Question on HOSTS file

[Graeme]

I recently decided to try out the use of a HOSTS file after reading about
possible advantages so I downloaded the file at
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.
This has worked fine and I have been able to see various ads blocked out in
Int Exp to confirm that it is working .However I thought I would give "Opera
" a try out as an alternate browser , I first tried it out in its infancy
when I was still using Netscape but did not persist .
My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any evidence of Ads
being cut out . Does this mean that downloads of websites with Opera do not
access the Hosts file or perhaps they are just covered up better. By the way
I do not have the POP UP blocker enabled in Opera.
Interested to know if anyone can throw any light on this.

Graeme

[siljaline]

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:37:46 +1000, "Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and invalid]com
invalid> wrote:

>I recently decided to try out the use of a HOSTS file after reading about
>possible advantages so I downloaded the file at
>http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.
>This has worked fine and I have been able to see various ads blocked outin
>Int Exp to confirm that it is working .However I thought I would give "Opera
>" a try out as an alternate browser , I first tried it out in its infancy
>when I was still using Netscape but did not persist .
>My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any evidence of Ads
>being cut out . Does this mean that downloads of websites with Opera do not
>access the Hosts file or perhaps they are just covered up better. By theway
>I do not have the POP UP blocker enabled in Opera.
>Interested to know if anyone can throw any light on this.
>
>Graeme

--
siljaline

"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
-- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
- Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_

[siljaline]

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:37:46 +1000, "Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and invalid]com
invalid> wrote:

>I recently decided to try out the use of a HOSTS file after reading about
>possible advantages so I downloaded the file at
>http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.
>This has worked fine and I have been able to see various ads blocked outin
>Int Exp to confirm that it is working .However I thought I would give "Opera
>" a try out as an alternate browser , I first tried it out in its infancy
>when I was still using Netscape but did not persist .
>My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any evidence of Ads
>being cut out . Does this mean that downloads of websites with Opera do not
>access the Hosts file or perhaps they are just covered up better. By theway
>I do not have the POP UP blocker enabled in Opera.
>Interested to know if anyone can throw any light on this.
>
>Graeme


Sorry, ISP is having trouble...

I can't comment on using HOSTS under an alternate Browser like Opera.
Taken the liberty of sending your query to the creator of the HOSTS file in question.
As soon as I have added comments, I will post back.

This file along with the batch files and HOSTS editor, work great under IE.

Regards,



--
siljaline

"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
-- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
- Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_

[Graeme]

"siljaline" <siljaline@null.com> wrote in message
news:1qjtovkmiu0k4ecstbst9m163p49cef88t@4ax.com...
On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:37:46 +1000, "Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and
invalid]com
invalid> wrote:

>I recently decided to try out the use of a HOSTS file after reading about
>possible advantages so I downloaded the file at
>http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.
>This has worked fine and I have been able to see various ads blocked out in
>Int Exp to confirm that it is working .However I thought I would give
"Opera
>" a try out as an alternate browser , I first tried it out in its infancy
>when I was still using Netscape but did not persist .
>My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any evidence of Ads
>being cut out . Does this mean that downloads of websites with Opera do not
>access the Hosts file or perhaps they are just covered up better. By the
way
>I do not have the POP UP blocker enabled in Opera.
>Interested to know if anyone can throw any light on this.
>
>Graeme


....

I can't comment on using HOSTS under an alternate Browser like Opera.
Taken the liberty of sending your query to the creator of the HOSTS file in
question.
As soon as I have added comments, I will post back.

This file along with the batch files and HOSTS editor, work great under IE.

Regards,

Thanks for your reply . I think I have now answered my own question. See
Post below.

Graeme



--

[Mr. Uh Clem]

Graeme wrote:
>
> "siljaline" <siljaline@null.com> wrote in message
> news:1qjtovkmiu0k4ecstbst9m163p49cef88t@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:37:46 +1000, "Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and
> invalid]com
> invalid> wrote:
>
> >I recently decided to try out the use of a HOSTS file after reading about
> >possible advantages so I downloaded the file at
> >http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.
> >This has worked fine and I have been able to see various ads blocked out in
> >Int Exp to confirm that it is working .However I thought I would give
> "Opera
> >" a try out as an alternate browser , I first tried it out in its infancy
> >when I was still using Netscape but did not persist .
> >My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any evidence of Ads
> >being cut out . Does this mean that downloads of websites with Opera do not
> >access the Hosts file or perhaps they are just covered up better. By the
> way
> >I do not have the POP UP blocker enabled in Opera.
> >Interested to know if anyone can throw any light on this.
> >
> >Graeme
>
> ...
>
> I can't comment on using HOSTS under an alternate Browser like Opera.
> Taken the liberty of sending your query to the creator of the HOSTS file in
> question.
> As soon as I have added comments, I will post back.
>
> This file along with the batch files and HOSTS editor, work great under IE.
>
> Regards,
>
> Thanks for your reply . I think I have now answered my own question. See
> Post below.
>
> Graeme
>
> --

I don't think this is a matter of browser support, per se. I
_think_ Windows apps do the same thing Unix ones do, call
gethostbyname(). Under Windows, the host file is consulted
first, then DNS. (Under Unix, the resources searched can be
selected and ordered via the resolv.conf or nnswitch files.)

