# What the hey is this panel? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 25, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502 "2014-03-25T05:01:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/1 "2014-03-25T05:01:21Z")
What is this panel that shows up to the left of every page I visit on the SDMB? This just started happening today. It has a gray block with a white T, “Related Searches,” and links to “Forum Software,” “Internet Forum Software,” and “House Auctions in Beijing”. WTF is it and HTF can I turn it off? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/2 "2014-03-25T05:03:46Z")
That last one makes me think you have a virus/malware/something that doesn’t belong. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/3 "2014-03-25T05:08:50Z")
Just remembered something. Last time I had an issue like this, it was because the Internet Service Provider deemed it necessary to have those. Since I am in Beijing, I’m not freaked out by things mentioning Beijing. Maybe my ISP has decided to change the way they do business since we on-campus residents are pretty much a captive audience and the provider doesn’t have to sweat pissing us off too much. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/4 "2014-03-25T05:16:38Z")
“What the hey”? Where is that from? I have vague memories of saying that as a kid in New England. Also, does it matter if you [change your DNS servers to Google](https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/)? (Can you?) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/5 "2014-03-25T09:41:21Z")
I’ve heard “What the hey” all my life, mostly from my Baptist relatives. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/6 "2014-03-25T11:59:17Z")
I work with a woman who accepts that her browser window is tiny, due to the multiple tool bars taking up space. Sounds like a problem she would encounter. Malware? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/7 "2014-03-25T12:58:52Z")
Y’all hit the big ones: ISP or malware, possibly both. On an ISP, I would only expect it if the service is cheap or free. Malware would be more common–especially if you’ve installed any software that came with toolbars. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/8 "2014-03-25T13:04:00Z")
Got it. The ISP decided that we all should be using some search program none of us here on the campus has ever heard of. Luckily, 'twas easy to uninstall. Oh, well. Such is life abroad. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/9 "2014-03-25T13:50:35Z")
That, BTW, is precisely what I meant by “both.” They probably get paid money to do that, assuming they did it on purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/10 "2014-03-25T16:14:12Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I’ve heard “What the hey” all my life, mostly from my Baptist relatives. A euphemism for “What the hell,” for those who find “What the heck” too salty an expression.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/11 "2014-03-25T17:22:24Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > A euphemism for “What the hell,” for those who find “What the heck” too salty an expression.🙂 Much as Heck is where you can be darned to, Hey is where you can be danged to. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/12 "2014-03-25T18:41:21Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Much as Heck is where you can be darned to, Hey is where you can be danged to. What the H is with all this swearing? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/13 "2014-03-25T19:17:45Z")
Sorry. I’ll try to keep the g.d. language to a bare effing minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/14 "2014-03-25T20:04:02Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Sorry. I’ll try to keep the g.d. language to a bare effing minimum. There’s a church in Seoul with an interesting website: [gdchuch.org](http://www.gdchurch.org/). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hey-is-this-panel/684502/15 "2014-03-25T20:05:25Z")
Any church _in_ Seoul must be a church _with_ soul.