What is "about:blank"?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MacKenrick
  • Start date Start date
M

MacKenrick

What is "about:blank-Microsoft Internet Explorer" that
keeps showing up at the bottom of my screen when I get on
the internet? It doesn't seem to do anything and if I
close it, there doesn't seem to be any effect on my
computer or connection. Is it some type of spyware?
Thanks for the help. Mac
 
no this isnt any type of spyware, about:blank is your
homepage... if you go to internet options in the tool
bar, you will see towards the top it says "homepage" and
you can change it from about:blank to any other website.
 
This isn't my Home Page. My Home Page is MSN.com and it shows up at the
bottom of my screen when I log on to the internet. The "about: blank -
Microsoft Internet Explorer" shows up as a separate program. I've never
seen it before in all the years I've used Windows or IE.

no this isnt any type of spyware, about:blank is your
homepage... if you go to internet options in the tool
bar, you will see towards the top it says "homepage" and
you can change it from about:blank to any other website.
 
"MacKenrick" said:
This isn't my Home Page. My Home Page is MSN.com and it shows up at the
bottom of my screen when I log on to the internet. The "about: blank -
Microsoft Internet Explorer" shows up as a separate program. I've never
seen it before in all the years I've used Windows or IE.
Click to expand...

My bet is that it's a "pop-under". It's like a popup ad, except that it's
waiting until you're done with all the other browsing you're doing before it
pops to the fore and displays whatever advert it's loading. This is a
deceitful move on the part of many advertisers, who are so slimy that they
don't want people to complain about them to the web sites that host their
adverts. They achieve this lack of complaints by ensuring that you can't
guess which web site spawned their advert. That way you can't complain to
the site and get their advert pulled out of rotation.

Alun.
~~~~

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Use google as your webpage.

Alun Jones said:
"MacKenrick" said:
This isn't my Home Page. My Home Page is MSN.com and it shows up at the
bottom of my screen when I log on to the internet. The "about: blank -
Microsoft Internet Explorer" shows up as a separate program. I've never
seen it before in all the years I've used Windows or IE.
Click to expand...

My bet is that it's a "pop-under". It's like a popup ad, except that it's
waiting until you're done with all the other browsing you're doing before it
pops to the fore and displays whatever advert it's loading. This is a
deceitful move on the part of many advertisers, who are so slimy that they
don't want people to complain about them to the web sites that host their
adverts. They achieve this lack of complaints by ensuring that you can't
guess which web site spawned their advert. That way you can't complain to
the site and get their advert pulled out of rotation.

Alun.
~~~~

[Please don't email posters, if a Usenet response is appropriate.]
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1602 Harvest Moon Place | (e-mail address removed).
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Click to expand...
 
"DualBooter" said:
Use google as your webpage.
Click to expand...

No, rather than engaging in a technical arms race, where I have to keep
stepping up my defences in response to ever more intrusive adverts, I'd
rather get information on who is intruding, and complain about them to the
people that are most likely to be able to make a difference.

If enough people complain about intrusive adverts, and let the web hosts
know that their sites won't be visited as long as they have them, the
intrusive adverts will go. If everyone simply installs a popup blocker, the
web hosts and advertisers will just try to find a way around it, because
_obviously_ you want to read _their_ advert, if only you knew.

Alun.
~~~~

[Please don't email posters, if a Usenet response is appropriate.]
 
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