Hope this helps!

Brenda

RE: IVillage lost it's format!
Posted by: fratelli_can z5 (My Page) on Sun, Dec 25, 05 at 16:00

Once and for all: How to stop the iVillage ad onslaught.
First we need to understand how it's done: iVillage doesn't bother to try and buy ads directly from all the various companies that show up on the pages of GW. Instead they use large ad-service agencies like doubleclick, akamai and pointroll. You can visit some of these sites if you'd like to see who's behind the ads.

http://www.akamai.com
http://www.doubleclick.com/us
http://pointroll.com

This makes it easy to block out all or almost all of the ads very easily, just block the originating sites. Right now all the ads on GW come from:

http://amch.questionmarket.com
http://a820.g.akamai.net
http://iv.doubleclick.net
http://i.ivillage.com
http://m.2mdn.net
http://tste.ivillage.com
http://img-cdn.mediaplex.com
http://ads.vmirror.com
http://cmhtml.ivillage.overture.com
http://ads.pointroll.com

The Universal Solution.
This will work on Windows systems for all browsers; IE, FireFox and Netscape.
The Windows operating system provides a system-level method to block specific IP addresses before they even get to the browser. To effect this solution you need to edit a Windows system file called hosts. This file is located in the directory:

Windows XP: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 2K: C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 98: C:\WINDOWS

Open the file in Notepad. Cut the following from this post and paste it to the end of the file.

127.0.0.1 amch.questionmarket.com
127.0.0.1 a820.g.akamai.net
127.0.0.1 iv.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 i.ivillage.com
127.0.0.1 m.2mdn.net
127.0.0.1 tste.ivillage.com
127.0.0.1 img-cdn.mediaplex.com
127.0.0.1 ads.vmirror.com
127.0.0.1 cmhtml.ivillage.overture.com
127.0.0.1 ads.pointroll.com

Edit each entry so that there is a tab between the IP address 127.0.0.1 and the URLs. Save the file and you're finished. Close and re-open your browser and all the ads will be gone.

Unfortunately, iVillage may in the future buy ads from a new source. In this event the new ad source will have to be added to the list.

The IE solution.
Most of the ads are placed using Java$cript. You can remove the more offensive ads in IE with the browser settings. You can't however remove them all. To improve GW using IE do the following:
From the menu select Tools -> Internet Options -> Security and click on Custom Level. Scroll down to the end of the list and you'll see an entry for Scripting. Disable all the sub-entries. Now select the tab labeled Privacy. In the bottom of the box that appears check on the option to block pop-ups. I recommend you also click on the button Advanced and select the option to block Third-party Cookies.

NOTE: By disabling Scripting you will also effect the way other websites behave. You may need to get used to switching scripting on and off as desired. That's why this is the least desirable of these various options.

The FireFox solution
This is an excellent choice -- it's the fastest performing of the options listed here: FireFox is superior to IE in every possible way. FireFox provides the added advantage of blocking all Spyware, an evil that IE brought into this world.
* download and install Firefox 1.5
* in the FireFox address bar type about:config
* scroll down the list to the entry xpinstall.enabled
* right click on the entry and select toggle from the menu
* toggle as needed to set the value to true
* go to the Firefox website and follow links to extensions
* find the extension adblock and install it
* remember to toggle xpinstall.enabled back to false
* in Firefox select Tools -> Adblock -> Preferences
* use the New Filter field to add the following items:
http://amch.questionmarket.com
http://a820.g.akamai.net
http://iv.doubleclick.net
http://i.ivillage.com
http://m.2mdn.net
http://tste.ivillage.com
http://img-cdn.mediaplex.com
http://ads.vmirror.com
http://cmhtml.ivillage.overture.com
http://ads.pointroll.com
* enable Adblock

The trick with Adblock is to block the domain rather than the specific ad. If you click on Adblock to disable an ad. Select Tools -> Adblock -> Preferences from the menu and then edit the new entry; remove anything that follows after .com or .net. This will block everyting from that source.

The Netscape solution.
With Netscape you can shut down all the iVillage ads using the browser preference settings. From the menu select:
Edit -> Preferences -> Privacy and Security -> Cookies
Allow cookies for the originating website only

Edit -> Preferences -> Privacy and Security -> Images
Accept Images that come from the originating server only

Edit -> Preferences -> Privacy and Security -> Images
Block unrequested popup windows -- turn this on

Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced
Enable native object scripting -- turn this off

Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Scripts & Plug-ins
Enable Java$cript for Navigator -- turn this off

NOTE: GW will now be ad free, however disabling Java$cript will effect how other websites behave. You may have to get used to switching this setting back and forth. Therefore I suggest the Universal option above is more appropriate.

NOTE: You MAC users out there: Sorry I don't have more info for you except to say that FireFox and adblock are available for the MAC.

There's no sense in further complaing, iVillage IS an ad. We need to let them be who they are and stop them on our end. Take care all.