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The Penguin
join:2001-07-31
45 South

The Penguin

Member

Facebook popup

Wondering what's happening here...Often when a new website is loading the attached popup will appear onscreen and over the website's page. (not part of it) The file name is not always the same but Facebook usually features in the popup. I close it and after a minute or two another message will appear saying that the 'server at Facebook is taking too long to respond'.
I'm a member of Facebook, having once joined out of curiosity, but very seldom use it or access it. Anyone know why these popups keep appearing when I'm going nowhere near Facebook? Is there some way to stop them?
Thanks for any advice.

.

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

PHP is a webserver scripting language. Your browser should be running the script instead of asking you to save it to a file. Have you reconfigured your browser to do so?

The Penguin
join:2001-07-31
45 South

The Penguin

Member

said by StuartMW:

PHP is a webserver scripting language. Your browser should be running the script instead of asking you to save it to a file. Have you reconfigured your browser to do so?

Thanks for the reply.
I'm using Firefox as a browser - haven't done anything to its configurations as far as scripting languages go (or know how to!) and this problem has only started in the past couple of months.
Why would my pc be accessing facebook.com without my permission anyhow? These popups occur when I'm loading sites that have nothing to do with Facebook.

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

Many websites have embedded links to Facebook scripts on them (e.g. for Facebook "likes"--in fact the script you see is like.php).

I'd have a look in Tools -> Options -> Applications tab

and enter php in the search box. There shouldn't be an entry (I don't have one).

The Penguin
join:2001-07-31
45 South

The Penguin

Member

Thanks. Just tried that and there is no reference to 'php'
Couldn't spot anything else in the other settings that looked relevant either.

.

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

Hmmm, perhaps you have some add-on that's doing it.

Try

Help -> Restart with Add-ons Disabled...

If that doesn't work I'd suspect your FF profile is borked. I'd try creating a new one and see if that fixes it.

The Penguin
join:2001-07-31
45 South

The Penguin

Member

I'll try that. Problem is it doesn't occur all the time so could take a while to isolate. Thanks.

.

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

siljaline to The Penguin

Premium Member

to The Penguin
Based on your screenshot - you are using Firefox for Facebook.
It would seem to me that your account settings are somewhat incorrectly configured:
If you wander down to this setting and ensure the "platform" is off - this should help.
»www.facebook.com/setting ··· ications

The Penguin
join:2001-07-31
45 South

1 recommendation

The Penguin

Member

said by siljaline:

Based on your screenshot - you are using Firefox for Facebook.
It would seem to me that your account settings are somewhat incorrectly configured:
If you wander down to this setting and ensure the "platform" is off - this should help.
»www.facebook.com/setting ··· ications

Thanks Siljaline, just loaded a website that always produces the popup and... no popup! Turned 'platform' off and that seems to have sorted the problem.
Thanks also StuartMW for the suggestions.

La Luna
Fly With The Angels My Beloved Son Chris
Premium Member
join:2001-07-12
New Port Richey, FL

La Luna

Premium Member

Glad you got it sorted but that still shouldn't have been happening. I use FB and I don't get any popups like that on other websites.

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

siljaline to The Penguin

Premium Member

to The Penguin
Glad to help ! You might try:
Disconnect is a Firefox add-on that helps mask Facebook platform goads from sites that use and there are many.

»www.youtube.com/watch?fe ··· m1Z66C7Q

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

. o O (Yet another reason not to touch FB with a 10ft pole)

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

siljaline

Premium Member

You'd be surprised the amount of security professionals, AV - AS Vendors - nice folks from MS - etc, that all have Facebook accounts.

Much of what is shared there is brought to these walls.

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

Well there's a big difference between using FB for professional/organizational purposes and private purposes.

I'd expect that personal FB accounts far outnumbers professional/commercial ones.

javaMan
The Dude abides.
MVM
join:2002-07-15
San Luis Obispo, CA

javaMan

MVM

said by StuartMW:

Well there's a big difference between using FB for professional/organizational purposes and private purposes.

I'd expect that personal FB accounts far outnumbers professional/commercial ones.

Without personal accounts, professional/organizational/commercial accounts would be pretty useless don't you think?

I can't argue that FB hasn't attempted to push their boundaries further than they should. But on the other hand, they have also responded to their customer's objections as well. Unless you have an account yourself there's really no way for me to explain to you the control I do have over what and who sees what information I share.

I would also agree that people foolishly share more information than is wise. But, really, that's not FB's problem. We're all in agreement that people do stupid things when it comes to their public behavior. Again, FB can't be blamed for that. If you're concerned about people knowing your birthday or place of birth, don't share it. And I don't have 1257 friends.

