Can any admin explain what the row of grey graphics is all about I seem to be getting

Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
17,494
Reaction score
1,541
Points
113
Location
Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada
Your Mac's Specs
2011 27" iMac, 1TB(partitioned) SSD, 20GB, OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
I seem to have acquired a row of gray graphics on every mac-forums page the last few days.
Can anyone explain what they are for?? Or am I the only one???

They even flash across each page or with any reload with AdBlock enabled, and then disappear.

This is what shows:

Screen Shot 2019-04-17 at 7.48.32 PM.png


Reboots don't change anything.


- Patrick
======
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
25,564
Reaction score
486
Points
83
Location
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Wow Patrick none of that here so it may well be with your computer.
 
OP
pm-r
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
17,494
Reaction score
1,541
Points
113
Location
Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada
Your Mac's Specs
2011 27" iMac, 1TB(partitioned) SSD, 20GB, OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
I have been using Google Chrome in Mavericks as Safari went all goofy for too many sites for me, but this grey graphics thing is a fairly new phenomenon.

Having a quick look using Safari, it looks like there may be some graphics being inserted by something called "Ads from Amazon" (a small icon shows saying just that).

But still rather odd as Safari had two ad blockers enabled, yet the graphics showed, but not in the same shape as those that show in Chrome.

Rather sttrange. So I was wondering if the admins had added something new to cause such a display.

Thanks for your feedback Harry.



- Patrick
======
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
Pat, do you use any sort of Ad blocker? they are ads but even Ad Block pro won't zap them completely and I see what you see on a few systems here.
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2019
Messages
461
Reaction score
4
Points
18
It's the same thing that's causing Safari's failure to completely load the forum on my Mac (Mojave). There's something about those ads that drives Safari nuts.
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
I'm getting the same thing Patrick. Right now I have no explanation. Looking into it.

By the way, it's also happening with Chrome.

Edit: Well, now it disappeared when using Safari. Really strange but it looks like it has to do with the type of ad blocker that's being used. I'll have to do some experimenting with different ad blockers for Chrome.
 
Last edited:

Rod


Joined
Jun 12, 2011
Messages
9,628
Reaction score
1,832
Points
113
Location
Melbourne, Australia and Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Your Mac's Specs
2021 M1 MacBook Pro 14" macOS 14.4.1, Mid 2010MacBook 13" iPhone 13 Pro max, iPad 6, Apple Watch SE.
When I had my problems I was not using an ad blocker at all for Safari, just Ghostery and did not/do not see what you guys are referring to now.
Since then I have added AdGuard to try out, nil issues with that.


Sent from my iPad using Mac-Forums
 
Last edited:

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
I seem to have acquired a row of gray graphics on every mac-forums page the last few days.
Can anyone explain what they are for?? Or am I the only one???

Those look like the Amazon ads that are at the top & bottom of most pages. I'm not running any ad-blockers on my computers...and everything looks fine in Safari & Chrome.:)

Running Ad-Blockers is a choice by the user...and are an augment to a users internet computing experience...this is not a Mac-Forums issue. It seems if the ad-blocker is enabled you see the gray graphics...if the ad-blocker is disabled you see the ads.

- Nick
 
Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
10,702
Reaction score
1,158
Points
113
Location
Rhode Island
Your Mac's Specs
M1 Mac Studio, 11" iPad Pro 3rdGen, iPhone 13 ProMax, Watch S7, 2018 15" MBP, AirPods Pro
On my iPad, I get a 4” of white space. I am using Safari (iOS 12.2) and use AdBlock and Firefox Focus for “Content Blockers”.
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
I have done some testing here and no Ad blocker seems to completely remove the field up top. Mine removes the ads but you still see the blank space on some browsers and on others what the OP posted.
 
OP
pm-r
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
17,494
Reaction score
1,541
Points
113
Location
Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada
Your Mac's Specs
2011 27" iMac, 1TB(partitioned) SSD, 20GB, OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
I'm getting the same thing Patrick. Right now I have no explanation. Looking into it.

By the way, it's also happening with Chrome.


Relief!! At least it's not just me.

Whatever is causing such a display seems started fairly recently, at least for me, and normally running Mavericks and chrome. It definitely was not happening this time last week!!

I don't always have my ad blocker turned on, but in this case it doesn't seem to even matter, and this shot was taken after aseveral reloads in order to update the webpage, ie:

Screen Shot 2019-04-18 at 8.32.02 AM.png



- Patrick
======
 
OP
pm-r
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
17,494
Reaction score
1,541
Points
113
Location
Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada
Your Mac's Specs
2011 27" iMac, 1TB(partitioned) SSD, 20GB, OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
I just found this that looks rather suspicious, especially if one looks at the date of release and I'll do some experimentation later on to see if it might be the cause of my problem.

AdBlock for Chrome 3.44.0: Performance Improvements and Dark Mode
Go to the profile of AdBlock
AdBlock
Apr 15
We’re thrilled to announce the latest release of our AdBlock for Chrome extension, which improves ad blocking performance, increases page load speed, and provides a brand new dark mode theme for the AdBlock menu.

The following updates are included in this release of AdBlock for Chrome:
... ... ...
There’s nothing you need to do to get the 3.44.0 update. AdBlock updates itself automatically whenever your browser is open.

Sure seems rather too coincidental I'd say!!!



- Patrick
======
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
The new ad blocker for Chrome is working well. No ads or white space show up at the top of our opening dialog. However, Safari still shows a large white space, but the ads are not showing up nor any gray ghosts.
 
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
Messages
2,014
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
Tyneside, UK
Your Mac's Specs
MBP Retina mid 2015 15.4" 16GB 2.5 GHz OS Monterey; iPhone 12 128gb; iPad Mini 5, 64gb
Two inches of white space; Firefox, AdBlock Plus, Ghostery. But I got in today without having to complete name & password and the ads are gone.
 
Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
10,702
Reaction score
1,158
Points
113
Location
Rhode Island
Your Mac's Specs
M1 Mac Studio, 11" iPad Pro 3rdGen, iPhone 13 ProMax, Watch S7, 2018 15" MBP, AirPods Pro
Here’s what I get on my IPad Pro,

MF ad space.jpg
 
OP
pm-r
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
17,494
Reaction score
1,541
Points
113
Location
Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada
Your Mac's Specs
2011 27" iMac, 1TB(partitioned) SSD, 20GB, OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
Good grief Bob!!! At least you get a notice that there are 15 other "Results"!!

PS: Which browser app are you using???


- Patrick
======
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
Probably Safari. I tested Ad Blockers with Safari and while the "gray ghosts" disappear it leaves a large white blank space the same as Bob is experiencing. However, when I use Chrome, everything is normal so it's very likely a glitch with Safari that's causing the white space to appear.

Nothing wrong with the forum software as far as I can determine.
 
Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
10,702
Reaction score
1,158
Points
113
Location
Rhode Island
Your Mac's Specs
M1 Mac Studio, 11" iPad Pro 3rdGen, iPhone 13 ProMax, Watch S7, 2018 15" MBP, AirPods Pro
Good grief Bob!!! At least you get a notice that there are 15 other "Results"!!

PS: Which browser app are you using???


- Patrick
======
I use Safari. but the thread is down below, I have to scroll down to read all the replies/posts.
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
Like I said, the problem is with Safari, not the forum software. Everything appears normal when using Chrome.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top