Error with AdBlock Detection

[MarkMelbourne]

Me too. FF 58. I have specifically whitelisted australianfrequentflyer.com.au and disabled tracking protection (not that I should be required to do so). To post this message I disabled the malfunctioning popup, but that's not really in the spirit of fairly using this website so I'm off elsewhere.

AFF consider your readers are likely to be those who won't tolerate intrusive ads or scripts which track our behaviour. Perhaps you should disable the malfunctioning ad block checker until you can fix it. You may also like to work with AdBlockPlus - they have an 'acceptable ads' list which doesn't block ads that behave nicely. Then we can get back to clicking on your affiliate links and the FFlying

 

[support]

Me too. FF 58. I have specifically whitelisted australianfrequentflyer.com.au and disabled tracking protection (not that I should be required to do so). To post this message I disabled the malfunctioning popup, but that's not really in the spirit of fairly using this website so I'm off elsewhere.

AFF consider your readers are likely to be those who won't tolerate intrusive ads or scripts which track our behaviour. Perhaps you should disable the malfunctioning ad block checker until you can fix it. You may also like to work with AdBlockPlus - they have an 'acceptable ads' list which doesn't block ads that behave nicely. Then we can get back to clicking on your affiliate links and the FFlying

Firefox Quantum (FF 58) was just released, and continues the trend of web browsers lately to introduce features that don't let advertisers track users as they have in the past. I agree, you shouldn't be forced to alter the tracking features just to browse a website, but as these features are added to web browsers, the developers of add-ons need to play a catch-up game to update their add-ons (that we use to display various messages to users) so the right message is being displayed or that no messages are being displayed.

All that said, I just installed FF 58 on my computer. Made sure I had the latest version of AdBlock Plus (ABP) and then promptly disabled it for AFF. I then turned on Tracking Protection (TP), before disabling it for AFF. I reloaded the page after each step to see the different messages that popped up and the conclusion is that with TP and ABP disabled I have no troubles browsing the site. I see ads, and presumably they can track me, but this is how it has been for years. Nothing has changed here. If any user does those two things, they should have no trouble using AFF.

The problem with suggesting that the readers of AFF aren't those who would tolerate intrusive ads (of which we have none – our ads have actually improved a lot thanks to the new software we run, and thanks to our partnerships) is that what you're actually saying is that readers don't want ads. Our community is a free resource, and without the advertisements we would have a big problem keeping the servers on.

The reality of this is that we are not going to disable our ad-block detector add-on, we'll simply wait for an update. However, if you read into what TP actually does, you will understand why an adblock detector thinks an adblocker is running, and perhaps the add-on is functioning as it was intended.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I browse the website everyday with all ads visible and I'm on here for long hours. It doesn't affect my ability to digest content and plan my future holidays. On my personal account, as soon as I registered I paid for a gold subscription, bought myself a Qantas Club membership and browsed happily ad-free.

 

[MarkMelbourne]

Our community is a free resource, and without the advertisements we would have a big problem keeping the servers on.... I've said it before and I'll say it again, I browse the website everyday with all ads visible and I'm on here for long hours. It doesn't affect my ability to digest content and plan my future holidays.

I consider AFF to be a valuable resource and I respect that running it costs real money and lot of time to prepare such high quality content. It's only fair that AFF use advertising to claw back these costs - which is why I tried disabling my adblocker as soon as I saw the popup.

I hope my post didn't come across as critical, I'm actually trying to point out that an aggressive anti-ad-blocker has drawbacks: I clicked through from a search engine while researching my next credit card, so if I can't click through to links you earn commission on, AFF are potentially losing revenue.

Anyway, I think I've narrowed down the the problem: The anti-adblocker is incompatible with my VPN (PIA). I got to the point where I can see ads underneath the anti-adblocker popup (in Chrome and FF) but only disabling the VPN will satisfy it. Hopefully this will help your software provider diagnose a fix for future releases, and may help users like myself in the meantime.

 

[G00r]

That's certainly interesting behaviour, if the laptop in question has never had issues before.

If your Chrome browser updated recently, can you check whether it now has the "do not track" feature that some new browsers have turned on? There is a theory that this may be causing some issues. As might any other add-on that is new to your browser, being picked up incorrectly.

In my testing, I have not encountered a pop-up yet.

Said laptop has since been formatted after my last post, and hasn't been used much since.
At the moment, I'm on a V/Line train and tetethered through my mobile, and again I received a Adblocker warning.
I am using Chrome, I am signed in to my Google account and so the same extensions that are on my desktop (Lastpass, Waze Map Editor, Grammerly, DropBox & FOP2) have migrated across to this installation.

Differential diagnosis would suggest it might be the carrier (unlikely.. but...)