I've seen ad/spyware killing hosts files with either 0.0.0.0
or 127.0.0.1 (localhost). Localhost is in theory a legit
address. I believe when I tried this on my old NS 4.76, it
retried on the error (no web server to connect to), causing
delays. Zeros would not be a legitimate IP address, so web
browsers could get creative in ignoring an address which
resolved to zeros.

--
Clem
"If you push something hard enough, it will fall over."
- Fudd's first law of opposition

[BoB]

>Graeme wrote:
>>
>> On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:37:46 +1000, "Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and
>> invalid]com
>> invalid> wrote:
>>
>> >I recently decided to try out the use of a HOSTS file after reading about
>> >possible advantages so I downloaded the file at
>> >http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.
>> >This has worked fine and I have been able to see various ads blocked out in
>> >Int Exp to confirm that it is working .However I thought I would give
>> "Opera
>> >" a try out as an alternate browser , I first tried it out in its infancy
>> >when I was still using Netscape but did not persist .
>> >My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any evidence of Ads
>> >being cut out . Does this mean that downloads of websites with Opera do not
>> >access the Hosts file or perhaps they are just covered up better. By the
>> >way I do not have the POP UP blocker enabled in Opera.
>> >Interested to know if anyone can throw any light on this.
>> >
>> >Graeme

I prefer Firebird for browsing but I've heard that when Opera
blocks ads, it becomes a blank area without even a box around
it, so it's hard to tell an ad is missing.

BoB

[Graeme]

"BoB" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:9hf8pvoajdssb8er89g88197g09u41gu8o@4ax.com...
> >Graeme wrote:
> >>
> >> On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:37:46 +1000, "Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this
and
> >> invalid]com
> >> invalid> wrote:
> >>
> >> >I recently decided to try out the use of a HOSTS file after reading
about
> >> >possible advantages so I downloaded the file at
> >> >http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.
> >> >This has worked fine and I have been able to see various ads blocked
out in
> >> >Int Exp to confirm that it is working .However I thought I would give
> >> "Opera
> >> >" a try out as an alternate browser , I first tried it out in its
infancy
> >> >when I was still using Netscape but did not persist .
> >> >My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any evidence of
Ads
> >> >being cut out . Does this mean that downloads of websites with Opera
do not
> >> >access the Hosts file or perhaps they are just covered up better. By
the
> >> >way I do not have the POP UP blocker enabled in Opera.
> >> >Interested to know if anyone can throw any light on this.
> >> >
> >> >Graeme
>
> I prefer Firebird for browsing but I've heard that when Opera
> blocks ads, it becomes a blank area without even a box around
> it, so it's hard to tell an ad is missing.
>
> BoB
>
Yes as I have now discovered that is what is happening .It is quite subtle.
Graeme

[data64]

"Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and invalid]com invalid> wrote in
news:jovjb.186$um5.6942@nnrp1.ozemail.com.au:

> My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any
> evidence of Ads being cut out .

Does this mean you are seeing the ads or are you asking why Opera
is not displaying an error icon like IE.


data64

[Graeme]

"data64" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9416873D46D0Data64Bigfootcom@130.133.1.4.. .
> "Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and invalid]com invalid> wrote in
> news:jovjb.186$um5.6942@nnrp1.ozemail.com.au:
>
> > My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any
> > evidence of Ads being cut out .
>
> Does this mean you are seeing the ads or are you asking why Opera
> is not displaying an error icon like IE.
>
>
> data64
Good question .My query was not well worded.
It arose from the fact that Opera is not displaying any instances of an
error icon or gaps like I had experienced with IE.. So not sure which it
is. Perhaps I should have gone a bit deeper and opened up both browsers at
the same time and compared the detail.
Will try that out.
Graeme

[Graeme]

"Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and invalid]com invalid> wrote in message
news:q5Gjb.9$7j6.555@nnrp1.ozemail.com.au...
>
> "data64" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:Xns9416873D46D0Data64Bigfootcom@130.133.1.4.. .
> > "Graeme" <graeme23@go.[remove this and invalid]com invalid> wrote in
> > news:jovjb.186$um5.6942@nnrp1.ozemail.com.au:
> >
> > > My question now is that when I use Opera I do not see any
> > > evidence of Ads being cut out .
> >
> > Does this mean you are seeing the ads or are you asking why Opera
> > is not displaying an error icon like IE.
> >
> >
> > data64
> Good question .My query was not well worded.
> It arose from the fact that Opera is not displaying any instances of an
> error icon or gaps like I had experienced with IE.. So not sure which it
> is. Perhaps I should have gone a bit deeper and opened up both browsers at
> the same time and compared the detail.
> Will try that out.
> Graeme

Should have done that before I posted . I can see now that in fact Opera
does exclude the Ads . The difference is that it fills in the space of the
ad with a plain block ,no Icon or Action Cancelled message so it is not
really noticed at first look.
Thanks anyway for your interest.
Graeme