finally giving up Norton

[Brynn]

Hi Friends,
I have finally decided to move on and leave Norton/Symantec behind.  It's been a difficult decision for me, since Norton Internet Security, really, has served me very well...for something like 11 years.  But lured by the support forums for the free AVG anti-virus, as well as Zone Alarm firewall, and my approaching renewal date for Symantec in Sept, I feel the time has arrived for me.  I have actually defended Norton against the inevitable "Norton bashing" type of post, which I get every time I mention that I use their product (not just at LzD).  So please, don't take this as another opportunity to bad-mouth Norton, deserved or not.  I've heard it ALL!

What I need now, and the reason I'm posting, is to find a replacement for the other features of the NIS product, besides AV and FW, the pop-up and ad blocking.  I particularly LOVE the ad blocking feature of NIS, which in all honesty has been my only reason for renewing the last 2 or 3 years.  There are 2 parts to this Norton product -- pop-up blocking, which obviously blocks pop-up windows of all kinds (advertisements or not), and ad blocking, which blocks most...well, actually ALL non-pop-up graphic advertisements on webpages (it does leave purely text ads to display, which is fine with me -- it's the obnoxious graphic displays which I find especially annoying).

I have done some searching, but am finding it hard to identify effective, reliable and safe ad blockers, which do not install spyware, and am hoping someone here at LzD can either recommend one, or offer me the resources to make this decision myself (such as safety guidelines in choosing an ad blocker, for example).  And I should also say that I realize advertising is what keeps many free programs and services on the internet alive, and which would not otherwise be free.  However, I also need to say that for whatever reason, I find this type of advertising to be EXTREMELY annoying, and would seriously consider not using the internet at all, if I can't find a good ad blocker (or, I guess, go ahead and renew my NIS subscription).

My ISP (EarthLink) offers a pop-up blocker, but not an ad blocker.  I use IE, but find its pop-up blocker blocks too much -- more than just pop-ups.  Ideally, I would like 1 product which does both.  But if there is no such thing, I'm fine with using 2 separate products.

I actually may change ISPs, before too much longer, as well.  I'm looking into bbUSA, which from what I can tell, offers the only EL features I find useful, for much less $'s per month.  I don't like netzero or people pc, but if there are other lower priced ISPs, I would appreciate hearing about them.

Ok, I guess that's it.  Thank you very much for any info you can share.
All best.

[SpyDie]

I don't use an ad blocker myself, I'm sure someone can offer you a suggestion to one however have you taken a look at Firefox? There's an extension for FF that could do what you are asking:

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/10/

HTH

[mitch]

you are just a bit faster than me this morning  spydie hehehe

yep ff works great, has a built in pop up blocker

and a simple right click on a image ad and it is blocked forever

and they do have a pretty good ad blocker, (on the add-ons you can rate them )

as i have said a few times. try firefox, you can have two browsers
and if you are finally giving up norton maybe you can finally give up IE (except for some sites) :firefox:

[GR@PH;<'S]

Brynn,
take a look at these programs,(That is if you not already using them)
some of us here have been using these for a few years and are more than pleased with the results that we get.
POW
SpyBlaster
SpywareGuard

GR@PH;<'S   :Hammys pint:

[Brynn]

Wow SpyDie and mitch,
This is a big enough change, and enough new programs to learn to use, without having to learn a new browser as well!  I'm just not quite there yet, although as I said in another thread, Ff is on my list of future changes.  For now, it is still off in the future, though.

GR@PH;<'S, I do already use SpywareBlaster, but wasn't aware it blocks ads and pop-ups.  Does it?  I'll read through the documentation again, but I don't really think it does.  And the POW program, I had come across it some time ago.  I suppose one could argue late into the night about the difference between blocking ads and pop-ups, so that they never display or open, and closing them so immediately after they open, that one never sees them.  I think I would opt for blocking so that they never open.

Well, thanks for your comments, guys.  Does anyone else have any further comments or suggestions?
And as always, many thanks for everyone's help and support.

[mitch]

i would do ff first myself !
as i said it has a super cookie control, popup blocker and one click block image ads

if you have ff and need better ad blocking then just install the ad on, you can easly do ad-ons and have it do all kinds of things
i have gmail and i have "gmail nitifier"check every 15 min and open a new tab when i get gmail ( try that in IE)
ff is safe right out of the box! and then you can add the goodies inside of it and not seperate programs


see you don't need all the goodies if you have them in one package ( Firefox)
read ghost's instructions on how to

and remember they have a simple update procedure not big downloads

spywareblaster will block several thousand bad sites which would be the nasty popups and ads, and cookies if on that site.

[Corrine]

Brynn, I agree with Mitch -- even more so if you are on dialup as I am.  Pages load slowly with IE, but with FF, they are much faster.  But, the choice is yours. 

