Vanity: How to Stop Drudge Report Pop-Ups without Installing Anything Special on Windows.

[frogboy]

Hello. I mostly lurk, and I visit infrequently unless elections are heating up. I apologize if my post is inappropriate, I know vanity posts are discouraged. If I'm out of line, please report my thread, delete it, smack me down as appropriate.

I work on computers for a living, and have been really disgusted with the number and frequency of annoying pop up ads on Drudge. They get past IE's integrated blocker. They get past the Google toolbar. I don't want to install another browser or take heroic measures to browse in peace. If Mr. Drudge asked me to support his sponsor, I'd do it. What I will not do is chase down pop ups all day long.

I got fed up with it yesterday, and figured out how to outsmart drudge report pop-ups. It's easy; I just never thought to do it.

Anyway, here's how to block Drudge pops on IE 6.0.x and Windows XP sp2 without installing anything special.

1. Click Tools.

2. Click Internet Options.

3. Click the Security Tab.

4. Click the 'Restricted Sites' icon.

5. Click the 'Sites...' button.

6. In the 'Add this website to the zone' field, type WWW.DRUDGEREPORT.COM, click ADD, then click OK, and then click OK.

I posted this on a few blogs yesterday, thought I'd post it here today. The site is abusing scripts to serve pop unders. Adding the site to restricted sites still allows basic HTML, but forbids these other scripting shenanigans.

Thanks kindly for your time.

Frogboy AKA Dad @ TeamXbox.com

PS. To the site operators, God bless your work.

[Mr. Mojo]

The pop-up blocker that comes with my (Safari) browser blocks pop-ups from just about everywhere....

.....except Drudge.

[solitas]

Are the popups from Drudge, or another ad server? (I'm using Firefox, so popups aren't a problem)

[derheimwill]

Three words: Firefox, Firefox, Firefox!

[MacDorcha]

(Or Avant)

[RockinRight]

I live Firefox. However, some of the websites I use at work only work with Internet Exploder...er, Explorer so I have to use IE still...

[Aggie Mama]

I wonder if Drudge's traffic has seen a decrease since his aggressive pop-up use. I rarely go to his website--I used to go several times a day. It's not worth the hassle.

[frogboy]

The ads come from a different server on the internet, but they are called from the Drudge site.

I realize Firefox does not have this problem. The reason why is another matter, and I really don't want to turn this into a 'who's got the better browser' fiasco.

I simply wanted to share what I figured out, as not everyone wants to download and use a third-party browser. I was rather pleased with myself, and a little disgusted with myself that I'd been putting up with it all these months.

[XXXXX88XXXXX]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't bother to go to Drudge's site anymore precisely because of the pop-ups/spyware issues associated with it. If and when he puts up anything important, I can rest assured that it'll be posted here on FR soon thereafter.

[Holicheese]

The first pop up always freezes my system. I never go there anymore.

[solitas]

I'm not into 'better browser' wars either - people use what they will use.

I'm not familiar-enough with XP - is it pretty easy to add to its 'hosts' file?

[Ganndy]

Are the popups from Drudge, or another ad server? (I'm using Firefox, so popups aren't a problem)

I use Firefox as well, but Occasionaly pop-ups do get by my scripts in Firefox, when logging on to Drudge.
I refuse to use IE, there are sooo many popups, its not worth the hassle. (No, I don't keep updated with XP.) I kept up with XP last year, spyware still got through...reloaded Old version of XP...no problem since! Knock on wood

OUT

[frogboy]

A hosts file would have to be constantly updated and revised. Tribal fusion serves most drudge pops, but ad servers make a habit of rotating DNS and IP information to avoid this type of problem.

In addition, setting a host file to 127.0.0.1 still pops a window, even if it's blank. I just wanted to browse in peace. :-)

[Dashing Dasher]

I use Firefox until I run into one of those websites that doesn't work - then - I open an IE window.

When I'm done with that site - right back to Firefox.

[Altair333]

Thank you very much for this tip- just tried it and it worked great!

[Condor51]

Thanks,
The pop-up were driving me crazy. And they still came up with Firefox, until I just changed those settings too.

Thanks again!

[frogboy]

You are all very welcome.

[girlscout]

Thanks!

[Altair333]

"Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't bother to go to Drudge's site anymore precisely because of the pop-ups/spyware issues associated with it."

Yeah, well, follow his suggestion and you won't get any more popups or spyware.

[Revelation 911]

Ive stopped visiting his site for this reason - its obnoxious and makes the site completely unusable