# How do I get rid of the new pest underlining ads like Kontera? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162 "2009-05-30T15:11:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/1 "2009-05-30T15:11:57Z")
My browsers, Firefox 3.0.5 and IE8 are both now infected with things that underline certain words in any website and insert their own pop-up ads. They highlight and underline these words, messing up the flow of reading, and if you mouse near them they pop-up a bubble. Today’s word was “ethics” and the bubble pops up saying Kantera and pushing a book memoir of one person’s fight with doctors. Sometimes a word like “house” will trigger ads for mortgages. Are they scripts or add-ins or a virus, or what? And what’s the cure? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/2 "2009-05-30T15:29:26Z")
From this discussion it appears that websites have to explicitly allow Kontera on board and the code is in the site itself. it’s not virus, it’s something the websites are attaching to their code to make money. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/3 "2009-05-30T15:39:02Z")
Is that the reason why, on my old computer, whenever I run Mozilla a second tab titled “Which Is The Best Netbook” For You?" appears–and I can’t get it gone no matter what? ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/4 "2009-05-30T15:41:37Z")
> [@astro](#): > > From this discussion it appears that websites have to explicitly allow Kontera on board and the code is in the site itself. it’s not virus, it’s something the websites are attaching to their code to make money. I don’t think so, I never see them when I surf at work. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/5 "2009-05-30T16:31:24Z")
I use Excite for my portal and this is one of my complaints about them. Not bad enough to force me away, but I am on the lookout for a less annoying replacement that still offers the features I want. Here is a [sample](http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090529/D98G4MS01.html) of one of their news articles. “lost dog” and “black dog” have the Kontera link code embedded and, AFAIK, there’s no way to block it. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/6 "2009-05-30T16:33:13Z")
> [@TheMadHun](#): > > I don’t think so, I never see them when I surf at work. Maybe so, [but per this link it’s](http://www.nathanhuppatz.com/ebay-powerseller-blog/2009/02/26/konterainfolinks-text-link-ads-do-they-work/)definitely something that web admins choose to install. It is not a virus, it is a revenue generating click through applet for the website. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/7 "2009-05-30T17:23:19Z")
Then how can I get rid of it? It doesn’t appear on some systems, so they must be configured differently. Here’s what it looks like [http://i40.tinypic.com/2mrtrnb.jpg](http://i40.tinypic.com/2mrtrnb.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/8 "2009-05-30T17:29:40Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > I use Excite for my portal and this is one of my complaints about them. Not bad enough to force me away, but I am on the lookout for a less annoying replacement that still offers the features I want. > > Here is a [sample](http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090529/D98G4MS01.html) of one of their news articles. “lost dog” and “black dog” have the Kontera link code embedded and, AFAIK, there’s no way to block it. I don’t see anything in the View Source near those words. I found one (burdensome) way to kill it. Reload the page (F5). There’s a cookie that keeps track of whether they’ve bothered you on that page already, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/9 "2009-05-30T17:35:51Z")
In Firefox, if you have AdBlock Plus active, you don’t see those links. Shuts 'em out completely. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/10 "2009-05-30T17:47:41Z")
Thanks, I’ll try that. ---
**Author:** ![Dripping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dripping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dripping)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/11 "2009-05-30T18:06:07Z")
> [@Early\_Out](#): > > In Firefox, if you have AdBlock Plus active, you don’t see those links. Shuts 'em out completely. Same with Opera’s content blocker. Yet another reason to ditch IE (Idiot Exploiter). ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/12 "2009-05-31T00:20:28Z")
I’ll 3rd the use of Firefox with the Ad Block Plus add-on. It works great for me. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/13 "2009-05-31T17:40:37Z")
I’ve since learned that for IE you can use the HOSTS file to remove almost all ads that have their own domains. They aren’t just removed, they are never even accessed. Works for [kontera.com](http://kontera.com) and [doubleclick.com](http://doubleclick.com) etc. But won’t work for self-hosted ads like the ads on Yahoo or Google where the ads have the same domain name as the main content. Actually, the HOSTS file should work for Firefox as well. Have to check that. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-new-pest-underlining-ads-like-kontera/498162/14 "2009-05-31T20:08:18Z")
Using the HOSTS file is applicable to any browser, since it’s intercepting all calls to the listed domains. Tough to do, however. You end up with a monstrously long HOSTS file, and the “ad” domains tend to be a moving target.