If you do not want to use something that is Operating System or program dependent try using a host file replacement. A good host file like the one from mvps.org
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
will block a listing of known spyware, advertisement and other misc sites. Been using one of these for years and have had great experiences with them. You can use them on windows, linux, macs, firefox, internet explorer, safari, chrome etc.
Yup, hosts file blocking is another very good method, no extra software required. Specifically, for stratics, the offenders are google analytics and adsense
The forum calls a script to retrieve adverts from the google pages. I believe Google then randomly decides on an advert to use based on which category the calling webpage is in (eg stratics is probably in the MMO category, so Google sends the MMO adverts). The problem is it sends the entire advert, every single time. Really hogs up resources and slows down the loading of pages if you like to open multiple pages at the same time.
By configuring the hosts file, when the page calls the script to check google adsense, your system will not find the advert to load and timeout the request
An even cleaner way is to prevent the script from even calling the advert. By configuring one of the security zones that you don't use to disable scripts and adding vboards.stratics.com to it. I reset the "trusted site" to medium security and disable scripting for that zone, then add vboards.stratics.com to it.
You can even add stratics to the restricted sites without cutomizing any rules therein. It disables alot of things including scripts and cookies. Cookies are used by webpages to store things on your PC like your web login ID/password and visit/shopping history. For stratics, this means you need to type in your login everytime you reply to a post. Good for really paranoid people or people that shares PCs.
Fast is good but.....erm, dont the ads help cover bandwidth/server charges for Stratics?
I make it a habit to click on em occasionally
But then again I use Opera. I dont need to block the ads and it loads faster than FF
Erm...yes...I think so
Though the site admins did not mention it when I asked in an older thread regarding the slow pages...I take it as, "Of course the ads help defray the running costs, why else would we have ads? But we will not restrict posters' freedom to block the ads".
Teee heee heee
Seriously though, maybe the site admins can look at reinstating the old Google text ads that don't slow things down (if they still exists)?
