61 replies to this topic

[LarryG]

There's a registry setting called "News Date" that records the last date an ad was shown (or a date associated with the ad). I think you could set that date into the future and e-Sword would not show ads. If I reset the date to the past, the Nelson's ad re-appears. After the ad shows, the date is in this setting is set to 2012-3-9. So if you set it to 2020-3-9, you probably wouldn't see ads until 2020. Most people have no business editing the Windows registry, though.

Each time e-Sword is started, it appears to poll IP address 208.67.58.170 (port 20480) to compare the date in that registry setting against the date of the latest news item. 5+ minutes into the e-Sword session, the ad appears. I didn't time it exactly but it is a while after the date is set backward and e-Sword is restarted. It appears the same IP address is used to download resources via the internal e-Sword downloader.

Thank you Josh for your reasoned explanation to what is happening. It's good to know that the software isn't on some sort of internal clock, kicking up a pop-up every small span of time. I've made several donations to Rick Meyers efforts over the years, along with buying four different modules from eStudySource. Like Journey and many others, I also recieve the eStudySource newsletter trying to keep abreast of new products being offered.

I think I'll keep using my firewall to block access - it's simple, reliable, easily reversible and takes less than 2 minuets to set up. You're 100% right about playing with the registry - not a safe playground for 'button pushers' such as myself!

[Marvin]

Here's an idea. Journey pointed out that we can click on a link and subscribe to the E-Study Source newsletter. How about the option of selecting one or the other. I already subscribe to the newsletter but those who don't and who want to get rid of the pop-ups could subscribe to the newsletter which would offer the option of turning the pop-up off. I personally like the newsletter. I do not like the pop-up. I am leary of messing with my registry.

I really do not like the politically correct term "informational feature." Its a sales method pure and simple. I will guarantee that as I purchase in the future from E-Study Source, and I probably will, it will not be because of the pop-up. As a matter of fact, That probably will influence me to avoid purchacing the item that it is advertising. I do not like pop-ups in this instance.

[Josh Bond]

Thank you Josh for your reasoned explanation to what is happening. It's good to know that the software isn't on some sort of internal clock, kicking up a pop-up every small span of time. I've made several donations to Rick Meyers efforts over the years, along with buying four different modules from eStudySource. Like Journey and many others, I also recieve the eStudySource newsletter trying to keep abreast of new products being offered.

I think I'll keep using my firewall to block access - it's simple, reliable, easily reversible and takes less than 2 minuets to set up. You're 100% right about playing with the registry - not a safe playground for 'button pushers' such as myself!

I think that's the most reliable way to do it. I have no way of testing the registry method.

But the e-Sword Downloader also should not work. If it does, you have not blocked e-Sword.

[jonathon]

Each time e-Sword is started, it appears to poll IP address 208.67.58.170 (port 20480) to compare the date in that registry setting against the date of the latest news item.

That sort of explains why I haven't seen any popups.
I fire up e-Sword, and don't shut it down.

###

I have to dig into the older versions of e-Sword to verify version numbers:

• Up until either e-Sword 3.x or 4.x, it did call home, to verify the product registration code.
• Starting with either e-Sword 8.x or 9.x, it called home to find out if an update was available.

IOW, calling home is not new.

jonathon

[Josh Bond]

That sort of explains why I haven't seen any popups.
I fire up e-Sword, and don't shut it down.

###

I have to dig into the older versions of e-Sword to verify version numbers:

• Up until either e-Sword 3.x or 4.x, it did call home, to verify the product registration code.
• Starting with either e-Sword 8.x or 9.x, it called home to find out if an update was available.

IOW, calling home is not new.

jonathon

You can fire up e-Sword once and see the popups. It has nothing to do with shutting e-Sword down. It probably has to do with you not running a real Windows machine.

I probably wasn't clear. e-Sword compares the News Date in your Windows registry with the News Date on the server at that IP address. If the IP address date is newer, it shows the popup. Then it updates the local Windows registry with the same News Date so it doesn't show the popup to you twice. Those with a Windows PC can easily see this by changing the News Date backward in time and you can see the Nelson popup again.

I also noticed later that if you set the News Date out to 2020, e-Sword resets it eventually, haha.

[LarryG]

I think that's the most reliable way to do it. I have no way of testing the registry method.

But the e-Sword Downloader also should not work. If it does, you have not blocked e-Sword.

Yes, that's how I tested my firewall after blocking e-Sword. As for the little pop-up... I think that new products offered via eStudySource or advertised specials is what causes the pop-up function to come into play. I could be wrong - I frequently am. Time will tell, eh?

[journey]

Yes, that's how I tested my firewall after blocking e-Sword. As for the little pop-up... I think that new products offered via eStudySource or advertised specials is what causes the pop-up function to come into play. I could be wrong - I frequently am. Time will tell, eh?

This is also the way I just tested my new firewall settings of no access. It works just fine. Brother Josh is right - e-Sword does reset the "News Date", so firewall settings are the way to go.

[Josh Bond]

I still don't think the popups are that big of a deal. I think 99% of e-Sword users will be fine with it. He may get some complaints from the 1%. We'll see if there's any changes made to it.

[Marvin]

I don't know how many of us there are but I do not feel that the request that we are making is large. Nor will it hurt anyone else. Furthermore, it should be a simple change to make.

We are simply asking to a reasonable alternative to pop-ups. We are not trying to prevent advertising. As a matter of fact, I believe that all of my purchases from E-Study Source have been the result of their newsletter. Why is there such a large discussion over such a small matter when it would not be at all difficult to rectify it to everyones' satisfaction.

That is unless E-Study Source is insisting that pop-ups be used. If that is the case, I would be very dissapointed in their action. They would be effectively imposing their will on what may be a small or large group of e-Sword users so that they could have more advertising.

[Marvin]

For anyone out there, I just wanted to let you know that I have taken coruage in hand and entered my registry as mentioned in Josh Bond's entry of Apr 08 2012 11:26 PM. I haven't tried modifying my registry since I did it to make my old Windows ME edition computer to clean it up and improve its speed. I am happy to say that it worked with ME and now seem to have worked with Windows 7. Thank you Josh. I believe that I am now pop-up free. I will take full responsibility if it turns out that I messed up the registry. If necessary, I can reload Windows 7 from scratch. I keep backups of everything on an external hard drive and in the cloud. Nevertheless, I would never have had the slightest idea what to do without your post, Josh. Thank you again. :-)