Free Republic and ActiveX

24 July 2007 | Shameless Vanity

[Yo-Yo]

Is it just me, or has something changes with the Free Republic site that is using ActiveX scripting?

Starting today, I get asked "Do you want to allow software such as ActiveX and plugins to run?" on every stinkin' FR page. (I have my security set this way.)

These are usually associated with ActiveX controls in banner ads, but why on every FR page? This has never occured to me on FR before today.

Thanks,

Yo

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

There was an earlier thread on this same subject today. Someone else is having the same problem.......

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1870783/posts

[Yo-Yo]

Thanks. I tried searching but didn't find that thread.

As usual, the FR community on that thread was most helpful. </sarc&ltgt;

I don't know what script is causing it, but it's on every single FR page, not just the front page. It even pops up in the posting comments pages.

Well, until an Admin Moderator wants to actually do something about this, I'll just have to reformat my modem and stune my beeber.

[JRios1968]

I’ll be in the shower!

[Yo-Yo]

Aha, I found this source code at the bottom of every single FR page:

<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-2288668-1"
urchinTracker();
</script>

[Yo-Yo]

I hope that Bill O’Riley offers to wash your back with a falafel.

[Clara Lou]

I’m a Linux user, and I experienced a notable event yesterday.
I use NoScript. I have always had all scripts on for FR. Yesterday, I got a NoScript message about FR—Google Analytics wants to run a script. That’s new. Anybody else? Are these two things related, by any chance?

[Clara Lou]

Aha! See post #8.

[JRios1968]

I hope that Al Franken hands you your loofah.

[Yo-Yo]

I’d say something about Helen Thomas and her bath towel, but that’s going Nuclear.

[JRios1968]

Yeah...thankfully we both know our limits!

[Yo-Yo]

And now I know what that script does. It logs every web page with Google so they can add it to the search database.

This very thread is already on Google.

http://www.google.com/search?q=free+republic+activex&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8

[jwh_Denver]

I just googled my name and it sure doesn’t bring up much.

[Yo-Yo]

This Google script just started appearing yesterday.

[jwh_Denver]

I definitely don’t like this. No privacy here whatsoever. Who/what gives them the “right” to do this?

[Yo-Yo]

Jim Robinson owns the site. He can do with it as he sees fit.

http://www.google.com/analytics/

[jwh_Denver]

That’s understood. I just thought it was an invasion by google.

[Yo-Yo]

No, the script is being added to the bottom of every Free Republic web page, and Google can’t do that. You can see it if you click view>source, then scroll down to the bottom of the notepad document.

it looks by the website I linked to that it is an analytical tool by Google to allow JimRob to track where his traffic comes from. Perhaps he wants to see how many articles are linked by DemocraticUnderground or something.

Or the google script could be added to every page sent out by the website hosting service that JimRob subscribes to that hosts Free Republic. I dunno, and nobody at FR is talking.

I basically gave up and put FR on my trusted sites list, so I don’t have to click the annoying “do you want software” dialog box 5 thousand times a day.

[jwh_Denver]

Ok, thanks a lot.