Text Ads on Forum

pokeplayer984 · **on:** December 23, 2012, 01:04:56 PM

Anyone else getting them here? I have the latest updates from Adblock and I am STILL getting them! Ugh! How I hate these things. So annoying!

How do you get rid of them?

DarkHououmon · **Reply #1 on:** December 23, 2012, 03:42:03 PM

Text ads? I don't know if I have.

Mumbling · **Reply #2 on:** December 23, 2012, 06:32:09 PM

I've not seen any. Can you show us a printscreen?

Malte279 · **Reply #3 on:** December 23, 2012, 07:44:22 PM

None on my end either with Addblock plus activated.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #4 on:** December 23, 2012, 09:28:37 PM

Wait a minute! When the problem happened, it was on my desktop, but I'm on my laptop and I don't see any. There must be some sort of software on my desktop causing it.'

Give me some time here to find it.

Kor · **Reply #5 on:** December 23, 2012, 11:00:52 PM

Maybe a certain browser plug in/add on.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #6 on:** December 24, 2012, 02:08:37 AM

There! Finally fixed! Worst part is that I still don't know what was causing it. I had to resort to uninstalling and re-installing my browser. I'll be putting back add-ons one at a time and seeing if anything comes up.

Still, what a hassle. -_-

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #7 on:** December 24, 2012, 02:28:25 AM

^I've been having problems with AdBlock for Firefox as well. I keep having to reinstall AdBlock at least once a month. It seems they're getting really good at bypassing AdBlock. Really annoying.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #8 on:** December 24, 2012, 03:03:31 AM

I understand the importance of ads for money purposes to help keep this site free and all, but could they at least make them more user friendly and not scramble to grab your attention? I know those still exist, so why not?

Is it that hard to earn money these days? That they have to resort to this?

BTW, main important add-ons put back up, still can't find the problem. What could it have possibly been?

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #9 on:** December 26, 2012, 03:07:50 AM

Argh!! Under 48 hours later and the text ads are back with a vengeance!

I only have the important Adblocker on. What's causing it?

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #10 on:** December 26, 2012, 03:15:38 AM

The way I see it, I don't see anything wrong with ad blockers. I block ads because they're annoying and I will NEVER buy something because I saw it in an ad. I'm not some dumbass that just sees something shiny and buys it. I've never in my life purchased something through an ad and I never will. When I want something, I'll go looking for it and I'll buy it myself.

Now there are plenty of stupid people out there that just buy something because they're told to in an ad. And those people are usually too stupid to install an ad blocker. So it works for everyone. It's too bad advertisers don't know who will buy their product BEFORE they advertise to them. A great example is right above me. I'm on a computer without an ad blocker on right now and I see a Dodge Ram ad. I'll never buy a new car in my life. Ever. And even if I did, I wouldn't buy something just because I saw an ad on it. So they're wasting their advertising dollars on me.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #11 on:** December 26, 2012, 03:37:12 AM

Proof of the text ads.

First two from this site.

This last one is from a story on Fanfiction.net.

Hmm... still can't figure it out. Anyone else?

DarkHououmon · **Reply #12 on:** December 26, 2012, 09:01:51 AM

What are you talking about? I don't see anything in the first screenshots you show. I see no text ads.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #13 on:** December 26, 2012, 09:33:38 AM

^Those are technically called in-text ads. GOF doesn't have them and neither does Fanficiton.net. Sorry to say Pokeplayer, but you've either got an adware infection or you've installed some BS plugin/toolbar/module into your browser that's giving you that crap. Try resetting your entire browser or trying a new browser. If that doesn't work, you've been infected with adware.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #14 on:** December 26, 2012, 09:48:57 AM

Yeah. It might be a type of malware, most likely adware as LBTLover pointed out. Do you have anything that can scan and remove adware, Pokeplayer?

Kor · **Reply #15 on:** December 26, 2012, 01:40:15 PM

Could be one of the browser plug ins, some do that. Drop down coupons is one that does that. & it may have other names besides CouponDropDown.

If it is that there are some websites that give information on how to remove it. It may be something else. Some of them suggest disable 1 add on at a time to see if it is one of those doing it. Though it could be other causes.

Mumbling · **Reply #16 on:** December 26, 2012, 02:57:39 PM

Isn't that just Google Chrome? I know it's a setting in that browser. Pretty sure that those aren't ads, but searches for a certain search engine.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #17 on:** December 26, 2012, 10:07:19 PM

Found it and killed it!

Apparently, it was a malicious Adware hijacker called "CouponsDropDown". This little thing tends to get computers infected with adware in-text applications by latching onto a third-party program. I had to get rid of said program just to remove it.

It also left behind some trojans and a few other nasty files that I had to clean out.

At least it's gone now.

So yeah, problem solved.

See ya later!