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Reppiks
Reppiks
Join Date 12/2002
+9

Why do we have adds that start downloading software automaticly?

Download ringtones, I don't think so!

September 15, 2005 9:12:01 PM from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Tonight around 9:50 I visited the Wincustomize "newest" page. At the top was a banner ad for Cell phone "ringtones". As I slid my cursor across the ad (I did not left or right click) Windows download dialog asked what I wanted to do with this file, open or save to disk. Just to be sure I didn't accidentally click my mouse I tried it several more times, each time it instigated an immediate download.
I understand the need for advertising revenue, as much as I don't like ad's, I'd rather the website be kept alive by advertising, than to have it shut down for the lack of $. What I don't understand is Wincustomize dealing with sleazy businesses that want to load our computers with software that we didn't request. It's just not the style I have become used to from this website.
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Reppiks
ALMonty
Join Date 01/2002
+242
Reply #1 September 15, 2005 9:29:58 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I was wondering the same thing, it did the same thing to me on music ringtones. I thought being a subscriber you didn't have to deal with banner adds.
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Bichur
Join Date 10/2003
+253
Reply #2 September 15, 2005 9:31:06 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I saw the ringtone one in FF, a different one in IE but neither one attacked me.
but i had to log out to see them
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Reppiks
Reppiks
Join Date 12/2002
+9
Reply #3 September 15, 2005 9:37:06 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I was already logged in. Like I said, if we need the ads to support the site, so be it. But not malicious practices like this.
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Reppiks
mrbiotech
Join Date 11/2002
0
Reply #4 September 17, 2005 9:34:03 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
It's almost as annoying as all the ad-words that appear magically in posted articles here. Even the stuff we type inadvertantly becomes an advertisement. Don't click the "Download," "dialog", or "cell phone" links in the above message: I guarantee that Reppiks didn't insert those links, but someone's aiming to make money off your articles.
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NightTrainthedark
Join Date 07/2003
+255
Reply #5 September 17, 2005 9:49:29 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
As a subscriber I don't see anything.
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Jafo
Join Date 03/2001
+1845 sdemployee
Reply #6 September 17, 2005 10:41:11 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Access Class: Journeyman (4)
User Level: Subscriber (5)
Reppiks...at that 'level' you won't see any ads...unless there's a temporary bug...or you're logged out....
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47songs
Join Date 12/2003
+4
Reply #7 September 17, 2005 11:11:04 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I'm a subscriber and I get the ads, too. Must be a bug in the system.
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Reppiks
Reppiks
Join Date 12/2002
+9
Reply #8 September 17, 2005 1:24:54 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Jafo, it may be a bug since I'm logged in. Still I think it's out of character for WinCustomize to have adds that start a download automaticly without clicking on them. But thanks for the come-back any how.
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Black Xero
Join Date 10/2001
+21
Reply #9 September 17, 2005 1:41:27 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Had the same problem .. but it seems fixed now
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ama02
Join Date 05/2002
+11
Reply #10 September 17, 2005 2:05:17 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I'm still seeing the banner ad at the top, and text ads at the bottom, of the Newest page. I'm always logged in.
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eieio
Join Date 03/2003
+52
Reply #11 September 17, 2005 2:16:00 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Periodically, the ads show up even for logged in subscribers. It's a bug that was acknowledged some time ago and, to the best of my knowledge, is being worked on. It was stated, as well, that WC is not purposefully serving ads to subscribers.

As far as the automatic downloads, it was also pointed out some time ago that WC uses some type of ad service that rotates various ads from a continually changing queue. It sounds like the ad service WC uses has, once again, let someone a bit shady in the pool.
I say once again, because something similar to this happened a while back and it was corrected by contacting the ad server and alerting them to the problem. I believe it was KarmaGirl that took care of it before, if memory serves.
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Reppiks
Join Date 12/2002
+9
Reply #12 September 17, 2005 3:56:20 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I'm glad the ad server situation will be addressed. As far as the ads showing up from time to time, who would have thunk, a windows bassed system having a glich! Thanks Jafo and Pictoraus.
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Frogboy
Join Date 03/2001
+2419 sdemperor
Reply #13 September 17, 2005 6:09:50 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

I've sent a note to the team to make sure this gets fixed asap.

I'm not seeing ads though.

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Lantec
Join Date 07/2003
+346 wcwizop
Reply #14 September 17, 2005 9:36:08 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I'm not seeing ads though.


This is the Gallery page Saturday Night 10:35 EST
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Reppiks
Reppiks
Join Date 12/2002
+9
Reply #15 September 18, 2005 9:22:15 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
One extra note for the Admin's., I noticed in the screenshot it's the Opera browser. I have had the ads showw up using IE, Maxthon, and Firefox. But it is not every time I visit the site, and I always show as logged in.
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Fuzzy Logic
Join Date 05/2002
+493
Reply #16 September 18, 2005 9:55:29 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Looks like a cookie problem to me. Logout, close your browser, find and delete all WinCustomize cookies, then open your browser and login. Should be ok then
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Erk.
Join Date 10/2003
+77
Reply #17 September 18, 2005 10:34:31 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I get the ads whilst logged in, have been for about a week now, but they don't bother me much ...as I don't get the auto-download if I mouseover them.

That said though, I'd rather they weren't there.

I only see them on the gallery page, and they don't effect the page loading time ...so if they stay, so be it I guess.

I thought it originally might have been a cookie problem, so I did as Fuzzy suggested above [a few days ago] ...no joy.
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kona0197
Join Date 02/2003
+86
Reply #18 September 18, 2005 12:37:17 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Lantec - what skin are you using?
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Lantec
Join Date 07/2003
+346 wcwizop
Reply #19 September 18, 2005 1:19:07 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Kona, it's DogmaX3. An excellent update by Brewman.
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Reppiks
Join Date 12/2002
+9
Reply #20 September 18, 2005 2:16:26 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I tried resetting my cookies, burned the first batch, second reset didnt work either, using Kol's 5203 skin.
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eieio
Join Date 03/2003
+52
Reply #21 September 18, 2005 3:05:52 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I don't believe it is a cookie problem. This is just anecdotal evidence, but I believe it is a problem with rendering the pages and a database link. Whenever I have seen the ads, which is very infrequent, they have always been on pages that took a very long time to load. Occasionally, I have also gotten pages that don't have me logged in at all as well as the ads, but always after an extremely long wait for the page to load. Usually, later in the same session, everything is back to normal (pages loading quickly and no ads); without doing any cookie cleaning or other maintenance procedures.

Not exactly foolproof troubleshooting, but maybe helpful to the nuts and bolts guys.
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Sleeping Dragon
Join Date 03/2004
0
Reply #22 September 18, 2005 4:16:59 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
I like cookies, with milk of course.

I get ads continially with a clean cache and cookies removed. Site issue, for sure.
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Jafo
Join Date 03/2001
+1845 sdemployee
Reply #23 September 18, 2005 7:45:34 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
#6 and #13 covers it....no need to go cookie burning......[yet].....
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T-Man
Join Date 03/2001
+76 sdemployee
Reply #24 September 19, 2005 9:08:00 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

I've cleaned up some of our code that was caching ads (which was causing them to be displayed when they shouldn't) so if you are a subscriber you shouldn't be seeing those ads any more.  Also I have contacted our Ad Services to make sure that they are not serving up any ads that try to automatically install any software.

If you still are seeing ads when you shouldn't be or a malicous ad please let me know.

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ama02
Join Date 05/2002
+11
Reply #25 September 19, 2005 1:28:30 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums
Thanks T-Man!
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