# Why does this site make my browser freak out so often? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 23, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055 "2013-10-23T20:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/1 "2013-10-23T20:32:41Z")
My browser is MS Internet Explorer version. Often times when viewing a thread (or a list of threads in a forum), my brower will automatically reload the page several times in a row, making comments about having “recovered” the page. Sometimes it can’t recover, and I’ll just get an error message. I don’t experience this sort of behavior with any other site. What’s going on? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/2 "2013-10-23T20:55:36Z")
Your browser is ignorant. It doesn’t like coming here. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/3 "2013-10-23T21:51:53Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > My browser is MS Internet Explorer version. Often times when viewing a thread (or a list of threads in a forum), my brower will automatically reload the page several times in a row, making comments about having “recovered” the page. Sometimes it can’t recover, and I’ll just get an error message. I have the same issue when I am not logged in. (also IE) Since it doesn’t happen when I am logged in, I’ve been assuming it’s got something to do with the ads. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/4 "2013-10-23T23:08:27Z")
Same problem when I AM signed in. I just assumed I was an anomaly. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/5 "2013-10-24T07:19:17Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > My browser is MS Internet Explorer version. What version? These things usually are ad related. You might try upgrading to the latest version of IE. Personally I’d recommend Firefox or Chrome for web browsing, but that’s just my opinion, and switching browsers may not completely fix your problems (it may just swap out one set of problems for a different set of problems). > [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](#): > > Same problem when I AM signed in. I just assumed I was an anomaly. You are a guest. Guests see ads whether they are logged in or not. Members and charter members do not see ads when they are logged in (it’s one of the benefits of membership). Ad blockers and script blockers can also come in handy, though it should be noted that if you are accessing the board as a guest and you use an ad blocker you will be depriving the SDMB of revenue that helps keep the board running and helps pay for your access. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/6 "2013-10-24T13:54:16Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > What version? > > These things usually are ad related. You might try upgrading to the latest version of IE. Personally I’d recommend Firefox or Chrome for web browsing, but that’s just my opinion, and switching browsers may not completely fix your problems (it may just swap out one set of problems for a different set of problems). > > You are a guest. Guests see ads whether they are logged in or not. Members and charter members do not see ads when they are logged in (it’s one of the benefits of membership). > > Ad blockers and script blockers can also come in handy, though it should be noted that if you are accessing the board as a guest and you use an ad blocker you will be depriving the SDMB of revenue that helps keep the board running and helps pay for your access. True. OTOH, does SDMB get pageview credit for an ad that crashes IE and forces page recovery? If so, that’s an insidious and ingenious plan to buff up pageview counts by encourging the broswer to load several pages when the user would only load one. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/7 "2013-10-24T14:17:24Z")
I have that problem with one computer I use but not on this one. Same version. But it works fine in Chrome on either. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/8 "2013-10-24T17:54:21Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > You are a guest. Guests see ads whether they are logged in or not. Members and charter members do not see ads when they are logged in (it’s one of the benefits of membership). > > Ad blockers and script blockers can also come in handy, though it should be noted that if you are accessing the board as a guest and you use an ad blocker you will be depriving the SDMB of revenue that helps keep the board running and helps pay for your access. I figured it was the ads. And for the reason you’ve given I’ve never put on an ad blocker. Guess I’m stuck. C’est la vie. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/9 "2013-10-25T01:47:51Z")
IMO if the boards want to get ad revenue from people, they should make sure that the ads served up by this message board don’t contain malware or crash people’s browsers, which is something they have historically not been willing/able to do. I don’t say this in an accusatory way, just as a statement of fact. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-site-make-my-browser-freak-out-so-often/672055/10 "2013-10-25T05:40:04Z")
Meh. I’m sure they do their best. And frankly $/value = win for me. Free but some problems is a small price for the joy that is The Straight Dope. A completely free service staffed largely by volunteers that delivers the content this site does is one that gets whacks-O-grace by my standards. I guess I’m just fine with $0 invested=good enough ROI. Ymmv Zeke