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Never rely on a single ad-blocking technique. I'm a Windows user and I not only use Firefox's built-in stuff, but I filter through Proxomitron, using JD's ruleset. Plus a .hosts file. I can't remember the last time I got an unsolicited pop-up ad. I rarely even get a "Firefox blocked a pop up" message.

if you don't want to fiddle with the config files too much, try JD5000's filter sets. they're some of the best you can get, as well as do a good job at anticipating the annoyances of the future.

The Proxomitron

I am cool with adding another proxy into the chain - and my proxy will simply unfuck their fucking :)

At the end of the day, Palladium notwithstanding, I get to decide what I do with the bits and bytes coming into my machine.

And why do I laugh? Simple. Because I use Proxomitron and JD500 Filters for Proxomitron.

Not only does it kill all the popups/popunders and FLASH ADS AS WELL but you can also filter cookies, filter javascript nasties, and do so much more with the JD5000 Filters.

I've been using Proxo+JD5000 for the last 2 years now and I've never used anything else. Best of all it's FREE!

You also forgot to mention the JD5000.net Proxomitron Filters! which is so damn good it even amazes me to this day how powerful it is.

Use Proxomitron and you can make your blocking (or bypassing) site-specific, or even page specific. Best of all, you can use it with any browser since it works as a proxy server on localhost.

http://www.jd500.net - JD5000 Proxomitron Filter Set (VERY POWERFUL)

LOL and you trust Google to filter ad's for you? Pfft. You are better off with Proxomitron and JD5000.Net Proxomitron Filters then trusting google.

The problem with most Windows users - whether they run 95/98/ME/NT/XP/2000 is that they DON'T understand how to lock down the system or that alternatives exist to Microsoft software. They don't know jack s*** about a firewall or better alternatives to Microsoft software that is often more secure, not to mention actually VIRUS scanning email attachments and downloads..

If you have to do e-mail - a very good and secure e-mail client is Pegasus Mail which does NOT blindly open up email attachments and run code like Outlook does.

Get a decent firewall like Sygate PRO or if you must even ZoneAlarm PRO and make sure it's configured properly. Again some windows users would have problems even with something so simple as this sadly.

Want to avoid the nasty crap in Internet Explorer or other browsers? Get a proxy like Proxomitron and JD5000 Filters for Proxomitron which then allows you lock down all that nasty MS crap like VB/ActiveX/Flash/Forced Download scripts/ADS and more that cause problems.

But as everyone else has mentioned here - all it takes is a moron to run a windows box - linux box or hell even a MAC OS X box and not keep up to date with patches. If he/she doesn't know what they are doing any of the three will be insecure.

Also with Microsoft a lot of users I believe are afraid to get the patches - because you keep seeing more and more supposed "horror stories" of how a patch broke Windows or a "feature". Same crap could also apply to same user running a Linux box.

(For the ad-filtering side and as an example of what can be done with the software, this does quite a good job).

First off I don't take advice from some newspaper flunky. Second it never ceases to amaze me just how freaking stupid a lot of people are when it comes to computers.

They get spyware because they don't read freaking license agreements or EULA's, or get it because they are too dumb to tighten up browser security so your browser (often Internet Explorer) WONT auto download and install it for you like a good little bitch. If people would actually use software like Proxomitron and JD5000 (Add-in for Proxomitron), then you would not have problems with drive by spyware or other HTML/Java/Javascript/Exploits/Nasties while browsing the web. It's called UNIVERSEL WEB FILTER for a reason!!!.

Not to mention of course the biggest things like ACTUALLY VIRUS SCANNING everything that comes into your computer and doing system maintenance by de-fragmenting your hard drive or even getting something like Norton Utils 2002 or later to keep the system, registry, and hard drive(s) maintained properly.

Just this week I talked to two people I see online often in IRC. One was stupid enough to have 330 ITEMS OF SPYWARE detected in Ad-Aware and another is too dumb to actually tighten up his mIRC settings to avoid automatically downloading IRC viruses/worms.

I'm sorry but I have no sympathy for morons who can't keep virus scanners updated and virus scan everything that comes into the computer, cant keep up to date with software like AD-Aware 6 and Spybot: Search and Destroy, or actually uses Internet Explorer or other browsers with default settings on a windows box and wonders why the hell crap like Xupiter and viruses get through the holes in their browser(s).

And if you follow the "steps" laid out by that lame assed newspaper article, it's a big mess of crap for nothing when if you actually have a freaking clue how everything works on your computer (both software and hardware) then you will VERY RARELY if EVER need to re-install. I laugh at thee who re-installs a OS every 3 months or every year because of their stupidity. Sell your computer if you are too dumb to do the most basic of steps. *Rolls eyes*