My update. Vista/IE8/AVG. I googled "How to remove google ads" selected, How to remove google text ads. Proceedure: IE enter www.\windows\system32\drivers\etc next select host, right click, open, select notepad,high lite, ok, add to the list (type or paste)

127.0.0.1 (open space) paqgead.googlesyndication
127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication

click "Save"

I haven't had a flash ad in three days. Maybe yahoo and others have a similar process.

Bye the way has anyone clicked on the word "Page" in the upper task bar, then select source. It prints these threads/ also covers ads/ evaluates members somewhat/ between 400 and 900 numbers, about Julies, 4t8 etc. anyone know what it is?

 

I think you are seeing the html version of the web page - this is where the programer writes the steps that show how the page loads and looks.

The last time we had a major screw up with the site I found the wrong instruction for an ad to display and posted it - finally one of the IT people changed the code and things started to work again.

My quess is that there is a problem between FTE software and IE8/Flash 10.

Telling the IT people that they have a problem is like telling an Effie Owner that they have to drive a Chevy forever.

 

As an added data point, I'm running OS X 10.6/Safari with all the latest updates and I'm getting the same pop-up. If I tell it not to kill the script it just keeps popping up. If I tell it to kill the script it locks up Safari and I have to force quit and re-start Safari.

I don't have any other browsers to check it with.

 

You're using a browser (Safari) that is actually a version of Konqueror. (The standard KDE browser)

You too can download and use Firefox on your MAC (that's a truck isn't it? )

And although you can go to Mozilla.com to get it you can also get it directly from APPLE.

Apple - Downloads - Internet Utilities - Mozilla Firefox

Most or all of the Firefox add-ons work too....And you'll probably solve your problem.

And while you're at it you can try Open Office and Gimp too (Also Free)

All the above is available for Windows, Linux, UNIX and the MAC. Just download and install the appropriate version for your operating system.

You don't have to register, give them your email or anything so they cannot try to sell you anything or spam you into non-existence!


Cheers,

Rick

 

Hey Bob - Morris directed me to your issue.
First, our apologies for it occurring, it appears that there is an ad that is being sent from our affiliate partners that is causing the issue.
We have been trying to find out which partner (and which ad) is causing the issue, but haven't had any success thus far.
We are continuing to look, but if you see what ad is being displayed on the page when it is occurring, it would be of great assistance.

Separately we have turned off a bunch of our advertising partners when we became aware of the issue in the hope that it will fix it.
Julie, forgive me here.
I understand where you are coming from, we try to make this site as member focused as feasibly possible.
We all care about the community, and the guys and gals that help moderate and administrate this site do too.
Forgive the rather emotional response, but sometimes when you spend days without sleep to keep the site online you take suggestions that personally when you have so much blood, sweat (and on occasions) tears invested in it.

I am hardly saying we are perfect (we certainly aren't), but we do sincerely care.
Anyhow, enough of my heartfelt plea, onto the important stuff, the issues:

• Search - we have made a multitude of updates to our search engine to improve performance. The current iteration is a completely custom search that we have built that runs off a sphinx engine Sphinx - Free open-source SQL full-text search engine (which from all reports is the best engine for mySQL databases - it powers sites such as craigslist, piratebay etc.) and integrates with this forum software in a seamless manner.
  To the best of my knowledge, everyone that has followed the FAQ I put up here isn't having any issues with search: Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - FAQ: Board FAQ (and if they are having issues, I am not hearing them - so please speak up!)
  If you could elaborate what the issue is that you are experiencing with search, I would be more than happy to help with the issues you are seeing.
  
