Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Pop-Up Issue

We got a complaint yesterday about a series of pop-up ads appearing when a reader tries to access the site.

SCC is ad-free, always has been and as far as we're concerned, always will be. This is a hobby, done off duty, for the enjoyment and entertainment of all. We suggested to the reader he might have a virus of some sort, but then a whole series of people chimed in saying it had just started occurring. The only common thread running through more than half of the complaints was they were using iDevices - iPads, iPhones, etc. or they were using the Safari browser. We use neither, so we couldn't replicate the pop-ups at all.

We're currently checking the settings to make sure eBlogger didn't pull a fast one on us like they did a few years ago where we stopped appearing in Google searches because they changed our settings. But again, it isn't us.

Labels:

84 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I use a kindle and have also experienced the pop ups. Love you, SCC. CPD Retired.

12/15/2015 12:04:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I got it on my laptop. I use Opera as a browser. Just closed the window and it didn't happen again.

12/15/2015 12:04:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just after I read this I refresh the page on my iPhone and sure enough it popped up. I think it said go.ve ads or something like that. Pretty annoying

12/15/2015 12:05:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It happens on Android devices also.

12/15/2015 12:06:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Firefox on Windows 7 and on a Linux machine no problems.

12/15/2015 12:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What is odd is it is not all the time. It only happens on my laptop and I use google chrome.

Keep up the good work.

12/15/2015 12:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's probably the FEDS😂😂😂😂

12/15/2015 12:11:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just teasing

12/15/2015 12:12:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I got it on an LG G Pad, using Chrome as a browser. I've never owned an Apple anything in my life, and never plan to.

12/15/2015 12:14:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ipad. Definitely getting ads that never before popped up. Lock u out of site.

12/15/2015 12:19:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

fyi, I get redirected to those garden ads and I'm on a PC laptop using Firefox.

12/15/2015 12:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Noticed if I go from 2ndcity to Shaved, then back again. Sometimes get gardening page.......not always.

12/15/2015 12:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I occasionally have the same problem with the website. i dont use a safari browser or any idevice.

12/15/2015 12:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It might be a bum gadget or something. See this from Google: https://productforums.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/blogger/g5icbfw98Kc;context-place=topicsearchin/blogger/category$3Asafari

12/15/2015 12:42:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had it too, with a newer desktop running on windows 8.2 and then some more after upgrading to 10. My provider is ATT, and I wouldn't put anything past them. Always redirected to a go green website "Trees need to be able to vote" type of tree huggers... Defeated by rebooting.

12/15/2015 12:45:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just for the record, I've been getting a pop-up only on your site that hijacks my browser from time to time on my phone.

12/15/2015 01:02:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have an iPhone, and use Safari. It happens on it every so often. Not as bad as other sites though.

12/15/2015 01:03:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

FWIW
I use Chrome and was getting them Sunday evening as well. Not just pop-ups, but full page BS that gave option to skip non-existent ad (it was a pretty much blank page) or wait it out. Either way, SCC never loaded - until I killed the browser and restarted it.

12/15/2015 01:13:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It happens on occasion for me on firefox. I reload the page it its fine. Seems like its on the server side to me. Unless its a widespread virus on our machines.

12/15/2015 01:41:00 AM  
Anonymous Paul Kersey said...

Somebody is screwing with the blog.

You get high-jacked to some other blog (ad) and you don't get sent back to SCC.

Some little hacker who thinks it's a "cute move".

Too bad you cannot send this dog after him -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6DUS0r76V4

12/15/2015 02:25:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Same problem today for me.

google double click dot net

It has a stupid go to site on top that actually pops up another @$##%^ ad.

At least I have not seen the nasty "you have a Virus, download our virus" ad.

12/15/2015 02:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I use Firefox. It happens here too at times.

12/15/2015 04:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's still happening on my iPhone 6

12/15/2015 05:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah the ad just started in the past few weeks, but before that sometimes Safari would actually take me to MySpace. MySpace! Mi bother to me though, I just click SCC again.

12/15/2015 05:36:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just happened again. It was a Goodwill ad

12/15/2015 05:56:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, have seen a "Goodwill" add pop up at the start.

12/15/2015 06:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I get it on my android phone. I back out to my browser (Chrome) and re-enter without any problems. This has happened several times in the past week or so.

12/15/2015 06:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Been happening for quite a while on my kindle fire..android phone and Dell all in one ok..

12/15/2015 06:24:00 AM  
Blogger somewhatrabid said...

Happened to me yesterday once using a PC with Firefox.

12/15/2015 06:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have an Android and this is not your typical Pop Up. Definitely something new so to speak.

12/15/2015 06:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a I products and downloaded Google. No ads on my phone or pad.

12/15/2015 06:33:00 AM  
Blogger 011 2nd Watch DOG said...

No problem on my Commodore 64 running on dialup.
Load "*",8,1

12/15/2015 06:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

using google chrome on my home computer and it happened to me.

