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NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 1st 20, 05:47 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
micky[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 222
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

Major problem, spinning blue circle, in several programs.

I had googled 100% disk and later decided that even when it was
Eudora that had the spinning blue circle, the problem was in Firefox.

So I googled 100% disk firefox . Quite a few results I forget the
first easy suggestion, but it got rid of the circle for a few hours.

Second I went to Firefox / Options / Security / Data and deleted 1.2
gigs of cache, being careful not to delete my cookies. It takes a while
for FF to calculate how much is in the cache and it wont' let you delete
anything until it does. Usually for me it's 1.2 gigs, except after I
delete, it's about 100megs.


This stopped the blue circle usually for 2 days. Worked so well I
started deleting even before I had trouble. Verizon forced me to get
FIOS so I guess replacing the webpages that were in the cache doesn't
take that long.


But despite all this, I still had the blue circle once in a while and
surprisingly sometimes not in Firefox but in Eudora, even iirc soon
after deleting the cache. This is strange because Eudora is a pretty
simple program and I think it would get stuck when I modified and saved
an outgoing email. The entire outbox is in an .mbx file and a .toc file
and I got the .mbx file down to 2MB, which my computer will save in 2
seconds, but it was taking 90 seconds and had the blue spinning circle,
and I couldn't do anything else in Eudora (and maybe (can't recall)
often not in Firefox or even other programs.) .


Separately, scripts that would not end were bothering me. The problem
had gone away for months but it was back. There was a small window to
manually end a script, but sometimes the window was totally hidden and
sometimes clicking on it didn't do anything. --- Plus the window had the
obscure question, Don't ask me the next time? Okay, but what would
happen if it didn't ask me?. Would it just run forever? Or would it
automatically stop the script after a certain length of time. That
seems the only reasonable choice, but it didn't seem to work that way in
practice, and googling the message gave confusing answers.


I installed the Noscript add-on to Firefox. Wow. It starts off
allowing guess what? No scripts, including javascript itself. Even
after allowing that, every webpage seems to use a script and every
webpage seems broken. I start it and wonder why it is broken. Only
after about 10 seconds do I remember Noscript.


What is interesting is merely trusting one script, the top one of the
list, usually the one which has the same name as the url, is enough to
make most webpages work fine. Even if there are 4 or 12 scripts
listed, one is usually enough. But sometimes, like Home Depot, it's
not, and it can be hard to figure out which other one I need. Sometimes
the name helps. Once or twice I've trusted as many as 4, and once or
twice 3, but other than that, in 10 days it's been one or two scripts.


Since then I've had only two instances of a script that won't stop, and
unfortunately the name that is displayed in that box has nothing to do
with the names displayed in the Noscript permission box. I saw this
problem coming, but I don't know how to avoid it. Someone very
organized could keep a list of urls and if a Script-won't-stop box
appears, look back at the trusted scripts, but even then I would have to
guess which one caused the problem**.


But the result is no more blue circle in Eudora, whoopie, plus as a
side effect, most of the advertising in FF is gone and so far no webpage
has complained that I have an ad-blocker, because I don't. I have a
script-blocker.***

Also it seems when I stop using the computer, the screen doesn't go
black like it used to, and I should check if the HDD spins down,
although I have windows set to blanking the screen after 30 minutes, so
I don't know what that would have to do with a script.

And I foresee that forever every time I go to a new page, I'll have to
remember to trust its script. OTOH, while Disk used to spend 15 minutes
at a time at 100%, especially after I had been away from the computer,
now it only goes to 94% for a short time and spends most of the time at
4 to 8%.


***Webpages do sometimes complain that I don't have Javascript, or that
I have the wrong kind of computer, LOL, but often the page doesn't
complain at all. Sometimes the screen is blank and sometimes parts of
it are there. The need to trust a script has gotten less frequent, I
guess because I use the same pages over and over again. Some scripts are
shared by many webpages, but I don't think I've trusted any of them. A
couple times I got in the permission box "This is a privileged page,
whose permissions cannot be configured ", but the first time I did
something and that went away There are other buttons in Noscript that
enable everything. I don't really understand some of the buttoms.