  
• Posting of photos, our older gallery system has had some issues in the past, but I do believe these issues were resolved relatively quickly.
  Which galleries were you having issues with?
  These ones: Ford Truck Enthusiasts Galleries
  Instructions: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...orum-post.html
  OR
  These ones: Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - Albums
  Instructions: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...galleries.html
  I would be happy to help diagnose further
  
  
• Animated advertising intefereing with processing speed and navigation capability.
  Ford-Trucks is a large site, with a wealth of information, and some really wonderful members (some of whom I have even been fortunate enough to meet ). To support such a large site with exorbitant hosting and hardware (to give you an idea, for the price of around 12 brand new F150's, you could purchase the firewall that Ford-Tucks sends its information through), and still make it free to our users to users.
  As a result, we rely on advertising to support these costs. We try to be as reasonably as possible (i.e. no popups, no ads that are not "family friendly" etc.), but to keep the doors open on the community we do need to run ads.
  We don't even block users that elect to visit the site with things like "ad blocker" installed, but we do need to have advertisements unfortunately to "keep the doors open".
  (you do of course have the option of becoming a member for $20 or so, and getting rid of all of the banner and in text advertising)
  
  
• loss of information This is really one I am not familiar with. Our database gets a "hot backup" every hour, and to the best of my knowledge we have never lost a post, thread, user or PM. If I am mistaken, my apologies, I would really like to know how to assist further

JT - it is possible that your e-mail server is blocking us/or putting us in spam.
If you can check, see if anything from "info@ford-trucks.com" is getting through to your e-mail.
If its not, shoot me an e-mail at adrian.harris@internetbrands.com and I can help further
Bob, I am guessing yours is the same issue as JT.
Our mail server is showing that it is sending stuff to you, but obviously there is a link missing in the e-mail chain somewhere.
I sent you a test e-mail, let me know if you get it.
Thanks!
Julie,
It is possible that the Javascript we run to make uploading your photos easier may have some conflicts with, Vista Premium; IE8 and Macafee Protection.
I will do what I can to find a box running that combination and see if I can reproduce the error.

Thanks, and sorry for the issues y'all are encountering,
Adrian

 

Adrian,


Thanks for the explanation.


I'm glad it wasn't a conspiracy. (being the resident Linux geek here)I haven't had any of the problems mentioned.....but then I also don't see any "Black Helicopters" hovering in my backyard either ......


All kidden' aside, you guys are doing a GREAT job.

Thanks,



And Merry Christmas!!




Rick

 

Adrian,

The last time the system locked up on me, today, a LMC ad was at the top banner. I don't remember what ad was the the first two times I had the problem.

I far as I know, I haven't gotten your test emails.

Adrian, I appreciate your responses to this post. I am by no means an IT professional and have no idea of what you go through to make this site work. We all appreciate your work but to the naive, myself being one, it seems like IT guys just don't like to leave things alone when everything seems to be working fine. If you could please tell us what causes the problems. Does software wear out like mechanical items? What happens? I think if the unknowing, again like myself, who don't understand the software stuff could be brought up to speed on how it works. I'm not asking for everything you've been trained to do and have spent extensive time learning, dumb it down and just give us the bare basics. We're mostly a bunch of nut and bolt turners and we think all this computer stuff is voodoo.

 

Ok, thanks.
We will try contacting your e-mail provider and see if we can get them to allow our e-mails
To be honest, I am not an IT guy either, but the best way to explain it is that is like an old truck.
Some days things work beautifully, and then other days the transmission dies, you blow a head gasket and the right blinker fluid needs to be replaced
Software doesn't have a "shelf-life" so to speak, but as it gets older its security systems must improve so as to prevent it from being "hacked".
We typically don't make that many changes to the site, the last was probably about 3 months ago when we added the directory of our vendors, and our new classified system. Prior to that it was about 12 months ago when we upgraded the forum software.
In the coming 12 months we probably will have one more upgrade, which will be to the latest version of the software this site runs on.
Hardware on the other hand does date, and as the site has more and more posts and photos (a good thing ) it needs more powerful computers not only to store all of it, but to allow people to be searching through the larger library of information.


Hope that kind of explains it
Best,
Adrian

 

Adrian,

I use Godaddy for my site hosting and email accounts I don't have a problem with receiving emails notices from any of the other site I post on, just FTE and they only seem to start maybe a 2-3 weeks ago. I also have two different internet providers, one for home and one for business but I have the same problem on both so I doubt that's the problem. It has to be either FTE or Godaddy. I never changed anything on my Godaddy account unless they implemented some kind of security device on their end but if they did I would also think that it would filter out all of the notifications. Again, it's all voodoo to me.