12/15/2015 06:52:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

SCC,
It is happening to my Andriod phone, tablet and laptop running windows 10.

Just after your SCC page starts you are redirected to the new page without touch anything on SCC page
Have run virus protection and find nothing on each device......

SCC some one has attached pop up on your site

12/15/2015 06:53:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Entertainment???? SCC, please don't sell yourself short. You are first and foremost in the EDUCATION business, not entertainment. Thank you for what you do.

12/15/2015 06:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've experienced it on my iPhone on SCC. But I've really had an issue with it happening on the Sun Times website. The adds will not let the page load at all.

12/15/2015 07:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
It's probably the FEDS😂😂😂😂

12/15/2015 12:11:00 AM

^^^^

Don't be surprised if some lefty hackers are attacking the site.

12/15/2015 07:36:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i use safari. Started about a week ago?

12/15/2015 07:41:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

windows 8.1 and using Norton. recently getting some kind of blocked image ad with a countdown saying program will resume in 6... 5... this occurs when jumping out of comment section back to main page. x out of browser and jump back in fixes it. very annoying.

other blogs with issues blaze, breitbart and weasel zippers get interrupted with a internet explorer security patch. happens when trying to access whole story. be wary of this one too. lot of idiots need their fingers chopped off.

12/15/2015 07:50:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No pop-ups here.

12/15/2015 07:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

LOVE reading SCC and for now the issues are an inconvenience.

12/15/2015 08:00:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you want to block popups on any apple device you can use adblocker. It is free at the apple store. or use this link or to be safe retype it
https://itunes.apple.com/app/adblock-plus-abp/id1028871868

12/15/2015 08:02:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just now I used the back arrow after reading a comments section and was redirected to a ad for goodwill. It than counted down and went to a "about blank" page? We are being punked!

12/15/2015 08:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I occasionally have the same problem with the website using IE 11 on a windows 7 machine. This has happened very intermittently for over a month. I just close the browser and reopen and life is good again. Keep up the great work SCC!

12/15/2015 08:30:00 AM  
Blogger Matt said...

Download the free AdBlock extension for your Browser. Never have seen pop up adds here. Blocks ads from all websites as well. As far as I am concerned, the internet is unusable without it.

12/15/2015 08:39:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A pop up add just happened on my lap top

12/15/2015 08:41:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have gotten it maybe three times on my home pc. I just closed and re-opened the SSC link until it stopped appearing... I thought it was just me.

12/15/2015 09:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MAC Book with Safari and Chrome has no pop ups.

12/15/2015 09:36:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

IPhone 6 on Verizon, no problems. FYI, there were two recent updates to IOS in the past week. Readers need to ensure they install all updates as soon as possible.

12/15/2015 09:39:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I use spy hunter and it clears everything up

12/15/2015 09:46:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happened on Internet Explorer too

12/15/2015 09:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

thanks SCC

12/15/2015 10:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have iPhone and use safari, never had a problem, yet

12/15/2015 10:19:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

still happening as of this morning

12/15/2015 10:25:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Using Google Chrome on Win 7.
SCC redirects to go.goadvs. com
Thought I contracted a virus but not the case.

12/15/2015 10:26:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I use Google Chrome and last night every time I wanted to go to another posting the add came back. I had to leave the posting and come back to it. Big time pain. This was happening on my desk top. I am on my Kindle fire and so far no problem. Go figure.

12/15/2015 10:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've never had it happen...and I have an iPad and an iPhone

12/15/2015 10:46:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

No problem for me on my iPad.

12/15/2015 11:32:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Never had any Pop up ads from this site

12/15/2015 01:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Internet explorer, I had the same pop up

12/15/2015 01:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hasn't happened to me using Firefox on Windows and Android. A Frenchie program called AdwCleaner available at bleepingcomputer.com is pretty good at ferreting out the kind of adware which causes these popups. Think it only works on Windows devices, however.

12/15/2015 02:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't get any ads - ever.

I run Firefox Browser, with the following extensions:

- Adblock Plus

- Adblock Plus Pop-up Addon

- Element Hiding Helper for Adblock Plus

- NoScript

- Self-Destructing Cookies

- Cookie Monster

- F.B. Purity (cleans up Facebook)

Once you install AdBlock Plus, make sure to disable the "non-intrusive" ads as well.

NoScript will block the scripts that run in the background on pages - if you're not a techy, you might not want to run this one as it can be a chore to work through. But the others are SUPER SIMPLE.

They have versions of AdBlock Plus for Chrome. Might be some for Safari - if not, download Firefox from www.mozilla.com and install it on your Mac, then get the extensions above...

12/15/2015 02:04:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Retired guy here. Been following you for years. Have the same computer, haven't done anything different and now I'm starting to get the pop up advertisements.
Has to be your website.
Haven't gotten thes on any other website

12/15/2015 02:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No pop ups here. Using Google chrome on a laptop

12/15/2015 02:41:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a dumb phone and use a PC. Rarely, but on occasion, I have an ad directing me to their page also. Just so you know that pads and phones are not the only ones affected. Like I said, not often, but now and then only. No persistant pattern.

