New Features *thumbs down*

[Fruss Tray Ted]

What's with these links to AMD scattered in many of the threads I visit?

They are seriously s-l-o-w-i-n-g d--o--w--n my browsing. The threads open up, graphics load but the page is frozen solid for varying times but it seems an average of 10 seconds or so on my box. :( Ugghh!

Is there any way we can turn it off? They all go to the same site anyway... :confused:

[Steve]

http://dc.kontera.com/PublisherExplanation/Explanation?pid=227

I guess it's just Charle's need to generate a little cash. The site doesn't run for free. Unfortunate but the guy's got to do what he's got to do...

[Steve]

From just a quick test, it looks like turning off javascript turns the ads off... ;)

[Budfred]

FireFox popped up a window on this page saying that the script was causing FireFox to run slowly and asking if I wanted to turn it off... I said "Yes" and it appears I am back to normal... I doubt Charles knows about this because I doubt he would tolerate it... It is a little too aggressive for an ad...

[jlreich]

Seems like it almost freezes the screen while it is loading. :( Can't do anything while it is loading.

[Steve]

Just shut off the javascript and all will be well.
I doubt Charles knows about this
Holy sh*t! I'd hate to think this could happen without his knowing about it...

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Turn off Java? Heck, I'm not sure I installed Sun Java correctly in the first place and I also doubt I have the latest version! Needless to say, this site has slowed down in any thread that has a keyword the advertizers want to utilize and it's annoying as ****!!! I've never seen it this bad! You can't expect the average browser (person) to stroll in here with Java already disabled.

I'm sure (hoping) Charles will see the effect and make some changes in the approach or format of the sponsor soon, maybe somebody needs to go shake the ladder leaning against his house to get his attention. ;) Mrs ixl said, "ixl honey, now come on in the house darlin', dinner's ready and people are screaming for your attention, dear"... ;) She adds, "Or else they said they are threatening to cut that ladder down like a tree". :D

I've seen these hotlink key words on several sites but I don't recall their freezing the page loads like this.

Just a short time ago there was a thing (glitch) with FireFox but he found that and all was well anyway, now this.

All we can do for now is twiddle thumbs, bug the dog, chew fingernails, pick our tooth, uh,,, wait. :o

[Steve]

FTT, there's a world of difference between Java and javascript. Both IE and Firefox have settings to easily disable javascript. Give it a try. You might like it. ;)

[jlreich]

Turning off Javascript does the trick. ;) Thanks Steve. :) You have to put in smilies manually though. :(

[PrntRhd]

The Kontera stuff has to go, my forum jump stopped working now.

[Budfred]

There are a number of functions that don't work without JavaScript and it is a real pain trying to do Mod duties without it...

I believe I remember reading about this pest... It is a site hijacker that does this keyword advertising if I remember... It means that ixl will probably need to do some digging to kill it...

[bassman]

I know Charles has been notified by now, and I know this has been addressed several times since last night but, I just wanted to say, "It appears to be getting worse this morning"! I noticed it last night and thought it came from the poster of the thread I saw it on. Started to notify mods but someone rattled my cage so I lost focus :rolleyes:
I am now seeing multipul links in every thread I go to. I am willing to bet that if enough of us were to contact AMD (http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/AboutAMD/0,,51_52_3592_712,00.html#email), (I put this link in here) , they might respond to the person('s) responsable. I doubt they want their name associated in this manner ;)

EDIT, don't use the link above for AMD, it does not go to an acurate e-mail source. I will find the correct e-mail link and post that soon. If anyone else has something here, ;)

[Steve]

If you go to the Kontera site, it seems like just another contextual advertising business. I'd be surprised if it turned out to be a website hijack. Why would a hijacker be advertising AMD? Many sites are using this form of advertising to increase revenue. It's been around for quite a while. This form of advertising has been in use on a couple of other forums that I frequent for some time now.

