Google Toolbar Pop up Blocker - Big mistake

Webmasters now rethink the way you build!

[lasko]

I am creating many web sites for the travel trade and one of the main requirments is to fill out a form using a date selection.

Most of us use javascript so that the dates can be entered correctly i.e not 30th February.

So we use a calander next to form fields to help the user pick their dates. Well we did until Google luanches the new Google toolbar!

When clicking on most calander icons to pop up a date picker Google Toolbar blocks it then causes the whole browser to freeze which then requires a complete restart of the computer. To anyone who has these very useful Javascript tool may have to rethink the way they create their forms.

yes you can turn the pop up blocker off but most won't realise and will think your web site has an error.

Its a great idea of Google but should only block the unwanted pop ups that automatically load not those that user requests.

I have since turned of the blocker as too many web sites fail to work properly, Sorry Google :(

[sarahk]

Maybe I'm a bit more discriminatory in my surfing but in the month I've used the blocker it's only knocked out 48 popups and I've had no freezes. It doesn't get the wexit.com unload() event pages which is a shame. I love it when I visit a page and hear that little pop pop sound. I make a mental note that the site is *crap* but atleast I'm not closing the ads.

I can see why in legitimate applications this may cause limitations but the general web audience will love the change.

[Sinner_G]

Its a great idea of Google but should only block the unwanted pop ups that automatically load not those that user requests.

Now I may be completely wrong, but doesn't it do exactly that? PopUp windows work very well for me with an onclick event.

[lasko]

I agree that the pop up block is a great thing and works wonders just that it has caused some conflicts in Javascript coding. I currently have 90 blocked pop ups and
I do hope Google is able to keep it and make it work well.

It may be only a small error, i dont know but it did create a block on numerous occassions where you click a link and a new window should pop up.

This happened to me in Yahoo's web site, but I wonder if it has something to do with Javascript Applets, I don't know. I turned the Pop up bloker off and everything worked, turn it on and nothing.

[killroy]

I use Mozilla and thus have never had problems with pop-ups. It seems to let requested pop-ups through jsut fine. Perhaps Gooogle should take a close look at the mozilla code.

SN

[Imaster]

Isn't there any way to counter-attact any pop-up blockers?

[Sinner_G]

lasko, could you please tell us where on the yahoo site? I'd like to look at the code to see what's different from my popups.

[lasko]

If any of you like a game of chess on yahoo you will see what I mean. You can play chess no problem but when you select a players name and then click Profile it will block the pop up.

Its nothing really major but it should allow users to open pop up windows.

On most Javascript open new browser window commands seem to work.

[Sinner_G]

What version of the toolbar do you have lasko? When I go into a chess room and double click a name in the right column, I get the popup with the player's info.

The calendar also works. I have version 2.0.92-big/en Beta.

[lasko]

I have the same version

did you click on the players profile not just the player the first pop up appears but the second does not.

As for the calander I get the error icon in the bottom left of my screen.

[jdancing]

A more robust popup blocker will allow you to ad pages to an 'exlude list' where it deactivates itself from blocking certain functions on that page.

[Sinner_G]

Chess:
Okay, now I see what you are doing and get the same result, no popup. What is interesting in that case is that the popup is launched from the applet. Unfortunately that means no way to see how exactly (i.e. with what method) the popup is launched, although from the look of it I would say normal href with a target="_blank".

Calendar:
As written above, all perfect, I don't get any error icon.

[Tropical Island]

I love it. Now have 264 blocked pop-ups. Wouldn't think of turning it off. Tried allowing one site thinking it had something important to offer - big mistake - mnore useless advertising.

[panic]

I agree with Tropical Island. I've never had a problem with the Google Toolbar interfering with Javascript, other than onload Javascripts (which are pop-ups I don't want in the first place).

In regards to Imaster's unanswered question about countering the pop-up blockers... just don't use them! They usually slow down my browser horribly, and they're annoying.

-panic

[aroach]

I've had 534 pop-ups blocked so far and have yet to have one blocked when filling out a form or clicking a link that opens a new window. No problems at all. It seems to be pretty smart about what is an ad and what is useful or necessary.

P.S. I use an Open New Window javascript on my own site and it works fine with the toolbar installed. I have not clicked the button to allow pop-ups on my own site.

[PatrickDeese]

FWIW - I have a javascript popup for a couple of client websites (to view larger versions of photos), does not block it whatsoever.

On the otherhand, I went to my hotmail account (which I have had since 1997) and when I logged out, it blocked the casino advert that usually pops out.

I think they worked pretty hard to make sure it would work with "legitimate" pop ups on sites.