Flash Block
Adobe (formally Macromedia) Flash is a great way to enhance sites. It allows the use of complex animations, combined with some funky programming abilities to make spectacular looking web-sites.
Alas, like with all funky things, it's being used by the advertising people out there. So now, instead of having a simple GIF with their advert, you now get intrusive flash players, which sounds and over the top animation.
It's the sound that annoys me mostly, as I generally listen to music while using my computer, and then I find myself coming to a site which forces music to my browser, and doesn't allow me to mute it. Of course, I could mute my PC, but then I can't hear my music.
The blame here is on Adobe who haven't, and seem to refuse to, put a muting function into their application.
Good news though, some clever guy has come up with Flash Block. An excellent add-on for Mozilla based browsers, that will disable Flash apps by default, replacing them with a clickable place holder. To enable, just click the place holder.
It includes the ability to white-list a site, so you can add things such as YouTube onto your white-list if you don't want to accept each video.
Highly recommended.
Alas, like with all funky things, it's being used by the advertising people out there. So now, instead of having a simple GIF with their advert, you now get intrusive flash players, which sounds and over the top animation.
It's the sound that annoys me mostly, as I generally listen to music while using my computer, and then I find myself coming to a site which forces music to my browser, and doesn't allow me to mute it. Of course, I could mute my PC, but then I can't hear my music.
The blame here is on Adobe who haven't, and seem to refuse to, put a muting function into their application.
Good news though, some clever guy has come up with Flash Block. An excellent add-on for Mozilla based browsers, that will disable Flash apps by default, replacing them with a clickable place holder. To enable, just click the place holder.
It includes the ability to white-list a site, so you can add things such as YouTube onto your white-list if you don't want to accept each video.
Highly recommended.