[bassman]

I agree completely. This may not fall under the exact description of "Highjacking", but it certainly should come under the same scrutiny as any other jerk coming here simply to post a link to their wares. These links do not truly fall into the classification as “spam”, but that is what we call it.
If Charles is unaware this is happening (or at least approved it in some manner), I think it needs to be dealt with, with extreme prejudice. These links to the AMD event are causing site performance problems at the very minimum. What will be the next step in their interaction?

I’m still working on a link. It seems AMD is not willing to give out information on how to contact anyone of importance if you have a problem with something of this nature :rolleyes:

[jlreich]

I can understand if Charles did this to generate some extra cash for the site. Thing is, as mentioned already it is causing major slow downs, and loss of functionality. I can't use the "thread tools" or "forum jump" anymore, with or without Javascript enabled. Makes it very unpleasant to move around the site. :(

[pop pop]

My turn to chime in. This method of advertising is used on quite a number sites I visit--Tom's Hardware, for example. There are some subtle differences. The links at Tom's are in articles, generally reviews, so you really might not be surprised to see adverts scattered in them. Charles does need cash flow. Charles does have overt adverts.

Here, the adverts are surreptitiously thrown into our posts. In effect our posts get hijacked. The adverts are not germain to the topic of discussion--e.g., the last one I looked at was about ATI and nVidea graphics, the ad was AMD. The whole deception thing galls me. If I see what looks like a link in a post, I assume the poster put it there--WHOOPS! I got fooled and redirected. Wasn't that slick?

I don't know about you guys, but I liked the limited ads here and I liked the ban on spamming. In one sense this is spam and in another it is not. It is because if I start a thread, I sort of consider it mine. It's no longer mine when it becomes a billboard for advertisers.

Now, I know there is only freedom of the press if you own the press--Charles has said exactly that before. But this is sort of analogous to the "AOL owns whatever you type when using their products and they can do whatever they want with it in any way they want". Fair enough.

I'm a capitalist and I want all business ventures to succeed. But I come here for tech/geek discourse, not to be irritated by ads. If I want or need to search for products or events, I would rather do it myself and I would rather do it somewhere else.

One final thought on my rant..this feels like an invasion. Once the lunatics get through the gates, where will they stop? They'll only stop if stopped--either by action (Charles) or by the destruction of the medium (the Forum). The destruction I refer to is like spyware and adware taking over a PC and rendering it incapable of performing its intended function. Isn't that part of what we're all about here? Fighting and stopping that sort of stuff?

Bottom line--I hate it.

[John0904]

Is there any way we can turn it off? They all go to the same site anyway... :confused:
The PC Guide "Tip Jar" (http://www.pcguide.com/tipjar.htm) :D

I can understand Charles dilemma though.
Better site = more traffic = more bandwidth = more $$$ to operate web site.
At the very least, he has to break even. :)

[pop pop]

I can understand Charles dilemma though.

So can I. But There's a better solution. There has to be.

If not...just go all the way. Let's have pop-ups, pop-unders, dancing banners that move with your mouse... how about ads for free spyware/adware scans by SpywareStormer inserted into each thread?

Sorry--I'm ticked and I'll stop for good now.

Later

[Budfred]

If Charles had anything to do with this, I am sure he will admit it... In the meanwhile, I urge people to withhold blame... I am still convinced this is a highjack and that it isn't directly sponsored by ~AMD~ either... This is different than the usual way that words are hot linked in articles and I am pretty sure it is an attack... If Charles says he was responsible, I will be wrong and surprised, but I suggest we wait until we hear from him before we prosecute...

[jlreich]

Just checked and it is in the PcGuide itself as well. :( Took a quick look at curevents(ixl's other forum), and it doesn't seem to be there as far as I can tell.

If Charles did this, as pop pop said, there has to be a better way. If this is a hijack, then it is time to get the shootin' iron out! :mad:

[ixl]

Hi everyone,

My apologies for this. It was indeed something I did... I was contacted by a company that said this code would create unobtrusive text links that could generate a bit more income without causing any interference to site users. Clearly they were wrong.

