Google Anomaly or IE bug? - link to "ads.htm" is not visible

[doughayman]

Ok guys,

Here's a real stumper. I think this is an IE bug, but Google doesn't handle it either. Can anyone explain the following:

I have a linked page on one of my websites:

<A HREF="http://www.domain.com/ads.htm">text</A>

where domain = my domain
text = My anchor text
ads.htm = The specific name of a page (i.e., ads.htm)

I create a page that just contains the above HREF. When I try to render that page in my browser I.E. (V6.0.2800.1106), the link DOES NOT appear. If I change "ads.htm" to "ads2.htm", then the link appears on the screen. Further, Google has indexed this page (ads.htm), but the Title (and its anchor link) also does not appear in the indices.

Does anyone know if there is any significance to a page named "ads.htm"? Alternatively, could this be a function of my webserver (O'Reilly and Associates' "Website")?

[tedster]

My first suspicion would be neither Google nor IE, but some other ad-blocking application (Norton?)

[edited by: tedster at 12:36 am (utc) on Jan. 5, 2007]

[doughayman]

Tedster,

I ran this test on one of my GoDaddy sites (Windows-based, but unsure of the webserver used), and the same problem manifested.

Your thought is a good one, but I disabled all my Norton stuff on my end, and it still manifests.

Google is having problems rendering my Title as anchor text, in my index listing.

Very bizarre huh? You can try and recreate this problem on your server by just adding the aforementioned 1 line HREF.

[jatar_k]

it is still Norton (good luck actually turning that monster off)

[webmasterworld.com...]

it is the word ads in the link

[doughayman]

OK jatar, thanks for that link post. Very poor job by Norton to assume that certain nomenclature should automatically get blocked. I turned VERYTHING on Norton off, but still have the problem.

I have an unused Godaddy domain that doesn't have anything in it. Can someone check for me to see if a link is rendered? It would help substantiate the above posts.

[edited by: tedster at 1:35 am (utc) on Jan. 5, 2007]

[dazzlindonna]

yes, i see the link fine. i'd bet lots of money that norton is your problem (or some other program doing the same type of thing)

[Leosghost]

opera 9.01 running on W98II ..no norton ( ever ) ..
your link on that page appears ..

HTH :)

you can only really disable norton by doing disinstall.. then cleaning the reg ..then minutely examining the reg ..then removing what it left ( or it will try to reinstall on reboot ) ..

search for how to totally disinstall norton ..

then when it is clean using a real AV ..that doesnt try to decide where you want to go ..

[edited by: Leosghost at 1:34 am (utc) on Jan. 5, 2007]

[doughayman]

OK gang, thanks for solving this mystery, and verifying the link.

That explains my Google anomoly as well, I suppose.....