Since you've already settled on ZoneAlarm, I'll just mention that Sunbelt's Kerio Personal Firewall blocks ads, popups, has host file protection and more.

[Ghost]

hi brynn,
ive used bbusa for some time now and i love it. its reliable and no bloat on the home page, if you use their home page.
yup, $7.95 a month isnt bad either :lol:
i used netzero for abit but only for a throw away email now, and its really bloated now.

G

[Corrine]

Now, now, Brynn, there's a place for discussing ISPs.   <*cough*> Freedomlist <*cough*> If you need help over there, I might be able to lend a hand. :hysterical:

[Brynn]

Oh, sorry Corrine, I didn't mean to slight you and Freedomlist.
Partly I asked about ISPs as an afterthought...although obviously before I posted the message.  And partly because when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, I tend to ask about things I can really figure out myself.  I do have Freedomlist in my Fav menu, and I will be sure to visit before making a final decision!

Thanks for the tip about the Kerio fw.  Maybe that would be a better choice for me, than Zone Alarm.  I'll check it out.

[Corrine]

Brynn, I was just teasing you.  Of course you can ask about ISPs here at LzD and any other computer-related question (I'm sure in the Lounge we could easily accommodate other questions too, like, "What shall I fix for dinner tonight?").

Note that the version of Kerio I referred to above is the pay version of Sunbelt's Kerio Personal Firewall.

[babyoh]

brynn,

hate to feel like we're ganging up on you, but i agree with mitch and corrine:
FIREFOX just KILLS between popup block and this addon ADBLOCK-
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/10/

OPERA has a blocker too (tools - quick preferences, then you choose either block All popups, or block Unwanted popups)

** - BUT, the FF ADBLOCK allows you right click on those hideous iframe ads; and, using the asterisk as a wildcard, you can ZAP 'em off-screen for all time.

i've used several different blockers, but i'm not aware any other offer this feature.

matter of fact, i just discovered this right NOW, snooping around this post, then adding the add-on...

i always thought i was STUCK with those AWFUL iframes ads, because my browser read the source code as part of the page... never had any idea i could render it INVISIBLE with one Right-Click...

VERY VERY COOL...

-- oh, and brynn, FF is very intuitive to use. not hard at all. might be a little to learn, with things like javascript console, themes etc... but you don't NEED to know about those, and it easily could be the kind of thing you're not interested in learning at ALL.

good luck, whatever you choose to do.

:thumbsup:

[Brynn]

Well, it's incredibly ironic that I just now had perhaps my most frustrating experience with Symantec yet (over the last several years), then read babyoh's post and feel the need to praise the Norton ad blocker.  You see, with Norton, one CAN "banish" ads forever, just like apparently Ff does.  The difference is that with Norton, one almost never sees any ads, not even once.  The feature with which one can forever banish is almost never needed, because very few ads have ever beat the blocker.  And if I understand it correctly, it's not just closing them very quickly, as one of the programs recommended in an earlier reply does.  Ya just never even have a hint they were ever there.  The most I ever see, is sometimes a big blank place where everyone else sees an ad.  But unfortunately for me, it doesn't exist as a stand-alone product; one can only get it as part of a "suite" of products.  And after this last joke of a session which Symantec calls support, GEEZ, who cares!

So anyway, one final thanks for everyone's comments and support.  I'm still not ready for Ff yet, but after everyone's near-unanimous recommendation, I have moved it up in my list of priorities.  All best.

[babyoh]

   :blink:  i'm SO CONFUSED...
okay, when i hit regular (FREE ACCOUNT) geocites pages like this:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/7116/
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4545/

if i hit them in INTERNET EXPLORER i get i-frame ads on the right side - (i think they're labelled "SPONSORED LINKS")

i have NORTON 2006 FIREWALL, which has an AD-BLOCKER as part of it, which is ON.

- okay, those "SPONSORED ADS" DON'T show when i hit the SAME pages with FIREFOX, OPERA or NETSCAPE.

1) do i have the LATEST, "Best" norton Ad-Blocker in my FIREWALL -- or, is there ANOTHER ad-blocker product by symantec that's better?
and,
2) the norton Ad-Blocker only lets me block portions of URL's... (like: domain.com, *ads/*, /moreads, etc.)
-- how do i add a URL section to block FRAMES, or is it not possible??

:gwave:

[SpiritWind]

 :D  Hi all, particularly babyoh :

      Have you configured your Internet Options > Security > Custom Level ( under
     " Internet " ) under the Miscellaneous category so that "Launching programs and
      files in an IFRAME" is "Disable" !? This recommendation was made by the Editor of
      Spyware Weekly Newsletter in both his Nov 24, '04 and Jan 13, '05 Issues .