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This is the situation: I've been browsing the web for an hour in pursuit of some bit of technical information and have visited several dozen websites that I don't even remember anymore. I've finally found what I need so I start closing the web browser, only to discover that — aaargh! — there's a popup ad hiding underneath!

My blood boils. What insidious website is responsible for this circumvention of my browser's popup blocker? I want to make it pay for its crime. I'll write angry emails. Leave bad reviews. Even block it from my Google search results — yes, that'll show it!

But I've reached an impediment. The offending site has already been closed.

Is it too late to deduce the advertisement's origin? Or can I somehow un-pop the popup?

Details

  • I'm asking about the case in which I have not been taking unusual preemptive actions. Watching my past browsing activity by any means that isn't operative by default is not an option.
  • Here's a test page. With only the popup left on your screen, can you deduce that it was caused by visiting PasteHTML?

  • Out of curiosity, I tried using Collusion to track my test popup. It didn't show any relationship between the popup and its origin:

    Popup advertisement visualized by Collusion for Chrome

ændrük
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2 Answers2

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You don't mention which browser you're using.

In Firefox, click on History->Recently Closed Tabs, and just re-open one after another until your popup ... well, pops up.

Nathan Osman
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Matt Barnes
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I wouldn't bother myself.

I use FirefoxAdKiller (a Firefox add-on), and those occasional ads or pop-ups that I let past NoScript (an even better Firefox add-on) can be 'permanently banished' .. no image, no text, ever again ..

Good Luck.

david6
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