I installed the google tool bar about a year ago, and it blocks all those pop-up ads - really! I don't get those ads, you might like to try it.

what is that and how do you install it? c

If you call up Google on your browser, it will provide the search bar and underneath is a link "About Google". If you click on that link, it will take you to various Google services, including the toolbar. Just click on that and it installs automatically. It really is effective in deleting all the pop-up ads. Firefox does the same.

With all the pop-up blockers available, I'm surprised anyone still complains about ads. They are very easy to eliminate. Just like in any other public media, ads/commercials sponsor and pay for the service. There are other, ad-free forums out there, but they often come with membership fees. Personally, I'd rather participate in the free (and quite active) GW forums than pay to be on a restricted site - the ads I can deal with :-))

Oh Chris, I feel your pain!!! I'm gona try the Google tool bar and see how that does. Sure hope you don't leave us.
Vikki

I run on a firefox browser and have no pop ups or other nasty adds, I can click to block anything I want. It is awesome.

Dave's Garden is a fanastic place. You pay a minimal fee per year to join and keep the site with no pop-ups and other annoying ads. Still enough links and things to keep you connected to the virtual garden sales world, but nothing annoying or distracting at all.

GGG

I've been using Mozilla Firefox for almost 2 years and never see any ads here. I have both IE and Firefox on my desktop, but almost always choose to browse through Firefox. It comes with a pop-up blocker, but it's good to add a few extensions. The ones I use are Adblock Plus, Adblock Filterset.G Updater, and Flashblock.

Lots of other great features too ... automatic spell checking, session restore (if the computer goes down ... the next time you log on it picks up where you left off, even if you were in the middle of typing something), tabbed browsing, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mozilla Firefox

chris ... i haven't been a gardenweb member long enough to know or realize that this forum isn't as active as it was previously ...that's so sad, cuz i agree, this is a great place ...

do you really think it is because of the ads? ... i get ZERO ads ... please look into that & don't leave for greener pastures, so to speak! ... phyl

I have run Mozilla Firefox as a browser for a long time, for the same very reason, but I still do get pop-ups. The most recent ones, as Chris mentions, are particularly troublesome, because even if you click on the skip button, which only becomes active after a few seconds, they take a long time to disappear. I understand ads are the price for having a free site, but once they become too much they have the opposite effect.

Anyway... care to share how do you customize Mozilla so that *no* pop-ups can sieve through? I install all available Mozilla updates, but I still get them.

TIA
Eduarda

Eduarda, do you have the 3 extensions I listed? Since installing Firefox I've never seen a single ad on Garden Web unless I visit using IE.

I'm also a happy Firefox user. I always upgrade whenever a new version appears, and I have the Adblock extension installed. Adblock took a little bit of work at first, but once I got it dialed in, I have been ad-free on this site. It's great.

ThinMan

DH and I both have Firefox on our computers at home. The ads are a real pain in the you know what, and I can see where it would make people not want to visit. This forum isn't as busy as it used to be, but I think come winter, more people will be visiting and posting as they are housebound awaiting next years growing season.

FlowerLady

I don't see any ads at all. Changing to Mozilla Firefox blocked the most obnoxious of them, and adding AVG for my security software got rid of the rest. Please note -- I am not seeing any ads at all!

I love it.

Rosefolly

To jump on the bandwagon here . . . i also use mozilla firefox and get very few ads. I do get some, I can always click on them to close them. A little annoying sometimes, but I think it is worth it for the amount of advice and information that I have gotten and learned from these forums. Mozilla does make a big difference. I used to use Internet Explorer and it was almost unbearable :)

Oh Chris, I'm so sorry to hear that! I know you've been coming here as long as I can remember. I do know what you're going through though. I've really cut down my visits to only once a week. There are so many new faces and it's either that I can't keep up with the number of new posts (like in the warmer months) or there are no new threads (like now in the colder months). I have been getting bombarded with ads lately, too.

It's a shame, really. I used to enjoy coming here and now I find that I visit less and less for many reasons.

I hope you'll still pop in and visit us every once in a while.

Tracy

Safari Gal here!

No pop ups, I use Firefox when I'm using photobuckets, I run them both and it is real easy to see the thread and the pix with out having to use the back button.
I do not get the pop ups either.

Hope you can get something loaded to stop them so you can stick around...

Leasa

Hi all
Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I am using Firefox, which does stop pop-ups, but not the Flash ads that take over the screen.
Thanks to your suggestions, I installed Adblock Plus and am currently and blissfully ad-free!

Yay.

(Ironic, isn't it, that if advertisers just stuck with polite, static ads for people to look at instead of waving them in visitors' faces, fewer people would go to such lengths to remove them from their screens)

Tracy ~ Please don't leave. So many have left for various reasons and it is really sad. There isn't much activity here these days that's for sure, but I figured it was because everyone has been working outside since spring. Now that the cold weather is upon most of you, and you'll be indoors, I hope more action will happen. I will try to post pictures to keep you all from going crazy from lack of color and not being able to get out and play in your gardens.

FlowerLady

An occasional poster but mostly lurker here to say I'm glad to see the OP has had some success blocking the ads. This has always been one of my favorite forums, for the warm and friendly tone of the exchanges as well as the subject matter, and I hope things pick up again soon.

I've been shamefully absent lately, since in mid-October I "died and went to heaven" ... I started a job at a county park which is a 57-acre horticultural park dedicated to the home gardener. WooHoo! Such a beautiful site, in all weather conditions in all seasons, and, a former private residence, has an interesting history.

Also still trying to finish the front yard makeover as well; with about a dozen or so plants to go (there were over 100 perennials and shrubs to be moved, and 6 cubic yards of mushroom compost to distribute and work in), there's not much time for the computer these days. It's warmed up to about 43 now, a few more degrees and I'll be back outside.

Just want to let you all know you've been a source of inspiration and encouragement over the years and I hope this forum will continue to be so for others for years to come.

You may have an adblocker or pop up blocker but not have had it turned all the way up. I, too, had mine set on a moderate setting; turn it on so that it blocks everything. That does help. I was getting those annoying ads too; but not now.

I disabled flash Chris. It is a pain at times, but I'm glad. No problems with that anymore. I can't see some video and/or film on some sites. Perhaps a blessing?

There is a computer forum on GW, they are awesome folks and can help with all manner of things.

GGG

Another Mac/Safari gal. Never see any ads, never will. : )

As for the forum being slow, I'm wondering what you would like to see discussed? Can you start a thread on a few things you're interested in? - maybe it will generate posts. Also, check out the gallery and conversation side. There are new pics to see. Thin Man and Sierra have shared some beautiful winter scenes and Happy has shared her Texas beauties. And on the conversation side Steven has shared his lovely dining room while TM keeps everyone's brains exercised with his weekend trivia questions.

Or maybe these type threads aren't what you're interested in? We'll never know unless you tell us. : )

Diana

"Eduarda, do you have the 3 extensions I listed? Since installing Firefox I've never seen a single ad on Garden Web unless I visit using IE."

Natal, I don't think I have these 3 extensions installed, unless they are done by default whenever Firefox updates (I think not). Thank you for the tip, now to find some time to install these add-ons, sigh...

Eduarda

They're not done by default. It doesn't take long to install if I remember correctly. Easy for me to say, huh, lol.