Concerning what information FB retains. Well, again, if you're careful about what you share and who you share it with, I wouldn't be any more concerned about what they retain than what this forum retains. Listen, I'm not a FB fanboy, I just get tired of people slamming it without any real understanding of how their forums work.

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

1 edit

StuartMW

Premium Member

said by javaMan:

Without personal accounts, professional/organizational/commercial accounts would be pretty useless don't you think?

Yes I agree.

The whole point of FaceBook, the reason for their existence, is to collect/collate and sell, for marketing/sales purposes, the personal information of millions of users.

They get data in many ways (photo's, contacts, email etc) but in regards to professional/commercial accounts they learn what personal users like/dislike through their visits to those non-personal accounts.

Every time some user "likes" ABC Company that's sellable data. Likewise when users login to some site using their FB account.

That's what it's all about. I doubt FB gives a damn about professional people advertising their services, communicating technical data or whatever. They do care about personal users visiting/linking to those professionals. More data to mine.

Frankly I don't know why I even have to post this.

PS: I don't like what FB does. However they have a right to do it. That said I shake my head at sheeple that can't think for themselves and figure out they're selling themselves out for next to nothing (IMO). Their loss.

javaMan
The Dude abides.
MVM
join:2002-07-15
San Luis Obispo, CA

1 recommendation

javaMan

MVM

said by StuartMW:

. . .

PS: I don't like what FB does. However they have a right to do it. That said I shake my head at sheeple that can't think for themselves and figure out they're selling themselves out for next to nothing (IMO). Their loss.

Agreed. Frankly, there is information I don't really give a rat's a** that they have/share/sell (I really don't care that the world knows that I am a Robert Johnson fan.) And then there is information that I'd prefer they not know. Knowing the difference is what's important.

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

said by javaMan:

Knowing the difference is what's important.

I'm not convinced that anyone can know for sure what information is "important" to others or how it will be used.

Perhaps a potential employer, checking your FB page, hates Robert Johnson (whoever that is). Too bad you don't get the job.

It is true that putting out any personal information anywhere can have the same effect. That said I doubt many people have even heard of this site. FB is a very different story.

»Pretty sure you're dead

javaMan
The Dude abides.
MVM
join:2002-07-15
San Luis Obispo, CA

1 edit

javaMan

MVM

said by StuartMW:

said by javaMan:

Knowing the difference is what's important.

I'm not convinced that anyone can know for sure what information is "important" to others or how it will be used.

Perhaps a potential employer, checking your FB page, hates Robert Johnson (whoever that is). Too bad you don't get the job.

It is true that putting out any personal information anywhere can have the same effect. That said I doubt many people have even heard of this site. FB is a very different story.

On the other hand, he or she may just be a fanatical Robert Johnson fan.

Oh, by the way: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ro ··· _Johnson

And let Justin make use of this whatever way he likes.

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

1 recommendation

StuartMW

Premium Member

said by javaMan:

Oh, by the way...

Ahhh. I'm not a blues fan. Too damn depressing for my taste.

But I won't hold that against you

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

1 recommendation

siljaline

Premium Member

There should be a meaningless conversation entry in Wikipedia kinda like the one for Browser wars

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

We'll continue this "meaningless conversation" on Facebook

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

siljaline

Premium Member

What's your posting handle ?

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

(null)

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

siljaline

Premium Member

Always search for Luxembourg

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· ua50nJ1k

javaMan
The Dude abides.
MVM
join:2002-07-15
San Luis Obispo, CA

javaMan to StuartMW

MVM

to StuartMW
said by StuartMW:

said by javaMan:

Oh, by the way...

Ahhh. I'm not a blues fan. Too damn depressing for my taste.

But I won't hold that against you

I appreciate that. But not all blues is depressing you know.

»youtu.be/zXdbQ4l2M9U

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

siljaline to The Penguin

Premium Member

to The Penguin
Having opted out of the platform should yield the below dialogue:
»www.facebook.com/setting ··· =opt_out

It's prudent to check these settings - often.

Buddel
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Premium Member
join:2004-03-06
EU

Buddel to The Penguin

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to The Penguin
Facebook? What the f*** is Facebook? What are you guys talking about?

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
Premium Member
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

siljaline

Premium Member

The thread was largely answered: »Re: Facebook popup
The rest is fluff

Buddel
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Premium Member
join:2004-03-06
EU

Buddel to The Penguin

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I agree, but I just couldn't resist. I'm sorry.