**But the Script-won't-stop box has only happened twice, and maybe the
author will make it possible to match up won't-stop with
manually-trusted. There is a list of scripts I trusted. It's already
pretty long. I found little in the way of No-script instructions, and
I had trouble understanding some of the FAQ, including some method of
its helping me to search the web for info on what is a good or bad
script. Maybe it will be more clear when I read it again and maybe
he'll fix it up more. It's free and one should not look a gift horse in
the mouth.


Ads
  #2  
Old January 2nd 20, 11:10 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
micky[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 222
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.


I'm surprised there are no comments on NoScript.


In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Wed, 01 Jan 2020 11:47:18 -0500, micky
wrote:

Major problem, spinning blue circle, in several programs.

I had googled 100% disk and later decided that even when it was
Eudora that had the spinning blue circle, the problem was in Firefox.

So I googled 100% disk firefox . Quite a few results I forget the
first easy suggestion, but it got rid of the circle for a few hours.

Second I went to Firefox / Options / Security / Data and deleted 1.2
gigs of cache, being careful not to delete my cookies. It takes a while
for FF to calculate how much is in the cache and it wont' let you delete
anything until it does. Usually for me it's 1.2 gigs, except after I
delete, it's about 100megs.


This stopped the blue circle usually for 2 days. Worked so well I
started deleting even before I had trouble. Verizon forced me to get
FIOS so I guess replacing the webpages that were in the cache doesn't
take that long.


But despite all this, I still had the blue circle once in a while and
surprisingly sometimes not in Firefox but in Eudora, even iirc soon
after deleting the cache. This is strange because Eudora is a pretty
simple program and I think it would get stuck when I modified and saved
an outgoing email. The entire outbox is in an .mbx file and a .toc file
and I got the .mbx file down to 2MB, which my computer will save in 2
seconds, but it was taking 90 seconds and had the blue spinning circle,
and I couldn't do anything else in Eudora (and maybe (can't recall)
often not in Firefox or even other programs.) .


Separately, scripts that would not end were bothering me. The problem
had gone away for months but it was back. There was a small window to
manually end a script, but sometimes the window was totally hidden and
sometimes clicking on it didn't do anything. --- Plus the window had the
obscure question, Don't ask me the next time? Okay, but what would
happen if it didn't ask me?. Would it just run forever? Or would it
automatically stop the script after a certain length of time. That
seems the only reasonable choice, but it didn't seem to work that way in
practice, and googling the message gave confusing answers.


I installed the Noscript add-on to Firefox. Wow. It starts off
allowing guess what? No scripts, including javascript itself. Even
after allowing that, every webpage seems to use a script and every
webpage seems broken. I start it and wonder why it is broken. Only
after about 10 seconds do I remember Noscript.


What is interesting is merely trusting one script, the top one of the
list, usually the one which has the same name as the url, is enough to
make most webpages work fine. Even if there are 4 or 12 scripts
listed, one is usually enough. But sometimes, like Home Depot, it's
not, and it can be hard to figure out which other one I need. Sometimes
the name helps. Once or twice I've trusted as many as 4, and once or
twice 3, but other than that, in 10 days it's been one or two scripts.


Since then I've had only two instances of a script that won't stop, and
unfortunately the name that is displayed in that box has nothing to do
with the names displayed in the Noscript permission box. I saw this
problem coming, but I don't know how to avoid it. Someone very
organized could keep a list of urls and if a Script-won't-stop box
appears, look back at the trusted scripts, but even then I would have to
guess which one caused the problem**.


But the result is no more blue circle in Eudora, whoopie, plus as a
side effect, most of the advertising in FF is gone and so far no webpage
has complained that I have an ad-blocker, because I don't. I have a
script-blocker.***

Also it seems when I stop using the computer, the screen doesn't go
black like it used to, and I should check if the HDD spins down,
although I have windows set to blanking the screen after 30 minutes, so
I don't know what that would have to do with a script.

And I foresee that forever every time I go to a new page, I'll have to
remember to trust its script. OTOH, while Disk used to spend 15 minutes
at a time at 100%, especially after I had been away from the computer,
now it only goes to 94% for a short time and spends most of the time at
4 to 8%.


***Webpages do sometimes complain that I don't have Javascript, or that
I have the wrong kind of computer, LOL, but often the page doesn't
complain at all. Sometimes the screen is blank and sometimes parts of
it are there. The need to trust a script has gotten less frequent, I
guess because I use the same pages over and over again. Some scripts are
shared by many webpages, but I don't think I've trusted any of them. A
couple times I got in the permission box "This is a privileged page,
whose permissions cannot be configured ", but the first time I did
something and that went away There are other buttons in Noscript that
enable everything. I don't really understand some of the buttoms.