Haven't experienced any issues on desktop

 

[support]

the same extensions that are on my desktop (Lastpass, Waze Map Editor, Grammerly, DropBox & FOP2) have migrated across to this installation.

None of those should affect AFF, but it's a strange occurrence. The only time I can replicate problems on a side account is when I use an adblocker or a browser that blocks the tracking of ads across sites. When these two things are disabled, I encounter no issues browsing AFF.

 

[Vic]

Have encountered this problem. can't change anything in a corporate environment. still seeing plenty of ads. Seeing adds, but also ad-blocking. when is an ad not an ad?
Oh well...

 

[support]

Have encountered this problem. can't change anything in a corporate environment. still seeing plenty of ads. Seeing adds, but also ad-blocking. when is an ad not an ad?
Oh well...

I understand the frustration within corporate environments where certain software is not able to be uninstalled, but there is an easy way to stop seeing ads when logged in.

As for myself, I see the ads too – to make sure they're working – and don't find them the least bit intrusive.

 

[Vic]

Yeah that adblocker detection is working well.

 

[support]

Yeah that adblocker detection is working well.

It will be to do with your browser stopping tracking services or another add-on behaving in a similar fashion.

I never run into any issues and I see all ads too.

 

[Lynda2475]

Yeah that adblocker detection is working well.
View attachment 129887

Returning to work after 5 weeks leave, i am now getting the same ad blocker error, and have been unable to read or participate in forums here using my work laptop (im currently on my phone).

Ive modified the settings in chrome, to add this site to the safe list (i.e. allow ads) and also disabled the do not track but something else is causing the site to think ads are blocked. Being corporate network and laptop help desk here wont help as its not a work site.

I am considering paying for a membership to get around the problem, but the description even for gold says "most ads",so i fear would be a complete waste of cash (i already have discounted qantas club through work and adequate travel unsurance) as the need to display some ads may still mean i cant access the site from work computer, and mobile isa pooruser experience, too hard onjjy eyes to read contentbthis way regularly.

Will i be guven a refund if paid membership doesnt resolve the issue?

 

[support]

Will i be guven a refund if paid membership doesnt resolve the issue?

The only issue you are likely to face is that when you load AFF and you are not logged in, you may receive a prompt, but if you save the URL for the login page instead of the homepage this shouldn't be an issue as the prompt shouldn't appear on that page for precisely that reason.

 

[AndyMelb]

I can understand not permitting users employing ad-block. However, having to also turn-off tracker protection (Firefox) is something I'm not entirely comfortable with. After I log-out, I run extensions that remove session cookies and trackers.

 

[support]

I can understand not permitting users employing ad-block. However, having to also turn-off tracker protection (Firefox) is something I'm not entirely comfortable with. After I log-out, I run extensions that remove session cookies and trackers.

The tracker protection (built-in for many browsers these days) works in a very similar way to ad-blocking such that the ad-blocker-detectors we use misidentify what is going on. As such, they will think you have an ad-blocker running when you do not.

Technically, up until a year or so ago you survived using the internet without this feature, so what has changed now? I don't use it (have it turned off) in about 4 browsers I use on a daily basis, across multiple websites.

As for your logout scenario. I do not think you would encounter issues removing session cookies and trackers, however you would probably eventually get a prompt suggesting you sign-up because the site wouldn't be able to identify you as having an account (because you deleted that data).

 

[Dr Ralph]

I've changed nothing at all and suddenly this has appeared tonight:

'Your attention is required
Our system has detected an "AdBlocker" on your browser. It's blocking advertisements and possibly other essential functions in our site.

Please consider disabling the AdBlocker while you're browsing our site.

As an alternative to disabling your AdBlocker, AFF members can UPGRADE their AFF account and never see advertisements again!'

 

[support]

@Dr Ralph What browser do you use (specific version number) and what are the add-on's you have installed? What ISP do you use, do you use a VPN?

Feel free to start a conversation if you would prefer to keep things private.

 

[Dr Ralph]

@Dr Ralph What browser do you use (specific version number)

Google Chrome is up to date
Version 71.0.3578.98 (Official Build) (64-bit)

@Dr Ralph what are the cough-one you have installed?

No idea what this is.

@Dr Ralph What ISP do you use, do you use a VPN?

Telstra

No VPN.


I should add that the problem seems to have resolved itself. Again, I did nothing to make it go away.

 

[support]

We use the same version of Chrome. I also browse with ads (to make sure they are functioning).

No idea what this is.

Sorry, this was an auto-correct fail. It should have said "add-on's"... e.g. extensions, such as an adblocker, but there could be others. For instance, I have 1password installed (shouldn't affect anything), Google Translate and Tunnelbear VPN (disabled).

I should add that the problem seems to have resolved itself. Again, I did nothing to make it go away.

Perplexing. I am sorry you encountered an error in detection.