Popups?

[stinkyllama]

I was just wondering if anyone is having problem with popups while browsing the Neopets site. I have a pretty reliable popup blocker yet I get these annoying popups while I'm browsing Neopets--and even worse when I'm playing games (not cool when you're trying to get high scores for WC).

This just started recently...like maybe in the past few days and I haven't really been elsewhere on the web (except for here) so I don't know where else they could be coming from. My sister's computer is having the same problem as well...

Is this just us or a pestering festering problem?

EDIT: Oh yeah, and it's not like it's a constant attack like in "Advert Attack"...just randomly at inopportune times.

[Machiito]

Have you tried scanning your system for Adware? Some could have been downloaded onto your computer thanks to one of those nasty banner ads.. like if you accidently clicked on one or something.

[Gemhustler]

I've been having the same problem and it just started. The one that I remember is the survey pop up that goes with the survey top ad .. hope it's just something wonky on my computer and not actual pop ups on Neo.

[everconfused]

If, after you run your a/v and spyware software, you're still getting pop-ups on Neo and especially in the case of seeing a survey in the top banner ad with a matching pop-up, take a screenie, also if you can view source to see where the ad came from.

There's a separate place under Contact Us where you can report inappropriate ads. There have been a few pop-ups before, but when TNT finds out about them, they do get rid of them. The view source can help identify the ad company. If you don't have that, at least put in the name of the survey and any other info you can in the report.

[Gemhustler]

Finally managed to snag an screen shot of it .. I just need to collect the other info required when I send in my report about this ad.

If you care to see the ad here is a screen shot of it ..

http://www.boomspeed.com/troplagoon/popups.jpg

[Cerise]

I've gotten popups that were related to the neopets ads in the past. I did what most people here suggested...ran adware and reported the popups. It does seem to help, since I havent gotten any sort of popup for a few weeks.

Its quite certain that they ARE from the Neopets site, or at least a Neopets ad. Neopets honestly is the only site I get these popups from, and I do frequent other sites for just as many hours. Also, I dont keep more than two windows open at a time, and only from the same site, for my own silly OCD reasons. Next, the popup often corresponds with a banner or bottom ad on the site.

The popups look similar to the ones Gemhustler screenshot, in their size and overall look.


I understand that its my own computer safeties that might let them come through. I use AOLs browser, keep Norton activated at all times, and run Spy Sweeper's full system scan every few days, but even still, I shouldnt need excellent computer security to block popup's from renegade Neopets ads :/

All things considered, it doesnt bother me very much. Im grateful that getting rid of the not-so-good ads does seem to be a top priority. I only wonder why the Neopets higher-ups cant find a better advertising method than using 'CLICK HERE FOR A FREE PS2!' in bright neon flashing letters.

[Gemhustler]

Yesterday I was hit by a yogurt ad that took over my screen with a bunch of pink yogurt tops I was so shocked I forgot to take a screeny of it .. I will if I get it again though because the page pop up went along with the top banner that was on the page.

We just had to do a hard drive reboot so I know there is nothing stored on my computer as far as spyware goes .. Neo is the only place I have gotten those pop ups.

[Froggy]

I've been getting those annoying "free iPods" pop-ups ads while playing Neopets. I have a good pop-up blocker, no spyware on my computer, I'm using Firefox, and I'm not getting pop-ups anywhere else. :|

[Runevalkyrie]

To be all out honest, there are certain pop-ups that indeed bypass adblocking software (even Firefox.) If these do occur, they need to be reported to Neopets so they can be removed.

[succubusxo]

Erghh... I still remember when neopets had only 2 other worlds other than neopia and no pop ups at all... the good old days... when everything was good and simple... *sigh*

[jrtman]

To be all out honest, there are certain pop-ups that indeed bypass adblocking software (even Firefox.) If these do occur, they need to be reported to Neopets so they can be removed.

Yeah, the Firefox popup blocker (if you can even call it that) sucks. 85% of the popups get through and some of the time the popups open before they get closed... useless to say the least.

[atomicblonde]

Yesterday I was hit by a yogurt ad that took over my screen with a bunch of pink yogurt tops I was so shocked I forgot to take a screeny of it .. I will if I get it again though because the page pop up went along with the top banner that was on the page.

Oh yes, that one is very annoying. I'm getting the other popups as well (and Neo was the only site I was surfing, and my system is squeaky clean). The best we can do is report them and hope they get removed.

[labbiedor]

I'm using IE, and I rarely ever get pop-ups. If I do, my pop-up blocker stops it. I have never gotten one that has actually gotten through (on Neo), but it notifies me that it blocked one.

[luv2lindy77]

I use Firefox with Adblock (found on the Mozilla.org site). If you can block the in-page ads, like I do, it will stop the popups that came from those ads. I virtually never see any ads anymore. It will take a day or two (of blocking ads when you get them) to block all the most common ad agencies for Neopets, and a good week or more to block the most common ones for other places on the web. After that, you'll rarely see obnoxious ads and will get very few popups. That reduces the chance of spyware/adware/malware getting installed on your system, too. ^_^

[dolphinling]

To be all out honest, there are certain pop-ups that indeed bypass adblocking software (even Firefox.) If these do occur, they need to be reported to Neopets so they can be removed.

Yeah, the Firefox popup blocker (if you can even call it that) sucks. 85% of the popups get through and some of the time the popups open before they get closed... useless to say the least.

jrtman: That's very strange, I haven't gotten a single popup in Firefox in literally over 3 months. There's only one cause I can think of off the top of my head: are you sure your version of Firefox is up to date? There was a hole in, IIRC, 1.0.1 and earlier that let some through. The current version is 1.0.7. If you're not using the latest version, you should upgrade IMMEDIATELY, for other reasons.

To everyone else: Are your popups flash popups or actual popup windows? You can tell by looking at the top: if they have the same title bar and minimize/maximize/close buttons as most programs, they're windows. If they have a "special" close button, they're flash popups*.

If they're normal windows, there's a couple places they could come from. It could be adware, it could be the ads on neopets. (Flash can cause its own special popups or normal popup windows.)

To get rid of them, the first thing to do is make sure your computer doesn't have any spyware or adware. IF you're certain it doesn't, make sure you have the latest version of your browser. For Firefox I know this is 1.0.7, Opera I believe is 8.5 and Safari 2.0.(1? 2?). Those two steps should stop all popups from appearing.

If you're on Internet Explorer, MSN, or AOL (the last two are based on the first), I can't help you. I suggest you switch to Firefox.

* On other sites, they could be javascript popups, but not on neopets.