I am out of town and nobody emailed me so I didn't know. I have removed the code and everything should be back to normal.

I apologize again for the inconvenience. --c

[ixl]

Is this causing problems for people only on the forums or when using the regular site too? Thanks. --c

[jlreich]

Thanks for taking care of that ixl. :)

It doesn't seem to slow things down on the regular site, only here. I browsed for a few in the guide and it seems to be fine.

Maybe it is time for some of us to visit the tip jar. ;)

[Paul Komski]

FYI Still getting scripting errors showing up and things like "Thread Tools" just do not function properly.

[ixl]

No need to visit the tip jar but thanks for the thought. :)

The idea behind putting them here was mostly for lurkers to be able to see them -- 90% of the people on at any given time are lurkers. But they don't seem to work well on the forums. I'll talk with the folks there.

Again sorry all... --c

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Ah, Out of town aye, I thought you were on a ladder fixing a hole where the rain gets in...(will it ever stop?)

You mean this isn't the 'regular' site? Ohhh, you mean that site. I just looked and it's not bad and it doesn't seem to be in the certiguide but just the main pcguide pages which is quite tolerable there.

Thanks for fixing it.

[ixl]

Try it now, Paul.

I think I know what happened here -- I accidentally mangled two of the templates on the site while implementing those tags. I think this may not actually be a fault of the code, but rather a side-effect as a result of my moving the code between templates.

That will teach me not to mess with things when I don't have the time to fully concentrate on what I am doing and then test it all properly.

Again, my apologies. --c

[jlreich]

Everything seems to work fine now. :D Thanks again ixl.

[ixl]

Okay good thanks. --c

[Budfred]

Thanks for fixing it... :D :D

It is working much better now.... :cool:

[ixl]

Just so everyone knows, I have re-enabled these word ad links as another test... but they are ONLY turned on for guests. Anyone who is registered and logged in should not see them.

Please let me know ASAP if anything untowards should occur... thanks.

c

[pentachris]

Well, I just logged off and browsed around for a few minutes. The links are very unobtrusive, load fairly quick, there are only about 5 or 6 per page and they're not even loading on every page.

Any Tom's Hardware page that has Intellitxt links has a "What's with the funny green links" notice in the sidebar that links to an explanation page. Go here (http://www.tomshardware.com/consumer/20050510/index.html), for example and find it near the top of the left sidebar. Maybe you should do something similar, explaining that they are deactivated for members just in case someone might use that as a deciding factor in whether or not to sign up.

[i an not a nerd]

Hmm, just for guests eh? That sounds resonable. I don't understand how there are 172 guest signed in and only 7 members. I mean, what could those guests possibly be doing?

[Budfred]

They are often reading advice that has been given for problems that are the same or similar to their own... If the answer is already here, why register and ask the question...

Also, I will check out the forum during my work day will signing in since I don't really have time to respond to posts anyway... That way I get a chance to catch up on what is happening and save time when I get home, but it shows me as a guest during those visits...

[Fruss Tray Ted]

I never log out, so at home I click on the link and I''m already logged in. When I'm on another pc or not at home, I enter my password right away and log on. If I don't, I lose the 'new posts' feature and have to look at the day or time of, to figure where I'd left off.

I'd rather not be able to have time to read all the new posts at a remote machine, then later have to backtrack, rather than not being logged in and ready to post if I want. In other words, I prefer to be logged in so I can see the new activity and if I don't read them all, it's easy enough later on to go back a bit. Sometimes there's posts that get by me but 'que sera' (whatever will be or oh, well ;)).

But for the 'onlookers', we should hope Charles does look into Tom's Hardware and other sites that use them because I didn't notice those sites slowing down my browsing as I did here and if he needs to make a slight adjustment to make it a more pleasurable search for the non- -logged in or -registered peeps, all the better. I thought the way it was seemed a bit annoying and I wouldn't want it to distract people from posting or using the site in general.

Heck, for a moment there, I thought I was back on dial-up! :eek: Lord, Heaven forbid!!! :D