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To all of the the websites which have maliciously targeted users of NoScript and/or AdBlock Plus (Ars Tecnica, I'm looking at you), now do you understand why th

To all of the the websites which have maliciously targeted users of NoScript and/or AdBlock Plus (Ars Tecnica, I'm looking at you), now do you understand why there is a segment of your readership which uses such software?!? Pfft, I doubt you care. Once you serve an add, the consequences of your actions are safely ensconced in a Not My Problem field...

rradu 16y ago
The business model of many companies is still advertising. You can't blame them for not being too happy they aren't making money off visitors. I actually had several visitors on my site email me saying they got a virus from my site. I immediately ruled out the Google ads thinking there was no way it could come from there. Still, I felt terrible having having allowed my users be subjected to those ads, and I viewed it as bad business practice too--so it definitely didn't fall into a "not my problem" field
- gregpilling 16y ago
  I have had two of my office computers get hit by this in the past year. At first I thought the office assistant was going to sites that she shouldn't have, until I got hit by it while on Autoblog.com which is an AOL site. At that point noscript and adblock got installed. But there are definitely badthings coming from ad networks. They are subtle - it may only try to send the payload every 10 or 20 screen refreshes - but they do send it. It took 10 screen refreshes on Autoblog, for example. This was some months ago, so I don't know if there is still a problem. The payload for me was the real looking Windows box that pops up and tells you that you have 20 viruses and to fix it just send $29.95 to this site and it will all go away.
gobrien 16y ago
Everyone has to make their own decision on the ethics of using ABP/NoScript, but I can guarantee you that DoubleClick invests substantial resources in trying to prevent malware ads, and they wouldn't be in the position they are today if they didn't. Legitimate publishers like Rodale (Runner's World) and Conde Nast (Ars)care a great deal about these issues. These are big, responsible companies that care about their users, and about the sustainability of distributing high quality, advertising-supported content on the web. Sometimes things go wrong, even when everyone has the best of intentions.
- prodigal_erik 16y ago
  I'm not aware of any JavaScript sandbox widely regarded as flawless. AdBlock is one thing, but I have no qualms about not running arbitrary scripts that aren't even hosted by people I know and trust. If a publisher doesn't bother to use <noscript> or <iframe> to show me an ad anyway, it's their own oversight.

rradu 16y ago

The business model of many companies is still advertising. You can't blame them for not being too happy they aren't making money off visitors. I actually had several visitors on my site email me saying they got a virus from my site. I immediately ruled out the Google ads thinking there was no way it could come from there. Still, I felt terrible having having allowed my users be subjected to those ads, and I viewed it as bad business practice too--so it definitely didn't fall into a "not my problem" field

gregpilling 16y ago
I have had two of my office computers get hit by this in the past year. At first I thought the office assistant was going to sites that she shouldn't have, until I got hit by it while on Autoblog.com which is an AOL site. At that point noscript and adblock got installed. But there are definitely badthings coming from ad networks. They are subtle - it may only try to send the payload every 10 or 20 screen refreshes - but they do send it. It took 10 screen refreshes on Autoblog, for example. This was some months ago, so I don't know if there is still a problem. The payload for me was the real looking Windows box that pops up and tells you that you have 20 viruses and to fix it just send $29.95 to this site and it will all go away.

gobrien 16y ago

Everyone has to make their own decision on the ethics of using ABP/NoScript, but I can guarantee you that DoubleClick invests substantial resources in trying to prevent malware ads, and they wouldn't be in the position they are today if they didn't. Legitimate publishers like Rodale (Runner's World) and Conde Nast (Ars)care a great deal about these issues. These are big, responsible companies that care about their users, and about the sustainability of distributing high quality, advertising-supported content on the web. Sometimes things go wrong, even when everyone has the best of intentions.

prodigal_erik 16y ago
I'm not aware of any JavaScript sandbox widely regarded as flawless. AdBlock is one thing, but I have no qualms about not running arbitrary scripts that aren't even hosted by people I know and trust. If a publisher doesn't bother to use <noscript> or <iframe> to show me an ad anyway, it's their own oversight.