Script Error While Reading the Guide

[Carl]

The banner that comes up isn't a popup. It's something being used more commonly on sites these days, although I have to admit I am not fond of the fact that it doesn't have a cap on how many times it displays.

That's another thing I want to do, but for now i'm focusing on these nasty squares and how to get them to use less resources. It'd be a big step in the right direction for performance for those on lower-end machines or who use IE. I don't think the banner would be so annoying when someone is coming for just a couple of pages.. but if you're going to 10, I don't want it to come up all 10 times. Will see what can be done and have just shot an email to my account manager about that one, too!

I think anyone who does use it would be doing themselves a favor web-wide to disable the flash plugin, most sites are not using it now and if you get a flash ad, it's 10x bigger than an html 5 one. Honestly I think ads probably account for 90+% of flash usage, and you could of course turn it on selectively if an older site requires it to function.

[Janna]

I guess in just over a week I will get to see how much a difference from my old worn out computer does with the new one.     I am hoping that it will take care of the irritating adds, banners, or whatever they are.

I don't know if the size of my zoom level could be a factor either.  My old eyes have to have the fonts larger (zoom is at 170-185%), I have the font size at 14 to be able to read without straining. 

The banners wouldn't bother me so much if they didn't block the words on the page.  There are adds in the page between sections and they don't bother me as I can read the page fine.
When I have to keep clicking to get it to go away so I can read that section, that become the aggravation.

For me, I know it not the norm; and that it will, as soon as possible, be fixed so it won't be a bother in reading articles.

Unless, like I stated, I could be having more of a problem because of the size of my font and the zoom level.   

Tomorrow I will try reading articles with the zoom at a lower level and see how the adds, or banners, do in blocking the words. 

[Carl]

@Janna Wow, I just saw what it's like with 180% zoom and can see how that might be a problem. The ads take over half the screen, because they're getting zoomed too...

Most browsers have a font size setting. For me, it didn't obey right away. Google how to raise the font size in your particular browser. In Chrome, I had to go to settings > Advanced settings and then to font. Just changing 'font size' to large didn't work. I went to Customize Fonts at the bottom > Minimum font size (again, bottom), and there was a scroll bar. I was able to get the guide's font to enlarge without other things enlarging by doing this. I set the minimum size to 24pt and the letters were as large as what you get with 180% zoom. I hope this helps!

[Janna]

Thanks for the info Carl,

I have a week before I get my new computer, so I will practice on this old one to learn how to set it right. 

*sigh*  getting old sucks       10 size fonts was a good reading size, now, I find I prefer 14 to not have to strain any. 

[Carl]

If you're feeling adventurous, try out chrome or firefox. Both are faster browsers, though the new Edge with Windows 10 might be good. I have 0 experience with it. I really don't expect anyone to adapt to use our site, I think people just go with what feels safe sometimes and don't explore the alternatives. For others, IE is a choice and preference. They've tried the others and like IE best, and I can't blame them. I have done testing on this and other sites and just see smoother scrolling period with both of the main alternatives

[Janna]

I've gotten so used to IE that I hadn't considered others.

I wasn't happy with Google, don't remember why now but will check Chrome and Firefox.  I do a LOT of researching, mostly for fun, and need something that will let me bounce from site to site looking up info and not get bogged down with junk.

Answers.com is really bad in that area, as are some others that I do my best to avoid.   

Will start to research Chrome, Firefox and others to pick out a good browser. 

[Magpie2012]

I am forced to use IE at work (although the one site where we need "speed" they had to install Chrome for lol I love irony) and that is more than enough exposure for me! I prefer Chrome and have been using it since immediately after it became available in South Africa! Before that I (vaguely) remember using FireFox for about 6 weeks, but it just never took off with me lol

Sent from my BlackBerry 9720 using Tapatalk

[Janna]

Been reading up on the other browsers, Chrome, Foxfire and on Edge.

I will continue to read about them and then after I get my new computer, which will come with Windows 10 (I am assuming it will have Edge), I will see how I like it.
I learned how to change the size of the text and not mess with the rest of the web page.

For those with IE, here is what I did to change text size:
Go to the top of the page (right hand top corner) where you see the word page (I bolded it, it's not bolded naturally).  Click on it and it will have options, below zoom size is text size.  I made mine largest (was on medium) and it has helped some.  I still have to have the zoom on at 160%, but it has lowered the size of the adds (banners?) to where they block only a very small amount of the words on the screen and not a big deal to click on.  Since I can see a whole lot more of the page and the banner is so much smaller it can be dealt with easily. 
Went from around three inches in size to a finger width, a big difference.


