Blocking annoying leftover table on ZetaBoards

[ado1]

Please excuse my potential stupidity, as I am very new to this ..

As the subject concludes, there's an annoying box leftover at the top of forum pages on ZetaBoards (s1.zetaboards.com). I was wondering if an AdBlock filter can be devised to remove it. I haven't the slightest idea how to make one.

Here's the table HTML I fetched from Firebug:

Code: Select all

<table style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; height: 90px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<script type="text/javascript">
1
2 GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_ad_channel", "0854397634+2546508655+6581918200+8130327786+9306244497+7721702802");
3 GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_color_border", "FFFFFF");
4 GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_color_bg", "FFFFFF");
5 GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_color_link", "788390");
6 GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_color_url", "788390");
7 GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_color_text", "D6DADD");
8 GA_googleFillSlot("Main");
</script>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

[Hubird]

You could try using a filter subscription. It might automatically take care of your problem, see the list at http://adblockplus.org/en/subscriptions

If not can you post a link to the page in question, I had a quick look and saw nothing that look like it need hiding / blocking.

[ado1]

I use the EasyList (USA) subscription, tried updating it, still no luck. It blocks the advertisements, but not the frame where the ad is placed.

Here it is:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Lokyrthemes/index/

[Hubird]

Using the Element Hiding Helper I was able to come up with the following rule

Code: Select all

s1.zetaboards.com##TABLE[style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; height: 90px;"]

Try it out and see how it works as I can't guarantee it will not cause any false positives, or make your own using the EHH.

[ado1]

Much thanks, it worked perfectly!

[X]

Yeah that filter works, but it's complicated and you'd have to give instructions to every new member. Why doesn't the element just collapse automatically like everywhere else?

Strangely, there's an identical ad at the bottom of some ZetaBoards forums that collapses a little better (though still not completely).

Would it be possible for a future Adblock update to incorporate the fixes to this problem? That would be great.

[fanboy]

done

[Hubird]

Yeah that filter works, but it's complicated and you'd have to give instructions to every new member. Why doesn't the element just collapse automatically like everywhere else?

Strangely, there's an identical ad at the bottom of some ZetaBoards forums that collapses a little better (though still not completely).

Would it be possible for a future Adblock update to incorporate the fixes to this problem? That would be great.

Looks like Fanboy has added it to his subscriptions, if you get new members to use ABP with Fanboy's subscriptions you should be good.

His list are available at:

http://www.fanboy.co.nz/adblock/

Look on the top right of his page in the Firefox setting.

[X]

Excellent, thanks. Will Fanboy's list eventually be incorporated into the main EasyElement+EasyList filter subscription that comes automatically with AdBlockPlus?

I tinkered around a bit, and here are the element hiding filters for the other two kinds of ads on ZetaBoards (bottom of page ad and alternate square ad):

Code: Select all

zetaboards.com##TD[style="text-align: center;"]

Code: Select all

zetaboards.com##TD[width="300px"][style="vertical-align: top;"]

And while we're at it, how about a filter for the annoying ad on HaloScan, which otherwise doesn't get blocked at all:

Code: Select all

|http://www.haloscan.com/images/*

[Hubird]

Excellent, thanks. Will Fanboy's list eventually be incorporated into the main EasyElement+EasyList filter subscription that comes automatically with AdBlockPlus?

ABP does not come with any subscriptions built in by default, what it does do when first run is show the user one possible subscription for several different countries. This is by no means a comprehensive list and none of them are actually loaded into ABP until the user decides to click on one.

It is probably worth mentioning that in the suggestion box that pops up you will see a link that says "View all subscriptions" (top right corner of the box). Clicking this link will bring up a page with even more subscription choices. EasyList (perhaps the best known subscription) is just one possible choice out of many.

So to directly answer you question:

No EasyList and Fanboy's subscriptions are separate subscriptions maintained by different people. It is possible though, that Ares2 (the EasyList maintainer) will add rules to similar effect (although filter additions for EasyList have slowed to a crawl lately).

It is best if you choose just one general subscription as you will risk slowing down your browsing and will greatly increase your chances of a false positive occurring. Choosing either subscription will remove a very large percentage of ads on the internet.


Also could you please provide links to the actual page in question, it is VERY rare for either Fanboy or Ares2 to add any suggestions without first seeing the page for themselves.

[X]

I see. It's been so long since I downloaded AdBlock that I didn't remember the EasyList subscription process. I just assumed it was automatic. But I do think it would be a good idea to consolidate all of the general lists for English websites into a single list that just comes with the add-on (or that's the first possibility offered). From the subscription page you linked to, it seems that EasyList, Fanboy's list and a third list called AdblockRules.org are the only ones.

Anyway, here are the links you asked for:

ZetaBoards - alternate square ad (top left, next to welcome message) and bottom of page ad (above "Board Statistics")

http://s8.zetaboards.com/emachineupgraders/index/

HaloScan ad (between comments and reply form)

http://www.haloscan.com/comments/edhoff ... 803325564/

[Hubird]

There are several problems associated with combining all the general English subscriptions together:

1. It would take a lot of work to weed out the redundant filters
2. People would not know who to report any false positives to


As for combining a filter subscription into ABP, the problem with that is that not everyone wants the same subscription and it would increase the download size.

Your rules look sound, I am a little worried about the

Code: Select all

|http://www.haloscan.com/images/*

one. It is the sort of rule that could cause problems in the future, maybe a element hiding rule would be best for that one

Something like

Code: Select all

haloscan.com##[style="margin: 0pt auto; width: 125px;"]

In any case I'm pretty Fanboy will be happy to sort something out. If he does not see this post you could visit his forums

http://www.fanboy.co.nz/adblock/forums/

Or you could try your luck in the EasyList forums

http://forums.lanik.us/index.php

[fanboy]

looks better now.. hid the element rather than block haloscan.com/images

[X]

That element hiding rule for HaloScan isn't going to work because the ads are all different sizes. I counted four at the moment, so it would have to be like this:

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haloscan.com##[style="margin: 0pt auto; width: 125px;"]
haloscan.com##[style="margin: 0pt auto; width: 234px;"]
haloscan.com##[style="margin: 0pt auto; width: 260px;"]
haloscan.com##[style="margin: 0pt auto; width: 278px;"]

And HaloScan might include others in the future. I don't think the way I had done it would cause any problems because the ads seem to be all that's in the "images" folder. The only other images I know of associated with HaloScan are their button and header, which aren't located in that folder.

Also, you forgot the "bottom of page" ad on ZetaBoards:

Code: Select all

zetaboards.com##TD[style="text-align: center;"]

It's not a huge deal because that one mostly collapses, but it does leave behind a thin table that appears on several pages in different spots.

[fanboy]

okay, fixed (again)