Note: This entry was written in 2008, most guidance provided here is no longer relevant.
As a web surfer I LOVE pop-up blockers. They keep my web surfing sane and somewhat clean (though there always seems to be a few Netflix pop-ups that get through the cracks).
However, as an e-learning course developer, pop-up blockers are a major pain in the rear end. Our courses almost always need to be launched in a pop-up window, and the pop-up windows are very frequently blocked. This certainly doesn’t help us when many of our end-users — the infamous and vaguely named “learner” — are often resistant to taking the course in the first place.
Well, I can’t help fight la resistance, but I can help configure those pesky pop-up blockers.
Here’s a list of common pop-up blockers with links to the manufacturer’s instructions for handling said blocker. Enjoy.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, the universal default for bypassing a pop-up blocker is to hold “ctrl” while clicking a link that causes a pop-up, such as the old chestnut “start course”.
Toolbars with Pop-up Blockers
- How to configure the pop-up blocker in the Google toolbar
- How to configure the pop-up blocker in the Yahoo toolbar
- How to configure the pop-up blocker in the AOL toolbar [link no longer available]
Browsers
- Configuring the Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 pop-up blocker (Windows XP) (Additional link [link no longer available])
- Configuring the Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 pop-up blocker (Windows Vista)
- Configuring the Mozilla Firefox pop-up blocker
- Configuring the Apple Safari 2.0 pop-up blocker [link no longer available]
- Configuring the Apple Safari 3.x pop-up blocker [link no longer available]
Other blockers
- Configuring the McAfee Security Center pop-up blocker (see “Blocking advertisements” section)
- Configuring the Norton Security Center pop-up blocker (see step 3)
Want to add more to the list?
I know I’ve left a few things off, such as Opera and the MSN toolbar. If you have the link for any of these, or if you’d like to add something else to this list, just post a comment. Thanks.