Hey everyone... come on, take a dip into the errorplan pool...

The water is warming up... Except, don't swim near dorian, I think the water is warm near him for other reasons....

Pig!!!

I went to errorplan... but found it a bit awkward to navigate.. perhaps that is just me... I find it easier to move around in FT.

This is the first I have heard of advertising content on FT.

This may be because I surf with the "graphics off" on my browsers of choice (OPERA and ECATCH) and modified my HOSTS file so that ad servers aren't contacted. Together makes for for a lightening fast dial up load time.


Warning - Techie Post Below...

1) IE5 Graphics Toggle
For the rare times I use IE5 and to avoid the painful menu digging to turn graphics on/off... Tools|Options|Advanced|Multimedia|Show Pictures...
one can install a useful utility that puts a toggle on the button bar. Click once graphics on, click again graphics off. This and a lot of useful IE5 accessories at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/...cess/ie5wa.asp

2) Hosts File Modifications - (Advanced)
Background-On your machine is a file called HOSTS (no extension). (On mine it is located in C:\WINDOWS\HOSTS). When you type a URL, your computer first checks the HOSTS file, then if the URL isn't listed sends the URL via the internet to a Domain Name Server for resolution of the URL into an IP address. The DNS server sends the IP address back to your PC which then using this number requests the page you want.

a)If you edit your HOSTS file so that all ad servers point to your own computer (0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1), then no request is sent to the ad server and thus ads are not loaded.

For a downloadable list of 10,000 ad servers which you can cut and paste into your HOSTS file plus a handy program for managing HOSTS visit...
http://www.smartin-designs.com/

and for even more speed...

b) Enter the actual IP address into the HOSTS file of sites you want. This avoids the hit to the DNS name server each time you want to go to FT. For example add the following to the HOSTS file...
http://216.38.206.22/ http://www.flyertalk.com
http://65.108.241.105/ http://www.errorplan.com
http://32.97.87.66/ http://www.aircanada.ca

to take you right where you want to go. This avoids sending a request first to the name server, waiting for the URL resolution and then finally making the request of the server.


--> THE BIG PLUS <--
WHEN "THE INTERNET IS DOWN" IT IS NORMALLY THE NAME SERVERS WHICH ARE FOULED UP. ALMOST ALWAYS YOU CAN STILL SURF BY USING THE IP NUMBERS. (They can be entered wherever you normally would put a URL if you don't want to go to the bother of playing with the HOSTS file).

----> THE BIG WARNING <----
IF THE SITE CHANGES IP ADDRESS YOU WILL THEN BE NO LONGER ABLE TO ACCESS THAT SITE UNTIL YOU RE-EDIT THE HOSTS FILE. (Happened to me 10 times over the last 7 years).



[This message has been edited by Ew/oQ (edited 03-01-2002).]

Yes - decision speed

I just checked the forums on errorplan.com. 85 members registered up to date.