I used to use one of the popup blockers but ending up deleting it because it wouldn't allow me to open a link in a new window using a right click or a shift-click. This blocker would also block new pages from opening even if the web page was designed to open the link in a new window. For example, you click on a 'help' button and it opens a help window in a new window; or in google if you have your preferences set to open search results in a new window. Those would be blocked. Thankfully the google blocker doesn't have these rude behaviours. I already had the google toolbar installed so I turned on the blocker on Friday. My count since Friday is at 312 popups blocked. I go to weather.com and espn.com alot and they are two of the most obnoxious for popups.
I tried the google blocker and it doesn't block me from opening a new window.
A couple of people in this thread have mentioned Gator. Run, don't walk to your computer and GET RID OF GATOR. It is possibly the most obnoxious program on the web. It keeps track of what you do and 'serves' you popups when you are on other sites. Gator also sells your personal information. It buries some much information on your computer that you wouldn't believe. Months after getting rid of Gator, I was still finding it's remnents. Some call it 'hijackware'.
One web site says;
"But in November of the same year, accusations were at their peak. Gator was being trashed by its tactics of watching where the user went on the Web and then showing related ads when the person was surfing on another site. Gator's pop-up banner would show up two seconds after the original banner in the page is loaded. The company was also accused of making partnerships with other download companies, such as AudioGalaxy, to have its plug-in taking a ride on the other company's downloaded software with no proper warning."
Get a freeware program called spybot and run it on your computer. You will be amazed at all the 'tracking cookies' that you will find (among other problems) and use spybot to get rid of them. Here's what spybot says about gator:
"Upon visit of some Gator related pages, it tries to download and install. According to Tribune Media Services (via
http://www.securitynewsportal.com/ via
http://www.cexx.org/gator.htm): "Gator tracks the sites that users visit and forwards that data back to the company's servers. Gator sells the use of this information to advertisers who can purchase the opportunity to make ads pop up at certain moments, such as when specific words appear on a screen. It also lets companies launch a pop-up ad when users visit a competitor's Web site."
And Gator saves your identity in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID section of the registry - good place to hide, if you've got something to hide."
Things to do today.
1. Get spybot (or other similar program)
2. Get rid of Gator and other tracking programs from sites like advertising.com, BFast, Commission Junction, CoreMetrics, DoubleClick, FastClick, HitBox, HitsList, OffshoreClicks, MediaPlex and other spyware tracking programs and cookies.