concentrated adblock?
February 20, 2011 4:09 AM Subscribe
A disgusting Google ad is popping up on nearly every website I visit. Is there any way to make it stop?
A few days ago I started noticing a really repulsive Google ad, featuring an extreme close-up of some very nasty acne. Now it shows up on virtually every site I visit that has Google ads with images. It's REALLY uncomfortable to look at and I constantly find myself adjusting the window to hide it. Other than installing Adblock (which I don't want to do because I like ads) is there anything I can do to stop this ad? I use Google Chrome, am always logged in to Gmail, and it's a country-specific ad.
A few days ago I started noticing a really repulsive Google ad, featuring an extreme close-up of some very nasty acne. Now it shows up on virtually every site I visit that has Google ads with images. It's REALLY uncomfortable to look at and I constantly find myself adjusting the window to hide it. Other than installing Adblock (which I don't want to do because I like ads) is there anything I can do to stop this ad? I use Google Chrome, am always logged in to Gmail, and it's a country-specific ad.
Perhaps change your Google ad preferences?
If that doesn't work, you could try dumping your cookies to remove the ad tracking.
posted by fennokin at 4:53 AM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
If that doesn't work, you could try dumping your cookies to remove the ad tracking.
posted by fennokin at 4:53 AM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Run a bunch of google queries on a concentrated topic, like home projectors. Google will creepily take note and start serving you themed ads.
posted by thejoshu at 4:54 AM on February 20, 2011
posted by thejoshu at 4:54 AM on February 20, 2011
1. Right click on the URL to get the URL of the ad.
2. Open up your hosts file, which I believe on Windows yo will find at %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\
3. Add the following to the file.
4. 127.0.0.1 URL of ad
5. Save and close hosts file
I'm not sure if you'll need a reboot or not for it to take effect. That should block the ad without you needing to install anything else.
posted by COD at 6:10 AM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
2. Open up your hosts file, which I believe on Windows yo will find at %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\
3. Add the following to the file.
4. 127.0.0.1 URL of ad
5. Save and close hosts file
I'm not sure if you'll need a reboot or not for it to take effect. That should block the ad without you needing to install anything else.
posted by COD at 6:10 AM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ugh - right click on the ad. You know what I mean, hopefully.
posted by COD at 6:10 AM on February 20, 2011
posted by COD at 6:10 AM on February 20, 2011
Best answer: I use adblock the way teraspawn suggests, it's easy and doesn't get rid of the (very occasional) ads that I actually find interesting. You can either use it to get rid of individual images you don't like (this acne thing, for me some horribly high-speed animated usericons on a message board), or if you find yourself getting repeatedly annoyed by related things (there is no way that pixelated boobies are gong to make me interested in anyone's free online game, so stop it with all the different variations) you can choose to block content from a larger area (looking at my preferences, I don't see anything from dashboardad.net or cdn.fastclick.net any more), and you can always change it back if you change your mind.
posted by Lebannen at 7:36 AM on February 20, 2011
posted by Lebannen at 7:36 AM on February 20, 2011
I just downloaded Adblock Chrome and it is working beautifully. Seconding that suggestion.
I also want to make out with samsara for letting me know it exists.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:21 AM on February 21, 2011
I also want to make out with samsara for letting me know it exists.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:21 AM on February 21, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by teraspawn at 4:20 AM on February 20, 2011 [3 favorites]