Program strips Adsense

[varya]

The new "free" version of Netcaptor completely strips Adsense out of the page.

It also displays its own content-targeted text ads.

[NetCaptor]

JenStar...

I've tried a whole bunch of AdSense sites and can't replicate the reported problem. The block list is not used when NetCaptor is running in free mode, so the fact that the adsense domain is in there should not matter at all. The file should never even be loaded.

Adam

[Jenstar]

It seems to be running the ad blocking by default now - I did not pay for it, my version isn't the Pro version, and it does have the links to pay for it and enter the key. There are also NetCaptor options which are unavailable to me because I do not have the Pro version. I got it from the download.com site using the link found on NetCaptor site. Others reported downloading the browser with the same AdSense-blocking problem today as well.

Not sure why the ad blocking is enabled if it shouldn't be, but I didn't alter any settings when I started surfing around to AdSense sites, and I couldn't find a setting anywhere to change the blocking functionality.

It is a reasonably simple solution to stop NetCaptor from blocking AdSense, but most users probably don't know how to find the block file and edit it. It is that single line in the block file that some publishers have a problem with.

[ThatAdamGuy]

Mr. Stiles,

The reason why your copy of NetCaptor is not blocking AdSense ads is likely because you've upgraded from earlier versions and have customized your block list.

As you know (or should know), new users of Netcaptor 7.5 (free) do not have GUI access to their blocking file, and indeed, it is plainly evident that new blocking files are configured BY DEFAULT to block AdSense.

I'm reproducing my block file for you below, verbatim, with the AdSense part in bold:

$images.salon.com/src/ads/
$www.advantagedatabase.com/
$www.doubleclick.net
$www.google.com*
$www.hitbox.com
*.adforce.com
*.doubleclick.com
*.doubleclick.net
*/ads/
*/banner/
*/banners/
*/smartbanner/
*link4ads.com
adfarm.mediaplex.com
ads*.*.com
ads*.*.net
ads.*.com
ads.*.net
pagead2.googlesyndication.com

I think at this point it's pretty clear what's going on. I and every other person here undoubtedly looks forward to you acknowledging this issue, correcting it, and -- optimally -- issueing a patch to existing free users to enable them to fix their block file.

[Jon_King]

I just downloaded and installed the program, didn’t change a thing and did a straight default install. The program blocks AdSense, period.

[loanuniverse]

What changes need to be done to .htaccess in order to block netcaptor?

[NetCaptor]

Once again, I'm almost positive that the issue is not the block list. Why? I wrote NetCaptor, and the block list is not loaded or checked unless you are running in Pro mode. So, you could put anything you want in the list and it should not get used.

I still cannot replicate the issue and would love to track down the issue.

One thing to try, for those of you who CAN replicate the issue.

Modify your block.dat file, after closing NetCaptor, and remove the adsense line. Restart NetCaptor... does it make any difference? Add the line back in, and restart NetCaptor. Does it make any difference?

Adam

[ThatAdamGuy]

Hmm. I removed the AdSense line from the block file, and -- as you suspected, Adam, it didn't make a difference.

Something else is blocking these ads.

I'll also volunteer that the following also made no difference:
- Turning off my firewall
- Turning off javascript error suppression

I'm using Win XP Home, and both IE 6.0 and myIE2 show the AdSense ads.

Mr. Stiles, I'd recommend you do the following:
1) Find a friend's computer that has never had Netcaptor installed.
2) Download and install version 7.5 free.
3) Note that you can't see AdSense ads.

I've spoken with several folks on the PowerToolsSoftware e-mail list, and it appears that those folks who have EVER had Netcaptor installed are able to see AdSense ads. It's only those of us who have download Netcaptor for the first time that are having the blocking problem.

And by the way, at risk of antagonizing you further, I also want to express my strong displeasure over your decision to put Salon.com in the block.dat file by default. Salon.com is an award-winning and cash-starved small company that pays for its fiercely independent journalism via ad revenues and reader subscriptions; in other words, people have a CHOICE whether to pay a few cents a day to read Salon.com articles or see the same articles for free with ads. I realize that any good browser will allow its users to block what they will, but you adding this block in there by default is, IMHO, extremely unethical. It's akin to you selling a pocket knife and including tips on how to mug people. Sure, knives can be used for this purpose without the instructions, but for the maker of the knife to make it easy for the person... that's just unconscionable.

[loanuniverse]

I installed it, and it does block adsense... I also added james php code to the beginning of the page and it does not seem to work.

I am using html pages, but parsing them as php. Will it work in my case?

