3rd
Attention all NoScript users
Tonight I learned from Mark Pilgrim that the NoScript Firefox extension is arbitrarily blocking Ghostery’s notification window. This is the window that notifies you about which web bugs were found on the current page. NoScript is doing this without their user’s consent and without the option to turn off this behavior.
This is the second time this week that NoScript has come under scrutiny. Earlier this week the very popular Adblock Plus Firefox Extension reported that NoScript was using a hack to prevent Adblock Plus from blocking ads on NoScript’s websites. This controvesy lead to the Mozilla team to issue a blog post outlining new guidelines that prohibited this behavior.
I have contacted the Mozilla team to report NoScript blocking Ghostery. Some users believe that NoScript’s motive is to prevent Ghostery from reporting on trackers and ad networks on NoScript’s websites. Whatever the motive I am working on releasing a new version of Ghostery that will prevent this from happening.
Update: This from a Ghostery user:
“Finally, NoScript is still blocking Ghostery through a Ghostery-specific CSS rule. This is especially vile, since Ghostery doesn’t affect NoScript’s revenue model in the slightest - it’s just the tool I use to be informed about the analytics and advertising technologies in use from site to site. The site owners’ claim that he doesn’t like the look of the CSS overlay is completely unacceptable - my browser, my computer, my ability to view the content in the manner of my choosing.”
http://yardley.ca/2009/05/04/when-blockers-block-the-blockers/
Update #2:
See the comment thread below. I incorrectly stated the NoScript “extension” in the original post. I should have said NoScript.net (the website not the extension) is blocking Ghostery’s notification message instead.
Still concerning to many of our users but very different than the now infamous NoScript/AdBlock Plus issue last week.
Update #3:
See the recent comments below. Giorgio has changed the CSS on his site and has now just moved the notification window instead of removing it. Thank you Giorgio!
