Petition to Stop Linked Keyword Advertisements
 

I don't know if I'm the only one who's annoyed by this (or if I'm the only one seeing them!) but a month or two ago 1src started selling linked keywords to advertisers here in the discussion forums, and it really bugs me.

I know that 1src needs to make money - we all do. But the problem is that these linked words look very similar to links that WE put in our posts to help others out. So for instance in a recent post I linked some words like "check AOL" to point a user to a help-page, but in the same post some of my words were linked to advertisers. Confusing for the poor sod who may have clicked on the ads, and then been scared to click on the link that I put in.

IMO it's one thing for a site to sell advertising on the side, but it's another thing entirely for them to sell ads on MY WORDS, which I never agreed to.

If 1src continues to sell ads on things that I write, I'm leaving.

Who's with me?

I always make my links http://www.1src.com like this. I haven't been bothered by them and most of the time I don't even realize they are there except to the differnet color and the underline. I've seen these in other places too. The links are notably different as the advertisement is double underlined and a different color.

Perhaps a note to users that there are advertisements that help support the service that 1src provides to us that way this doesn't happen in the future. i didn't even think there could have been any confusion :)

They bother me too. I`ve disabled the advertising from 80% of the browsers/computers I use to surf 1src, but they still annoy the heck out of me.

Yes. Those green word ads are sooo annoying!

Disable them by blocking *intellitxt* in Adblock if you have Mozilla Firefox.

Umm, maybe I'm missing something, but I've seen none of the words you guys are describing, and I've come back to haunt this forum a bit over the past few weeks. I'm using Firefox on Linux and Solaris, for what it's worth... what you're describing sounds an awful lot like spyware.

You're seeing the links right in the forum posts, right? Because I don't see any of them.

Maybe you should check your computers out before you jump the gun.

It's definitely not spyware. I've Ad-Aware scanned, spybot scanned and even Norton scanned my PC and it's a very clean PC. Check these out for more info. on this "embedded advertising":

http://www.alwayson-network.com/com...d=P3553_0_8_0_C

http://www.embedded.com/whatisIntelliTXT.htm


Maybe you should do a little research before you "jump the gun".

They don't show up when I use linux + firefox, they do when I use windows + firefox. It's not spyware, but a very intrusive way of advertising. I've blocked them also with adware.

I also find it really annoying. I thought it was just me who felt this way, glad to see I'm not the only one!

I agree, it would be nice if we had the option to disable them.

I use Internet Expolorer 6.1, and I'm not aware of any way to turn them off.

If you wish to complain directly to the company which created IntelliTXT, go to this website http://lmcd.us.intellitxt.com/whati...TXT.asp?ipid=14#, and look on the upper right corner of the webpage for customer feedback.

I hope I don't get banned for writing this.

Intellitxt uses Javascript to search for certain keywords, and then hightlight them. No software is installed on your machine, and this is why you only see these green highlights on certain pages.

I disabled Intellitxt found on websites like Tomshardware, but it appears Intellitxt is adding new servers. I'll just have to keep up with them.

Here is what you need to do to remove the ads:

Open your HOSTS file, and edit it. If you are using Windows, the HOSTS file can be found in C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc.
Add the following line to the end of your hosts file:
127.0.0.1 tribal.us.intellitxt.com

What happens here? Normally, your computer looks to it's internal HOSTS file to see how it should translate a URL into an IP address. If there is no entry, it goes out to the web and performs some magic to get the translation. Since we've entered the URL with an address of our very own computer, the link is quickly ignored, and the advertising doesn't show up.

What browsers does the HOSTS file affect? Every one of them. I've gotten intellitxt ads on everything but Mozilla, but only on a Windows machine. This method will work for you, regardless of your browser.

I've used this method to get rid of annoying porn popups, flashy GIF ads, etc. My hosts file is probably 3000 lines long, and available to any who ask.

Now let's see how benevolent our moderators are.

My main problem with these ads is the search java applet which slows my mozilla down to a crawl...

Tam,
Read the post just above yours. It tells you exactly what to do in order to fix the problem. It should take no longer than 10 minutes. You don't even need to close your browser or restart your computer.

Hey it works too!

Thanks a lot

Giles

My answer is: Get a decent browser!

IE? Noway. Firefox? Don't make me laugh! Opera is the only browser worth using! Security through incompatibility! :D

(Yes, this is a tongue-in-cheek post before any fanboys start a flamewar :D)

I don't experience this problem since I switched to FireFox.
I'll still support 1SRC though.

1Src are actually in violation of Google's terms of service for their Google ads because of the fact they use Intellitext. Google AdSense's rules state:

"We do not permit Google ads or search boxes accessing Google search services to be published on web pages that also contain what could be considered competing ads or services. This would include ads that mimic Google ads or otherwise appear to be associated with Google on your site. If you have elected to receive content-based Google ads, this would also include all other content-targeted ads."

The Google ads on this site are content-based (they use the content of the page to determine what ads are served), and so are Intellitext's ads. Hence either one or the other has to go... My vote is for Intellitext, which I am forced to block through my browser since it locks my entire browser up for 1-2 seconds on every page view otherwise.