12/15/2015 03:30:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A thought from the Finance Guy on a Bike.


I use an iPhone when I'm not at home to check 'da net' and other shit. My primary computer is a MacBook Pro, and my backup is a Toshiba.

I've never gotten a single pop up from This site. EVER.

Its got to be a spyware or malware or other more annoying than a double date with Jody and M3.

12/15/2015 03:38:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have an Apple computer and use Safari. I don't get pop-ups.

12/15/2015 04:16:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Had it happen several times while using my Samsung Galaxy S5. Haven't had it happen while using my PC though.

12/15/2015 05:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

SCC, late to the topic here, but I use Chrome on a laptop (non-Apple) and never had this issue with the site.

--No Cop Here

12/15/2015 06:07:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Didn't have a problem until today. I tried to refresh the page on my android phone, using the stock browser, and I got the countdown ad that led to a blank page.

12/15/2015 06:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

had it happen on my desk top...

12/15/2015 06:50:00 PM  
Anonymous cmeat said...

adblocker plus will remedy this and other autoplay ads.

12/15/2015 08:09:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just happened to me now. Using Chrome on a desktop.

12/15/2015 08:15:00 PM  
Blogger leomemorial said...

Did any photos of SCC pop up? If so I would like to know if he still uses hair gel ...

12/15/2015 08:24:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No problems here, in both Windows 10 with Chrome and also Android 6.

12/15/2015 08:49:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Android user getting Goodwill Ads

12/15/2015 09:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was getting the pop-ups, from Goodwill which I hear is not a real charity but a second hand goods business for profit.

I did a McAfee security scan which did not find anything but the pop-ups did stop.

If companies who send these pop-up piss off the wrong people they may sneak into their data bases and fry them. Not that I would ever do that myself, or suggest that, or in any way condone or even desire such a thing happen.

But, if it did.... I'd LMAO!!!

12/15/2015 11:13:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Didn't have a problem until today. I tried to refresh the page on my android phone, using the stock browser, and I got the countdown ad that led to a blank page.

12/15/2015 06:28:00 PM
Ditto.

12/16/2015 02:11:00 AM  
Blogger ChicagoNetTech said...

Confirmation of popup: get a GaDaddy add that makes me waut 8 seconds before showing SCC page.

Android 5.0, eith laters payches and Comodo antivirus.

12/16/2015 02:54:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just popped up. Go.goads.com. Something about goodwill. Then tried to take me to another page.

12/16/2015 06:38:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just happened twice to me when accessing Second City Cop from my PC. Shutdown Internet Explorer both times and your website then came up without the pop up. Has happened a couple times before but I did not note when. Just so you know.

12/16/2015 08:12:00 PM  
Anonymous Tom R. said...

Wow. Starting to feel really guilty here now...

As the asshole who opened this can of worms in the first place, I'd kinda like to apologize to everyone. I've done some research since two days ago, when I posted that I figured out what the issue was.

From what I've read, "go.goadvs.com" is malware, not a virus. Apparently, it can either be onboard one's own computer, where it will generate ads all the time:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/forum/mse-protect_scanning/i-have-a-redirect-virus-gogoadvscom/069e9522-3b94-4eb0-9f59-766156616da2

or it can be hacked into a website, starting up ads over that particular website only--and, incidentally, possibly infecting any visitors to that site with the damned thing:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7332927?start=0&tstart=0

(The two links above provide some info. There's actually a lot more out there about this malware, if you bother to look.)

In my previous post, I mentioned I found and deleted it from two places on my PC. Both of them were in my history files...hardly the usual hiding place for malware. I think those history files were just there showing where the thing had sent me, and weren't actually the malware itself. I use (and recommend) Spyhunter software to detect malware on my system...and it didn't find go.goadvs.com at all when I ran it yesterday (after updating it with the newest definitions). I'm using a Dell Inspiron 64-bit machine running Windows 7 Home Premium (because I've been too lazy to upgrade to Windows 10), if that matters to you techies out there.

To make a long story short, I don't know exactly where this fucking thing is, but I'm pretty confident I don't have it onboard my machine. I'm hoping it isn't here at SCC...though I haven't had to deal with it the last three times I've dropped in. I'm going to keep a close eye on things to make sure my computer DOESN'T pick the thing up, since I don't intend to stop visiting SCC's blog. But I'm not going to comment about it again. I'm done. And again, sorry SCC, and everyone else. Was just trying to help out a little, not actually complain...

12/17/2015 01:25:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey SCC? Been a fan since the beginning. Like the "Gallows" from the old days. I ran into the blog monkey switching to a paid ad for a few days. It was there this morning, gone now. See what old age breeds? Patience. Keep on trucking for old, very old and new coppers.

12/17/2015 04:13:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...



Never happened on my iPad,. Love your site.

12/18/2015 11:46:00 AM  

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