[NetCaptor]

In reply to ThatAdamGuy:

¦ The reason why your copy of NetCaptor is not
¦ blocking AdSense ads is likely because you've
¦ upgraded from earlier versions and have
¦ customized your block list.

Actually no. I just checked an mine has the same entry in it.

¦ As you know (or should know), new users
¦ of Netcaptor 7.5 (free) do not have GUI access
¦ to their blocking file, and indeed, it is
¦ plainly evident that new blocking files are
¦ configured BY DEFAULT to block AdSense.

The file is there, but it is never loaded. You could put anything in that file and it should not matter. Put *.*.* in it, which would block ALL sites. That shouldn't do anything in the free version, but it won't, because the file is never loaded.

¦ I and every other person here undoubtedly
¦ looks forward to you acknowledging this issue,
¦ correcting it, and -- optimally -- issueing a
¦ patch to existing free users to enable them to
¦ fix their block file.

I'd be happy to acknowledge/correct/fix the issue if I could figure out why you are seeing what you are seeing and why none of our tests can replicate your experience. There is nothing for us to fix at this point because we can't replicate the issue.

No one has really given me any details or URLs to check. URLs with screenshots (IE versus NetCaptor) would be VERY helpful. We will attempt to replicate any data that is sent to us. Send to adam at stilesoft dot com.

Adam

[NetCaptor]

We just tested on a fresh XP install and still have no problem seeing AdSense at <member site> (thanks for the screenshots).

One possibility is that some Javascript error is occurring that would cause the ads not to be loaded. Try turning off javascript error suppression in NetCaptor Options and see if your pages show Javascript errors.

Adam

[edited by: Jenstar at 1:00 am (utc) on Jan. 12, 2004]
[edit reason] Sorry, no specifics [/edit]

[NetCaptor]

Another thing to try is to turn off the NetCaptor user-agent in NetCaptor Options. Restart NetCaptor, see if its makes a difference. Turn it back on, see if its makes a difference. One remote (incredibly remote) possibility is that Google is not serving AdSense based on the user-agent.

Adam

[Jenstar]

I also removed the line and it made no difference.

I wonder if Google is blocking anyone using this particular free version of Netcaptor from seeing AdSense, since in a way it violates the AdSense terms for using a competitive contextual advertiser on the same page as AdSense, even though this is out of the publisher's control.

Opera still works fine, but Opera obviously has an agreement since they run AdSense on the browser, not a competitor.

<added>I posted at the same time as Adam, seems like we are on the same wave length on what the issue could be</added>

[NetCaptor]

We've tried the user-agent thing but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Anyone getting javascript errors? Make sure you turn off javascript error suppression in NetCaptor Options so you get to see errors.

Adam

[NetCaptor]

BTW - we'll remove the salon.com and google.com lines in our default block file from our next release. Anyone have a problem if we leave the doubleclick ones in there?

Also - we may not even have ads in our next release. They are barely worth the bandwidth they are printed on.

Adam

[ThatAdamGuy]

Changing the settings on javascript error suppression and Netcaptor ID do not change the AdSense blocking on my end, even after restarting Netcaptor.

I've sent screenshots per your request.

Also, thank you very much for removing the Salon.com and AdSense blocks from your next version. Regarding the doubleclick ones... I have to admit that I don't have strong feelings either way.

[loanuniverse]

I really don't have a problem with users wanting to block ads. The only thing I have a problem with is blocking my ads, and then showing your own. I did not even have a problem with Opera, that is because it was leaving mine alone and showing theirs outside the actual page.

It seems like this is something that was unintended and so far the code that was posted here does not seem to block the browser. If you do get succesful and grab some significant market share, then you can expect for some of us to find a way to block your users out, which should be something you should not have a problem with.

[Jenstar]

I turned off the user-agent, which didn't help.

I do get javascript errors when I choose not to supress errors. No matter what, on 6 different sites running AdSense (premium and regular publishers), and with different ad sizes and placements on the page - I get errors on line 2, character 7, Error invalid character Code 0. I assume this is somehow related to the sponsored links at the top, since that would be the only thing consistent between all the sites running AdSense that I checked.

There is some sort of conflict going on, which would seem to be supressing AdSense on the page.

[ThatAdamGuy]

I am seeing exactly what Jenstar is seeing re: the javascript error.

Strangely, Netcaptor is also not showing one the vertical banner ads on one of my sites, but only occasionally (about 10-20% of the time).

What's strange is why Mr. Stiles and some long-time Netcaptor users are not having AdSense ads suppressed, even after a fresh Win XP install.

