Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We encountered some technical issues that caused some visitors using IE to see download prompts for third-party add-ons or plug-ins. Our engineers resolved the issue right away, so ad serving is now back to normal.

Don't worry -- all clicks and impressions have been recorded as usual. We're sorry for any inconvenience, and grateful for your patience during this time.

-ASA

ASA - Thank you for your advice re this issue.

Were the plug-ins or downloads in anyway dangerous or malicious to those who downloaded them?

Our engineers resolved the issue right away, so ad serving is now back to normal.

I don't believe it's back to normal; I just saw the message about Quicktime for the first time about 5 minutes ago on one of my own sites that I check every day. I checked another of my sites and it triggered my Acrobat to update. I'm not as worried about losing a few clicks as I am about giving my users the impression that my website is trying to install some kind of malware on their computers. This is a *major* issue, and it does NOT appear to be fixed.

I was getting Adobe Acrobat - but having cleared the browser cache i think the problem may be gone.

Just hit ctrl+F5. It will reload the current page and the problem is gone. You don't need to clear the complete browser cache.

My users don't know how to hit ctrl+F5.

I guess I finally have an excuse to remove adsense... blocking new ringtones ads every day was getting on my nerves anyway, so I won't miss it much.

I guess I finally have an excuse to remove adsense... blocking new ringtones ads every day was getting on my nerves anyway, so I won't miss it much.

What is it a ring-tone site ;)?

Pete

The problem is not whether or not *I* know what's going on with the issue, it's my users. How many people got that message and just clicked away without even looking at my site, let alone clicking on an ad? THAT is what I'm worried about.

I get them on sites using AW stats. it's testing for pdf reading ability.

Don't worry -- all clicks and impressions have been recorded as usual.

No offense to ASA or Google, but exactly what ad clicks and what impressions are being recorded as normal? You mean the single page impression a visitor views and then bails on because they're worried why our sites are now prompting them to run something?

How many chances do we get to make a first impression?

How was this not picked up in QA?

What procedures are being put in place to ensure this doesn't happen in the future?

I saw a wicked dip in pageviews and AS yesterday after two of my strongest days yet. I've been pushing one of my sites like crazy and it's discouraging knowing visitors had a bad experience and WON'T be coming back.

Thanks,

Chip-

PS: This isn't me complaining, this is me trying to get some understanding of it all so that I know just how much extra effort I need to put in place to make sure my site isn't just bouncing users for something stupid.

The problem is not whether or not *I* know what's going on with the issue, it's my users. How many people got that message and just clicked away without even looking at my site, let alone clicking on an ad? THAT is what I'm worried about.

I was going nuts the other day from Quicktime install prompts when I was looking for one of my own pages, but I didn't associate the QT prompts with AdSense (or my site) until I noticed this thread. I figured that Apple had installed an unwanted QT updater, and I ran WinPatrol and Spybot to clean up the mess.

As for the Acrobat Update prompts, I seem to get those every time I view a PDF file, and the annoying update reminders predated this thread by months.

I still don't understand why AdSense should or would be instigating Quicktime or Acrobat prompts on a site like mine that doesn't run AdSense "image ads," but if we're lucky, Apple and Adobe--not us or AdSense--will get the blame.

I was getting Quicktime messages coming up all the time. I located the problem by typing "msconfig" under Start - Run, and unchecking "qttask" under the startup tab in the System Configuration Utility.

I've been getting them too but not on my site. Since they are all over the web I did not connect them to adsense until I read this thread.

*rant*
The part about recording impressions and clicks comes as a surprise since they sure don't seem to be accurately recording my PI's. Since I have Google on at least 90% of all 3 sites there is no way all of them are getting recorded!
*rant over*

Sorry for the rant but first bad ads (which are now much better), then popups to download...stuff..to not showing accurate PI's. What's going on over there that they would let something like these downloads, the latest, slip past them?

ASA, Can you PLEASE see about all of this or are you just trying to keep the restless "natives" calm? :)

Ann

My site where I saw this happen is about as minimalist as you can get - it has exactly ONE graphic - a cornerpiece GIF, nothing else, and is not set to take image ads, so I don't know why it triggered it either. But the fact that there IS nothing else but HTML and PHP told me it could ONLY be the AdSense doing it.

As for the Acrobat Update prompts, I seem to get those every time I view a PDF file, and the annoying update reminders predated this thread by months.

Right. I hate them too. But the thing is, when I was prompted for the update, I had just booted up my laptop from a cold start, hadn't even loaded anything yet, or run Outlook, or gone to any other web page, let alone viewed a PDF. The first thing I did was open a browser to my site, and that act somehow triggered an Acrobat action that didn't open a file, but somehow made the Adobe Update stuff kick in. I closed the window, went back to it, and was prompted for the Quicktime.

