to be executed only by trusted web sites of your choice (e.g. your online bank), and provides the most powerful Anti-XSS protection available in a browser.

NoScript’s unique whitelist based pre-emptive script blocking approach prevents exploitation of security vulnerabilities (known and even not known yet!) with no loss of functionality...

You can enable JavaScript, Java and plugin execution for sites you trust with a simple left-click


19 posted on 01/26/2009 4:53:57 AM PST by Beeline
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To: JerseyHighlander

kewl. I’ll have to check into it.


20 posted on 01/26/2009 5:02:39 AM PST by markomalley (Extra ecclesiam nulla salus)
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