**But the Script-won't-stop box has only happened twice, and maybe the
author will make it possible to match up won't-stop with
manually-trusted. There is a list of scripts I trusted. It's already
pretty long. I found little in the way of No-script instructions, and
I had trouble understanding some of the FAQ, including some method of
its helping me to search the web for info on what is a good or bad
script. Maybe it will be more clear when I read it again and maybe
he'll fix it up more. It's free and one should not look a gift horse in
the mouth.


  #3  
Old January 3rd 20, 12:22 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

micky wrote:
I'm surprised there are no comments on NoScript.


Please wait, while the comment generator reloads

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p...Hounddog-1.gif

Paul
  #4  
Old January 3rd 20, 12:36 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Johnny
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 306
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

On Thu, 02 Jan 2020 17:10:07 -0500
micky wrote:

I'm surprised there are no comments on NoScript.


Use NoScript with Linux Mint and you won't have any blue spinning
circles, and scripts won't stop the page from loading.

You are right about only having to trust two or three scripts to
have a fully functional website, a lot of those scripts are
advertisements.

The only time I disable NoScript is when I'm shopping online at a
trusted company, like Sears or Newegg. I disable NoScript so there is
no problem processing the payment.

You will gradually learn which scripts you need with each of your
favorite websites. Like if you are using Bing Maps, you have to allow
Virtualearth.net.


  #5  
Old January 3rd 20, 02:11 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,438
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

"micky" wrote

|
| I'm surprised there are no comments on NoScript.
|

It all seemed about right to me. Except that if you're
using FF59+ you probably have a somewhat crippled
version of NoScript.

Most of the sites I visit don't need script, so I use
New moon with script, frames, 3rd-party files, etc
disabled. If I want to visit more commercial sites
I use FF58 with NoScript and Secret Agent. Even then
I don't usually enable script. Only if I must. I'm
increasingly depending on my toolbar button to
toggle CSS on pages that are broken.

I would suggest that you disable cache or set it to
a small size. Mine is set to 10 MB, just in case I need
to reload images within the same site. Why? Because
almost every page now is loaded dynamically. It's not
just a file on a server. It's a file that gets put together
on-call, with new content, new ads, customization
based on your browser, location, and what you
bought yesterday, etc. The result is that the browser
never gets a 304 message. ("Cache version is not older.")
So the browser never uses the cache. Because even
though you might visit pages that haven't changed for
10 years, the browser thinks they're new with every visit.

But it's also true that many commercial sites are
loading several MB of script. Many of those pages
are really moderate-sized software programs. The
script not only compromises security and privacy in
a big way. It also takes a lot of work to parse.

Some sites are really nothing but script. I experienced
that the other day with a store I shop at. The owner has a
webmaster who doesn't know how to code webpages,
so the webmaster wanted to use Wix. That means their
URL is redirected to a Wix database, which loads a pile of
crap that's almost exclusively script. There's no actual
webpage there. So I can no longer see their website.
The webpage must be constructed dynamically in my
browser, so with script disabled there's nothing to see.

They don't care because they don't understand my
explanation. The site works for them. So I must be some
kind of weirdo. They have no idea how HTML works and
don't suspect that their webmaster has no idea what she's
doing any more than they do.

But sites like Wix, and especially wordpress hosting, along
with any site where you allow ads, are among the most
dangerous. Ads lend themselves to "malvertising". Do-it-
yourself websites often have outdated plugins that can
be hacked. And all of those risks require javascript to be
dangerous.

So, I think it's basically like you said: NoScript greatly
reduces scripts running. It's safer. It's better for privacy.
Pages load much faster. And the cost is some degree of
hassle with some pages not working properly.


  #6  
Old January 3rd 20, 05:09 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
micky[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 222
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Thu, 2 Jan 2020 17:36:08 -0600, Johnny
wrote:

On Thu, 02 Jan 2020 17:10:07 -0500
micky wrote:

I'm surprised there are no comments on NoScript.


Use NoScript with Linux Mint and you won't have any blue spinning
circles, and scripts won't stop the page from loading.

You are right about only having to trust two or three scripts to
have a fully functional website, a lot of those scripts are
advertisements.