 

Any way the wind blows!

 

Hey Adrian,

Ever think about running for Congress?

I know -pick pick pick pick pick! All in good fun!

Merry Christmas

 

How many of those other sites have over 550,000 registered members?

How many of those other sites get as many "hits" a day as FTE does?

How many of those other sites are owned by a company that owns 100 websites?

Internet Brands owns FTE, and 99 other websites, so the same ads you see here are run on all of them.

 

I don't know the stats of the all of the other sites I visit but by counting the number of members on the first page on the HAMB's member list (30) and multiplying that by the number of pages (86655) you get 2,599,650 members, that's slightly more than 550,000. Since I've been lurking over there for about 2 years, and posting for about a year, I have never noticed any major problems. Once in a while the site will become slow but the administrators will jump on with an apology let the members know there is a problem. Their boards are very easy to navigate, a very clear classified section, they have unlimited private messaging and allow new members to post and search without a minimum number of posts.

You can't go on one of their boards and have the same topic posted at the number 1 position for more than 2-3 minutes. The FTE's 48-60 board does not have that fast of a turn over rate. I check in on this board many times during the day and most times there are maybe 2-5 threads that are rotated through the first position and get maybe 15-20 replies, . Also, this board occasionally has a post brought up after a month or maybe a year and there will be one or two new replies. On the HAMB a rehashed post will get anywhere from 5-20 replies. Go to the HAMB and look at their average replies to any post and there will be over 100. I'm not knocking this board but if there are approximately 50 post with over 100 replies, only 10 with more than 200.
Again, the HAMB has just as many or more than FTE. I am not a expert statistician and I haven't researched all of the FTE boards, I am just using the '48-60 board for my information. I believe this board is a good barometer of the action experienced on the other board. I could be wrong, maybe the other boards are lot more active than this one.

The HAMB might not offer 100 but they do have numerous boards that are constantly being hit.

So they should have the system down pat and not have a conflict with viewer's browsers, especially those who use the most popular browser. Like IE or not, it's still the most used browser.

All I'm saying is with all of the ads that the non paying members get hit with every time we log on I expect this site to run as smooth as a site like the HAMB that don't have the ads, they do have some paying members.

Let me add this before anyone tells me to go over to the HAMB and stop complaining about FTE. I pay to come here, just like must of us do when we watch "free" TV, I endure the ads. I have been here a long time and have seen a lot of members come and go. The members here are the greatest. The vast majority of the members are very helpful and friendly. Over on the HAMB there are a lot of jerks. Some times you better have your asbestos underwear when you post over there. The guys over on the flathead site and the Buick site I stop at can at times seem very elite. There isn't much room on those boards for veering off the 100 point show winning restorations. Here on FTE every one seems welcomed no matter if you're building a 100 point car or, I hate the term, Rat Rod. I've gained a lot of knowledge from all areas.

It has been said before it's not the site that draws me here, it's the members.

 

Thanks Bob - we will sort it out.
It will have occurred when we had our cyber attack occur about 3 weeks ago. While the attack was ongoing, it nixed our e-mail servers, all the e-mail notifications built up, and when we got everything working again the site had a lot of e-mails to send out.
We went from sending no e-mails to sending a lot of e-mails in a very short space of time and got dinged as "spammers" by most e-mail providers.
We have been in contact with all the ones that we were aware that had issues (MSN, Verizon, ***, Juno and a few others), I wasn't aware of any issues with godaddy, but we will sort it out with them
Thanks!
haha - I couldn't I am not a US citizen, plus, I don't think I would want the job either
Merry Christmas to you too!

 

Adrian,

Thank you for the attention you are giving this matter. I, along with the others I'm sure, appreciate it.

The postings I have made about this subject were made out of frustration. As I stated above this is the best site on the net, mainly because of the contributors but you guys are the ones keeping it together. Some times we just have to vent.


Everyone, have a Merry Christmas