I was getting Quicktime messages coming up all the time. I located the problem by typing "msconfig" under Start - Run, and unchecking "qttask" under the startup tab in the System Configuration Utility.

Unfortunately, removing it from MSCONFIG won't do you any good if you ever have occasion to run Quicktime again, because it will turn that flag back on. I HATE when programs do that. (REAL does it too, among others)

But the fact that there IS nothing else but HTML and PHP told me it could ONLY be the AdSense doing it.

Sure, I'm not questioning that. I just don't know if the average user will figure out the connection. (Of course, the average user probably has so much spyware/malware on his or her computer that the Quicktime and Acrobat prompts are just unwanted icing on the cake.)

No, I know. But I just worry that my average user is going to think that my site is infected or that I'm trying to perpetrate some kind of a scam on them.

Yeah, I'm not too happy about it, either.

It's kind of silly for webmasterworld to make this a home page discussion right after the problem gets fixed, no? It's like pointing the finger saying look, google messed up - it's ok now, but look! Kind of uncool if you ask me.

I checked myself about an hour after ASA said it was fixed, and it was.

So someone at google made a mistake (annoying sure, but not an end of the world mistake), and when it was brought to their attention it was dealt with in a timely manner. I don't think they should be punished anymore for a rather honest mistake of this magnitude, by leading people to this thread any longer.

It's done, they fixed it, I can move on.

Just my opinion.

var plugins=new Array("image/svg-xml", "application/x-director", "application/x-shockwave-flash", "audio/x-pn-realaudio-plugin", "video/quicktime", "application/x-mplayer2", "application/pdf")

It wasn't a mistake. It was deliberate.

And never mind QA. Any good javascript programmer would have to have gone blind and dyslexic simultaneously to not know what they were coding.

Since I saw it myself for the first time some twelve hours AFTER it was reported to be fixed, I for one see cause for concern.

It wasn't a mistake. It was deliberate.

Indeed, I like this phrase 'technical issues' as if their servers suddenly developed a fault and just started trying to launch things.

I am still pretty unclear as to why they need to know if the browser is pdf compatible, the other stuff seems to have reason - video ads, flash ads and the like - but are they going to run pdf ads?! I certainly hope not!

Ah the art of Google communication...so helpful, appreciative and understanding of their real customers, not patronising whatsoever. The fact that the webmasters in this forum literally found the problem - it is bull to then say "technical issues".

I suppose you have to give credit to ASA - copying and pasting that set customer response message took a lot of thought I am sure.

Good to know that Google are getting better at customer service, eh googleguy.

So Google revised their js loader script? Haven't seen them confirm this yet although others on this thread have indicated where this script was calling from.

So google reps...how about coming clean on this one? Could it be with video just announced by Google that they were taking the opportunity to make users all video compatible via adsense codes? Naw....couldn't be that...that would be like a spyware type of thing now wouldn't it? Surely no reputable company woulld go that route in this day and age?

So I am waiting for more than a technical clitch explanation. Coode just doesn't get added in this manner. Google you are playing with people's living here...want to throw crap downloads on users on MY site...at least have the courtesy to tell me to change MY privacy policy on MY site.

dkoller....this is why the discussion warrants front page exposure. My trusted business partner using MY site for this use...unannounced...unplanned by ME...just start using code for unintended purposes?

[edited by: Visi at 11:45 pm (utc) on Aug. 16, 2006]

I second that, dkoller - this was not a mistake, it IS the equivalent of spyware that was only detected when the code started messing with people's sites.

Now thats kinda uncool to me.

[edited by: Swanson at 12:17 am (utc) on Aug. 17, 2006]

the thought that this "forced media equipment synchronization" really was done deliberately makes me sick. do they actually understand the extent of what has happened here? innumerable irritated visitors and duped webmasters?

honestly, first time that i'm truly disappointed by my business partner.

...and people thought I was off base in my thread. Well....what next?

It wasn't a mistake. It was deliberate.

Hey Swanson :)

That was me. Not dkoller. He is advocating forgive and forget.

Saw this thread when it started a few days ago, and I said to myself "Self...there's a bunch of noobs, someone should tell them to run hijackthis and post the results... now why is quicktime in my taskbar, hmmm let me finish readings some posts and then I'll clear it out of the registry".
Reboot the next day and I see the thread has gotten some replys, and gosh darn it, theres quicktime in my start up again. Ok, lets remove it once more, maybe its from watching matt cutts videos.
Reboot today, and lo and behold, there it is again.. hmmm what was thread I blew over a couple of days ago...
sigh....

you can only get rid of the annoying task bar icon if you delete qttask.exe completely from your hard drive.

deactivating via startup-manager doesn't have the desired effect, because this little piece of crap self-installs over and over again.

i hate apple for that and i will never ever use quicktime because of that!

and in this connection maybe worthwhile to bring some marketing 101 back to some companies minds again:

users hate things being forced upon them!