This is getting too annoying. Recently, I've been getting these pages that have an ad and the link "skip this ad" at the top right. Also, when I visit the front page of 1src. Annoying audio ads keep playing. It's gotten to the point where I just don't want to come here anymore because of the stupid, annoying ads.

Block intellitxt in IE
 

Ok, I go to www.askmen.com alot, great site. Anways, they have Intellitxt too. Here is the solution to disabling it in IE (by the way, security through obscurity is fleeting...)

Tools -> Internet Options

Click the Security tab
Click on Restricted sites
Add the offending website (www.askmen.com in this case)
Click ok
Make sure that the Restricted site is using the Default Level. If it's changed, make sure you disable javascripting.

Now the side effect of this solution is that the entire site is now in lock-down. I don't really care, as I look at the text.

I'm glad I figured this out as I did NOT want to right my own plugin for this.

IE + Adshield = pretty darn good surfing.

Enjoy.

IE= Satan's Helper

Rediscover the web.

EDIT
I'm just kidding. Satan probably has people to do that for him.

Seriously though, I'm a recent convert, and getting ready to switch my office over to FireFox. At least give it a shot.

I have no problems with AdBlock from Firefox. Works well....

I'm now seeing hijacked links while browsing the forums. If you've ever been to any Yahoo Groups, you know what I mean. Randomly (I assume randomly) when you click on a link, say to look at a topic within a forum, you are taken to an ad instead. In the top right corner of the screen is a link to skip the ad, and you are then directed to your original destination.

I can't stand this crap. I don't click on banner ads for a reason. I don't buy things because of some stupid flashy graphic on a web page. I come to this site for information regarding PDAs and nothing more. I do my research for shopping in other ways, but trust me, never through banner adds, hijacked urls, or intellitext crap!

I notice 1SRC hasn't replied to this thread. Interesting. I also find it interesting that they have yet to correct their Google Ad violation by either removing Google Ads or removing Intellitext ads. It's unfortunate that the only way to make money is through advertising that drives away customers. Could you image what the world would be like if every time you stepped out your front door, an ad flew over and hovered two feet in front of your face until you pushed it away?

I agree with stopping the ilnk keyword ads, but doesn't everybody have those links? I'm pretty sure anywhere you go, over 80% of webpages have those annoying keyword ads, whether Google likes it or not. WHy can't they just cut them out copmletely?

I use IE (because I can't stand how long it takes other browsers to load after those damn annoying splash screens - even with a 3.2 GHz HT processor and 1 GB RAM), and I've never experienced the troubles that other people complain about. Plus, installing a new browser takes too effort: I mean, you have to go to the website, download the file, AND install it. Too much work for my big fat lazy butt.

You should check your computer for spyware/adware. AFAIK 1src doesnt do this. The incredibily annoying intelltext links yes, but not the 'click here to contiune' messages.

Keyword adds, banners and the like dont bother me, and I will click them The intellitext are just horrible.

Checked daily. It's not spyware, and it happens on only one other Site, Yahoo Groups, and I've stopped going there because of the ads. Funny, as I'm typing this response, a damned flash pop-up covered the text entry box on the reply form from Verizon. I hate this crap, and I don't see myself coming back to this Site any more. I can't recall a Site with more invasive pop-ups, sidebars, headers, linked text, etc. as I have seen on this Site. I realize that no one is concerned that I am abandoning this Site, but I am. I enjoyed reading the information posted here, but I'm tired of weeding through the crap to get to it.

It's too bad. There are four ad areas on this Site, and the banner ads are bigger than the logo for the Site. Top billing goes to the ads, not the Site. Who runs this Site now, the owners or the ad delivery agents?

I appreciate needing to cover costs associated with maintaining this Site. I understand. What I don't appreciate or intend to tolerate is the invasion of ads. Ads evolve as marketing trends are discovered, and I see the trend shifting to push ads in your way as you browse this Site. You must pay attention to the ad, whether you want to or not. At least that's the theory.

In practice, this will, in my humble opinion, drive people away, quite the oposite of what is undoubtedly desired. Keep the banner ads, fine. Stop forcing me to respond to ads just to read what I want to see.

Yeah, it's not spyware. I've been to this site on many different PC's and almost every time as I'm browsing, I get at least one of those ad pages that tell you to click on the blue link at the top right of the page to continue. I also get these super annoying flash / popups that play audio. They usually have an on/off button and an "x" out button to close them. This is getting to the point where I just don't want to come here anymore. Joel, YellowRose? You guys see this thread? What u gonna do about all this CR@P?

I've just noticed this intellitext stuff today. If somebody would tell me where Adblock is in Mozilla 1.7, I'd love to turn it off. I find it quite annoying!

Adblock is an extention that you have to download. It should work on Mozilla.

I was afraid of that. The only one I found was for Firefox. Something must have changed in the Intellitext stuff because I never used to see this here.

http://adblock.mozdev.org/
It says it's for both Mozilla and Firefox.