Jan 4th won't come fast enough for me, new computer is to be delivered at Best Buy.  Probably won't get it until the 5th, most likely though

Thanks everyone for the assist and info on the problems and of the different browsers. 

[Magpie2012]

@Janna I'll admit I'm a bit of a Google Ho, but you can't go wrong with Chrome! It's one of the first things I install on a new setup (if it isn't there already) it is so much speedier than IE and also tends to have less hang-ups! Firefox is another good one but my Google addiction just couldn't be deterred lol I'm not savvy when it comes to Edge though, it's too new and I've been delaying upgrading to Win 10 for just that reason.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9720 using Tapatalk

[Magpie2012]

This is an article by a South African Broadband Forum that might help

compare browsers popularity

Again, please let me know if the hyperlink works, I'm really new to using them!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9720 using Tapatalk

[Carl]

Most sites should support all browsers by now. What I see on the link you entered, Magpie (which works ) is similar to our usage on the site, only 50% is mobile and 40% Chrome, 5% firefox, 2% IE and opera/safari being a little less than IE.

[Carl]

@Janna Could you go into Control Panel > Programs and Features and see if anything like Adobe Flash/Shockwave (either starting with adobe or not) are installed. Their reader is fine.

I just did a test. I installed flash, and both my sites were near unresponsive in the browser because flash ads came up. They still send them to IE. I uninstalled this program again, and all of a sudden my IE was acting like chrome, silky smooth. This affects Firefox and IE.

I've asked them to stop serving this type of ad on the site, IF they are able. Ultimately, it's something that will happen gradually as marketers who only target IE are only getting what - 10% of all browsers, tops? Chrome only works with HTML 5 ads.

You can imagine that I'm really relieved to discover this is the reason. I would not be surprised if the person who originally brought this up has Flash and is experiencing this. They are so memory intensive my PC couldn't function, and it was even with certain ads off. I was wondering why thousands of people would still visit my site if it was this bad, but it turns out most of them may not have this... regardless, let's hope they block flash ads entirely from my account. Only a tiny fraction of the web even needs flash to function now.

[Carl]

@JulianneALee No ads or no sluggish ads? 

Hey there, Carl!
 
I just blocked all potential Flash creatives from coming through your tags.

Woohoo! Er, I mean yay!

[Janna]

Just uninstalled Adobe Flash Player 20 Active X and Adobe Flash Player 20 NPAPI,  will check to see if that makes a difference.
 
I have Adobe AIR still, not sure if it is connected to the Adobe Flash Player.

If I am still having all of the popups, banners then I will uninstall that and see how that affects. 

Thanks for the info about Adobe  will let you know what I find out

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Just did a quick check.  And a HUGE difference.  no waiting, waiting and more waiting for the page to load.  There was no lagging as I went from one link to another. I would have gotten at least one "site is not responding" message if not more and none showed up.   
Just in the short time from when I first posted I was able to go to seven different links where before I would still be waiting for the page to download.   
Clicked on Careers, then culinary then on another link.  Then went to Aliens, clicked on a link to something, just any link that I saw and I was there, no waiting and waiting to get there.   Clicked on some more links, still no problems, no lagging, or being shut down with the "not responding" message.

Still have the banners, but that I think is part of the site and it isn't a bother as it now quickly goes away, and it doesn't show up as often.   

Thanks for the info Carl, you and the rest of the moderators are the best. 
Anyone else having problems will now know that they need to remove Flash, or use the link that JulianneALee gave.

[Carl]

That's what I was hoping for you @Janna - that the ad that comes up at the bottom wouldn't be so annoying if it were not so slow. It's acceptable, I think, if a person is just checking a few pages but I'm looking into caps for when a person goes to say 5 pages, so it will not come up anymore for 24 hours.. but it's a new thing and they may not be able to do so yet. Regardless I've put in a request that this should be a feature, because I have no way to stop it myself. I think they'll listen, because some people will be pushed away from using it. Take for example here. I do not use it on the Forum any more because it was too annoying if someone wanted to lurk and read without registering. I don't blame them, and don't want them to have to close it for every thread they visit.

Thanks a lot for letting me know that fixed it for you. I actually wrote to OP in the original thread to thank them for bringing it up. Honestly, I couldn't know there was a problem as I didn't have Flash installed! So when I went on IE and tested, I saw what you see now. Fine performance, maybe a little jittery at times but not breaking the site at all.

Cheers, and thank you all for your reports and helping me to get it sorted. When the other company I wrote to disables flash ads for us, it'll be a little bit better.