[Jenstar]

I wonder if the fresh install was for pro, and not the free version.

I also get various banner ads suppressed as well, including banners on my site that are all hosted on my own site that are not linked with to affiliate-type URLs. It was for this reason that I believed the issue was ad blocking. They all have the fact they appear in a directory named "ads", however, removing the */ads/* from the block file made no difference. There appears to be a ghosting effect - moving the mouse over the area where the banner/button images should be will show the correct URL the image is linked to.

I then began wondering if it was an iframe issue, so I checked another site with non-AdSense iframes and the iframe loads correctly (although there are empty spaces where images should be loading).

I hope we are helping you get closer to the bottom of this.

[varya]

My amazon iframes are unaffected by this. They all display just fine in Netcaptor.

[NetCaptor]

The fresh install was the Free Version... there is no separate Pro Version, just a registration key.

The issue may be javascript. I wish we could locate that error... IE gives such lame javascript error messages.

Adam

[KenB]

I too have been testing Netcaptor in relation to a different unrelated thread in a different forum and discovered it is blocking vertical 120x600 Google AdSense ads. I am using NetCaptor 7.5.0 Gold unregistered in it's default configuration and I have never downloaded or used this program before tonight. I tried the following tests and this is what I discovered:

1) change the size of ad to a non-standard ad size (121x600). It had no effect

2) I used Apache's .htaccess file and RewriteRule to give AdSense's JavaScript a URL that appeared to be coming from my site, but was actually being pulled from Google. The iFrame appeared but was a blank white 120x600 box (with any other browser using this RewriteRule I get an AdSense banner). This indicates to me that indeed NetCaptor is not only blocking AdSense banners, but it is preventing the AdSense JavaScript from completely running correctly even when it downloads correctly. This is the test I used:

.htaccess file:
RewriteRule ^mytest.js [pagead2.googlesyndication.com...] [QSA]

Google Javascript URL:
<script type="text/javascript" src="/mytest.js">

Since NetCaptor guy has decided to join the fray, I will give him a fair chance to fix this problem, but I do have one question that I also want addressed. How do we prevent NetCaptor from displaying ads that are based on the context of the content of our websites? Unless I can be 100% assured that NetCaptor is not using my content to generate its ads, I will use every tool at my disposal to block NetCaptor users. As unregistered Opera users know, I am very good at locking disagreeable browsers out of my sites.

[DaveAtIFG]

If memory serves, M$ recently provided an update to their Java Virtual Machine via the Windows Update site. I believe it was a driven by M$ security shortcomings in the JVM.

If NetCaptor heavily relies on Javascript, it's possible differing versions of the JVM on users machines may produce inconsistent results, I suppose.

How to determine your JVM version is detailed here [support.microsoft.com].

[NetCaptor]

I don't think its a JVM issue as MyIE2 and IE on the same machine don't demonstrate the same problem as NetCaptor.

Adam

[KenB]

I agree, the JVM is not the problem. Remember Java and JavaScript bear absolutly no relationship to each other. Java was designed and produced by Sun Microsystems, JavaScript was invented by Netscape. In addition MSIE doesn't use JavaScript. It actually uses JScript which is Microsoft's version of JavaScript.

[linear]

This is pretty interesting.

I checked my logs going back a while and have no hits from any user agents reporting themselves as netcaptor. I do commend you for trying to fix this though.

[Jenstar]

I had nothing obvious visit my site when I was testing out Netcaptor. The ads weren't completely targeted, but not too terribly bad. According to the ContextWeb site, it does spider to provide the ads, but there was no mention of what useragent etc.

[ThatAdamGuy]

One other thing I'm finding puzzling is the sporadic blocking of NON-AdSense stuff.

Is all of this based on javascript issues, and have more than two of us experienced such non-AdSense ad blocking (e.g., graphical ads being blocked)?

[whizkiddo]

I was wondering if anyone has thought about mailing adsense support about this issue, may be they are aware of this and if not it certainly wont hurt. I myself would love to do it but most of you have experimented around more and will be able to give a much more detailed representation of the problem.

Just my 2 cents.

[KenB]

In my case the unregistered version of NetCastor 7.5.0 in default configuration is always blocking google AdSense ads on all of my sites. On one of my sites it is also blocking most of my ads most of the time. This includes my Amzaon book recommendations where the images load from my server and are sized to my non-standard specifications.

On my other site that uses various methods to circumvent ad-blocking software, only my Google AdSense banner is not appearing.

--EDIT--
Oh Netcaster is also hiding any non-banner image that I have tweaked the URL to look like a banner.