A lot of people grumble about objectionable advertisements on the sidebar of FaceBook. That’s understandable. There are numerous FB groups calling for action against FB for this. I never see the ads on most webpages. You might not like my steps, but here’s how:
1. Stop using AOL. What I used to get for $25/month is now free. I used it in the free format for a few years and then dropped it entirely (a lot of people don’t know that AOL has been available for no monthly cost since Sep ’05). Unless you have dial-up, I recommend you drop it. There are many advantages to AOL, but nothing that can’t be replaced with a better version…unless you need quick access to celebrity news.
If you have a broadband connection, there’s no need for you to pay an Internet Service Provider (like AOL or Earthlink). You just need a web browser. There are two main browsers: Internet Explorer (54% of internet users) and Firefox (41% of users). They are both free. Firefox is the choice of capitalists everywhere. It is user-supported, bug-free, efficient, customizable, safe and private. Many of the things that IE is not.
2. Install the Firefox browser (if you have broadband access). Give yourself a week or so to get acclimated. Learn to bookmark. Learn to love the efficient tab system. Learn to love the status bar and bookmarks toolbar.
3. When you’re ready. Visit the add-ons. These are separate programs that have been created by users that you can “add-on” to your Firefox to make it more “yours.” The three I use the most are Foxmarks (which syncs my bookmarks to other computers I use), AccuWeather (which summarizes the weather and gives me a pop-up radar on the status bar) and Ad-Block Plus.
4. Install Ad-Block Plus. It will get rid of most banners and ads. But it’s also customizable so you can remove things it misses.
By the way of recommendation, I also recommend and use constantly much of the free suite of Google products. Everyday I use Google’s email (GMail), Calendar, Reader, Documents and Maps. They have plenty I haven’t used yet, also.
Also, this week a former Google creator started a new search engine called Cuil (pronounced “cool”). It has a different feel, but it has potential. It purports to search more than 1 trillion web pages. I was wondering if anyone was trying it out.
Ryan,
I feel as if I have been communicating to you via a third party. Thank you for the information! It is very helpful.
While down in Greenville (aka. Mecca), David (my brother-in-law) introduced me to Firefox. I have not taken the time to make the switch, but I will. We stayed with Denise’s sister and family.They had high speed internet and it has been very hard to come home to dial-up. I am able to use high speed at hot spots on the laptop, but we will soon make the switch at home and say goodbye to aol (a few years ago I threatened to switch to Netzero and they lower my price to $13.00/ month).
I hope all is well with you and your family!
Yours truely,
“The Tall Kid with a Big Head”