Blocking ad/spyware sites

[Vortex]

I started using Mozilla just recently and like it way better than IE or Opera, but those have a way to block ad and spyware cookies and I can't find a way to block sites like fastclick, doubleclick, etc, from Mozilla. Is there an easy way to block these cookie sites?

[Gunnar]

I started using Mozilla just recently and like it way better than IE or Opera, but those have a way to block ad and spyware cookies and I can't find a way to block sites like fastclick, doubleclick, etc, from Mozilla. Is there an easy way to block these cookie sites?

Actually, Mozilla's (and Netscape 7's) cookie manager is a very useful tol when it comes to blocking these Cookies. There are two way to go about doing this.

1.) Select "Edit -> "Preference" and in the window that opens select "Privacy & Security" -> Cookies.

Enable "Ask me before storing a cookie". Whenever the popup window asking you if you want to accept a cookie from x comes up, check "remember this decision". That way, cookie manager won't ask you again for that domain but it will automatically accept / decline (depending on if you selected "yes" or "no") for that particular domain.

2.) In the same prefernces menu, click on "Manage Stored Cookies". A new window will pop up and show you all cookies that have already been set on your system. Mark those that you wish to remove (e.g. "ads.doubleclick.com") and select "Don't allow removed cookies to be reaccepted later". This way, these domains can no longer set cookies on your system.

Gunnar

[Vortex]

Thanks, Gunnar, that'll work. I was hoping for an easy way like just typing in those six of so notorious ad/spy sites the way IE/Opera let you do, but your way will work fine.

[old jasonb]

What I've done is simply set my cookie preferences to "Enable all cookies" but also "Limit maximum lifetime of cookies to current session". Every site works just fine, but when I exit Mozilla any cookies that were stored are deleted.

On those few sites where I do want permanent cookies, I can do this by unchecking "Limit maximum lifetime..." just before going to that site, having it set the permanent cookie it wants to set, then immediately afterwards checking the box again.