Is there any way to get rid of the ads for naked cheerleaders and such when I view this board?
To block ads in general, you can use an ad blocker and a script blocker (like Adblock Plus and NoScipt if you are using Firefox, other browsers may vary). Or you can pay to become a member, and not only will you not be served ads, but you also can create posts in the Marketing forum (and you don’t have to feel guilty about depriving the SDMB of its advertising revenue).
That said, you shouldn’t be seeing ads for pornography here. That’s a common symptom for a malware infection, and there has been some nasty malware of exactly that type that has been floating around lately. It’s been getting in through security flaws in Adobe Flash. Make sure your flash player is up to date, and see the stickies for what to do about malware infections.
There’s also a chance that it’s not on your end. It’s pretty rare that the SDMB servers get infected, but it’s not impossible. More often, one of the ad vendors either gets infected or gets tricked. And there’s always the possibility that your ISP is infected.
What browser and computer operating system are you using?
Ghostery.
The ads are not for pornography per se, but are clickbait with titles like “embarrassing cheerleader wardrobe fails” and “you won’t believe where this woman has a tattoo”. Definitely not what you want on your screen at work.
I think we just did this and they said they had no control over what appeared.
They (these advertisers) are forcing us all into using ad blocking software, and that’s not what the dope needs happening.
or pay for a membership-no ads
I have a membership, but without adblock, I get ads.
hmmm, I don’t have adblock just a membership and I don’t get any. Thought that was a benefit of membership.
You shouldn’t have ads. I don’t have ads. I just disabled my adblock and looked at both forum home pages and individual threads.
A malware scan might be in order.
Yeah, I just disabled AdBlock to see what happened and it’s identical. No ads or even spaces where the ads might usually go. Chefguy, I hope you’re not having a different problem!
While perusing SDMB, wear sunglasses.
I’m seeing some of these same things elsewhere on-line too. Just the ads with the clickbait, I mean. I don’t actually click to see what’s really there (because I don’t have a pair of sunglasses).
I just paused Adblock, exited to Chrome, came back to the SDMB home page and was swarmed with ads. I have Malwarebytes and AVG both running in the background. However, I don’t see ads on the forum pages.
That’s a feature, not a bug.
You also want a custom HOSTS file, Blocking Unwanted Connections with a Hosts File is a place to look into that sort of thing. And unlike other options, this works on computerwide basis, not via individual browser.
That file, by the way, is the same format as the Unix and Linux hosts file so the same file could be used on either of those operating systems as well. I noticed, though, that there is an issue now, whether the fake addresses should all be 127.0.0.1 (as they have been since the Internet was invented), or 0.0.0.0 now for some new Windows-specific reason.
Be a bit careful in you want to install this. Your existing hosts file may have a few standard entries in it already, plus any you’ve added for whatever reason. So this huge (HUGE!) ad-blocking file should me merged with that.
Specifically, blocking Doubleclick and Taboola will eliminate your clickbait problems.
Though admittedly, loading up Ghostery, Adblock (with Malware Domains and Spam404 invoked) along with Flashblock tends to make Firefox a little clunky. I don’t use Adblock’s Easylist because I’m willing to look at ads provided they don’t move, don’t squeal and don’t show the inside of people’s mouths, inane clickbait or other weird tricks. Heck, I even enjoyed the google text ads when they were displayed here, though mine was a decidedly minority opinion.
What’s a good, free adblocker available online for this problem?
Also, has it always been this way at SD? I haven’t seen these ads on here until a couple years ago.
Naked cheerleaders?
I’m a paying member and I can’t see naked cheerleaders?
Dammit.
Ad block plus is the tried and true one: https://adblockplus.org/
There are moral issues associated with using an adblocker: websites need revenue if they are to persist. There are moral issues associated with delivering malware infested advertising and even annoying stuff. As I see it, it’s a question of balance.
The SDMB used to be ad-free, out of the graciousness of the website owners. Later, it was expected to pay it’s own way, or at least justify its existence. The Reader has passed through multiple owners since then: the current strategy is to stay off the radar of upper management IMHO.