The only time I disable NoScript is when I'm shopping online at a
trusted company, like Sears or Newegg. I disable NoScript so there is
no problem processing the payment.


Good to know. I haven't bought anything yet.

You will gradually learn which scripts you need with each of your
favorite websites. Like if you are using Bing Maps, you have to allow
Virtualearth.net.


I only use Bing Maps when I use Home Depot and it wants to tell me where
the store is. There, even though I didn't need to know where the store
was, the page wouldn't load without the bing maps script.



  #7  
Old January 3rd 20, 05:13 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
micky[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 222
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Thu, 2 Jan 2020 20:11:49 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

"micky" wrote

|
| I'm surprised there are no comments on NoScript.
|

It all seemed about right to me. Except that if you're
using FF59+ you probably have a somewhat crippled
version of NoScript.

Most of the sites I visit don't need script, so I use
New moon with script, frames, 3rd-party files, etc
disabled. If I want to visit more commercial sites
I use FF58 with NoScript and Secret Agent. Even then
I don't usually enable script. Only if I must. I'm
increasingly depending on my toolbar button to
toggle CSS on pages that are broken.

I would suggest that you disable cache or set it to
a small size. Mine is set to 10 MB, just in case I need
to reload images within the same site. Why? Because
almost every page now is loaded dynamically. It's not
just a file on a server. It's a file that gets put together
on-call, with new content, new ads, customization
based on your browser, location, and what you
bought yesterday, etc. The result is that the browser
never gets a 304 message. ("Cache version is not older.")
So the browser never uses the cache. Because even
though you might visit pages that haven't changed for
10 years, the browser thinks they're new with every visit.

But it's also true that many commercial sites are
loading several MB of script. Many of those pages
are really moderate-sized software programs. The
script not only compromises security and privacy in
a big way. It also takes a lot of work to parse.

Some sites are really nothing but script. I experienced
that the other day with a store I shop at. The owner has a
webmaster who doesn't know how to code webpages,
so the webmaster wanted to use Wix. That means their
URL is redirected to a Wix database, which loads a pile of
crap that's almost exclusively script. There's no actual
webpage there. So I can no longer see their website.
The webpage must be constructed dynamically in my
browser, so with script disabled there's nothing to see.

They don't care because they don't understand my
explanation. The site works for them. So I must be some
kind of weirdo.


LOL. Maybe you can get people here to write you a letter of
approbation. Maybe.

They have no idea how HTML works and
don't suspect that their webmaster has no idea what she's
doing any more than they do.

But sites like Wix, and especially wordpress hosting, along
with any site where you allow ads, are among the most
dangerous. Ads lend themselves to "malvertising". Do-it-
yourself websites often have outdated plugins that can
be hacked. And all of those risks require javascript to be
dangerous.

So, I think it's basically like you said: NoScript greatly
reduces scripts running. It's safer. It's better for privacy.
Pages load much faster. And the cost is some degree of
hassle with some pages not working properly.


  #8  
Old January 3rd 20, 05:14 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

micky wrote:
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Thu, 2 Jan 2020 17:36:08 -0600, Johnny
wrote:

On Thu, 02 Jan 2020 17:10:07 -0500
micky wrote:

I'm surprised there are no comments on NoScript.

Use NoScript with Linux Mint and you won't have any blue spinning
circles, and scripts won't stop the page from loading.

You are right about only having to trust two or three scripts to
have a fully functional website, a lot of those scripts are
advertisements.

The only time I disable NoScript is when I'm shopping online at a
trusted company, like Sears or Newegg. I disable NoScript so there is
no problem processing the payment.


Good to know. I haven't bought anything yet.
You will gradually learn which scripts you need with each of your
favorite websites. Like if you are using Bing Maps, you have to allow
Virtualearth.net.


I only use Bing Maps when I use Home Depot and it wants to tell me where
the store is. There, even though I didn't need to know where the store
was, the page wouldn't load without the bing maps script.


Every webpage wants to know your location now.

Google is pretending to know my location, by using
my search terms. If I enter in, maybe a hundred
"Seattle Public Library" searches, I'll probably end
up in Seattle. At least I won't be left in a "train yard"
in Toronto, on the tracks, like I used to be. Every time
I enter the computer room, I have to look both ways
for trains.

