1st June 2001

Want a quick and dirty way to ditch those massively annoying pop- up ads that sites think actually work? While this isn't likely a permanent solution, these pop-ups are generated using JavaScript, so a quick disabling of the scripting features can leave you to surf in peace. In Netscape, click Edit - Preferences - Advanced and uncheck the Enable JavaScript box. Internet Explorer is a bit different, in that you have to dive into the zone security settings. Click Tools - Internet Options - Security - Internet zone, then click the Custom Level button at the bottom of the window. Scroll all the way down to the Scripting section and change the Active Scripting item to either Disable, or Prompt. This will likely affect how some sites display in a browser, however, as some elements of page layout and navigation can be done using JavaScript. By the way, since JavaScript is a Netscape invention, you can thank them for the ability of websites to bombard you with pop-up ads.