Paul
  #9  
Old January 3rd 20, 05:33 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,438
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

"micky" wrote

| Some sites are really nothing but script. I experienced
| that the other day with a store I shop at. The owner has a
| webmaster who doesn't know how to code webpages,
| so the webmaster wanted to use Wix. That means their
| URL is redirected to a Wix database, which loads a pile of
| crap that's almost exclusively script. There's no actual
| webpage there. So I can no longer see their website.
| The webpage must be constructed dynamically in my
| browser, so with script disabled there's nothing to see.
|
| They don't care because they don't understand my
| explanation. The site works for them. So I must be some
| kind of weirdo.
|
| LOL. Maybe you can get people here to write you a letter of
| approbation. Maybe.
|

Fat chance. Half the people here would be happy
to attest that I'm a paranoiac for not enabling script.


  #10  
Old January 3rd 20, 11:56 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
mechanic
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

On Thu, 02 Jan 2020 23:14:51 -0500, Paul wrote:

Every webpage wants to know your location now.

Google is pretending to know my location, by using my search
terms. If I enter in, maybe a hundred "Seattle Public Library"
searches, I'll probably end up in Seattle. At least I won't be
left in a "train yard" in Toronto, on the tracks, like I used to
be. Every time I enter the computer room, I have to look both
ways for trains.


You have a computer room?
  #11  
Old January 3rd 20, 04:50 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

mechanic wrote:
On Thu, 02 Jan 2020 23:14:51 -0500, Paul wrote:

Every webpage wants to know your location now.

Google is pretending to know my location, by using my search
terms. If I enter in, maybe a hundred "Seattle Public Library"
searches, I'll probably end up in Seattle. At least I won't be
left in a "train yard" in Toronto, on the tracks, like I used to
be. Every time I enter the computer room, I have to look both
ways for trains.


You have a computer room?


Well, it's not a "den", because lions, tigers, and oh my
stay in dens.

The two active computers make it a "computer room".

It's a very tiny "computer center". Very tiny.

I tried swinging a cat in here, but the cat didn't like it.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c0/12...3863d63644.jpg

Paul
  #12  
Old January 4th 20, 03:43 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
micky[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 222
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Fri, 03 Jan 2020 10:50:10 -0500, Paul
wrote:

mechanic wrote:
On Thu, 02 Jan 2020 23:14:51 -0500, Paul wrote:

Every webpage wants to know your location now.

Google is pretending to know my location, by using my search
terms. If I enter in, maybe a hundred "Seattle Public Library"
searches, I'll probably end up in Seattle. At least I won't be
left in a "train yard" in Toronto, on the tracks, like I used to
be. Every time I enter the computer room, I have to look both
ways for trains.


I guess I don't say my location but I know I've told the Home Depot,
Target, and Walmart websites what store is "my store" and yet every
time, it's set to another store. I'm in Baltimroe and it's sometimes 5
miles away, sometimes 10, and once it was Ohio and recently South
Carolina. Shoulnd't my own setting take precedence over their guessing
my lcoation!

You have a computer room?


Well, it's not a "den", because lions, tigers, and oh my
stay in dens.

The two active computers make it a "computer room".


Can my one active computer and one broken one make mine a computer room?


It's a very tiny "computer center". Very tiny.

I tried swinging a cat in here, but the cat didn't like it.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c0/12...3863d63644.jpg

Paul


  #13  
Old January 5th 20, 06:03 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
micky[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 222
Default NoScript for Firefox is a pain but can solve problems.

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Sun, 05 Jan 2020 16:19:31 +0000, Jim H
wrote:

On Fri, 03 Jan 2020 21:43:49 -0500, in
, micky
wrote:

I guess I don't say my location but I know I've told the Home Depot,
Target, and Walmart websites what store is "my store" and yet every
time, it's set to another store. I'm in Baltimroe and it's sometimes 5
miles away, sometimes 10, and once it was Ohio and recently South
Carolina. Shoulnd't my own setting take precedence over their guessing
my lcoation!


You'd think so... but if it's stored in a cookie and you delete
cookies...


No, I don't delete cookies.

Unless some installer changed a setting... Nope. "Delete Cookies" is
not checked.

Just checked HomeDepot again and it's got me set for S. Annapolis.
Target is correct.
Walmart is still correct but it will be wrong in a few days.
lowes.com came up full-page, in color, for a few seconds and then
blanked the page and said Access Denied.

 




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