Site connectivity issues

Profile picture for user Floydm
Floydm on 14 Feb 2026 at 09:15

This morning the site was being unresponsive because it was getting overwhelmed with bot traffic. I've put some additional protections in place, one of which is an interstitial captcha page that you'll see before you even get to the site. My apologies for the inconvenience. I hope to not need to leave it in place for more than a few hours but I will continue to use it if that is what it takes to allow actual humans to get to the site.

It is several additional scant seconds of our time, but for a worthy purpose.

This is a new weapon in the ongoing war on spam. I see it being used at other places as well. If it truly helps block the bots, it is very useful. I see no downside at all. It works seamlessly with negligible interference. 

No ads ! I despise the outrageous number of ads. They had gotten so bad it was very difficult to read and respond to posts. Please leave the new filter. 🙏

I'm always baffled when members say they get ads, as I've never had a single one on this site, phone or computer. We've talked about it before, but not sure if it boiled down to what browser we use.

I use Chrome on both phone and laptop. All Apple products. I have Ad Blocker on my laptop it’s free. 

Unfortunately one cannot get any free ad blocker for I phone products. I’ve tried. I love the current blocker Floyd has on here . I hope it stays. I’d marked as “ spam” numerous posts . 

Just my opinion of course.c

My computer is Firefox and DuckDuckGo, with UBlock Origin. No ads whatsoever. Phone is Android, with DDG browser & search engine, no ad blocker. No ads there either. I stay logged in to TFL.

On a previous thread, Floyd mentioned the solution to ads is logging in. Could be a difference there and/or one’s browser.

browser

 

+12

 

 

Blocking ads for free on the iPhone with the Chrome browser is challenging because

Chrome on iOS does not support extension-based ad blockers, unlike desktop or Firefox/Safari, and Google's business model relies on ad revenue. iOS architecture restricts browsers from modifying page content, limiting ad-blocking effectiveness. 

RedditReddit +5

Key Reasons You Can't Easily Block Ads in Chrome on iPhone:

  • No Extension Support: The mobile version of Chrome for iOS does not support extensions like AdBlock or uBlock Origin, which are commonly used on desktop to block ads.
  • iOS Architecture Limitations: Apple's iOS ecosystem restricts browser engines. While Safari supports content blockers, Chrome on iOS is forced to use the same rendering engine, but without native support for those blockers.
  • Google's Business Model: Google makes a significant portion of its revenue from advertisements, making it unlikely they would prioritize, or even allow, robust, comprehensive, and free ad-blocking tools within their own browser.

  • Limited "Built-in" Blocker: Chrome for iOS has limited, built-in protections against "intrusive" ads, but not a universal ad blocker, allowing most ads to pass through. 

    Reddit +6

Alternatives for Blocking Ads on iPhone:

  • Use Safari: Use Safari with content-blocking extensions like AdGuard or 1Blocker, which are fully supported by Apple.
  • Use Brave Browser: Use the Brave browser, which has a built-in, effective, and free ad blocker.

  • Use AdGuard DNS: Set up AdGuard DNS in your iPhone settings to block ads system-wide, including in Chrome. 

    Apple SupportApple Support +4

To minimize, but not fully block, ads within the Chrome app, you can ensure "Block Pop-ups" is enabled in settings and block third-party cookies

Chrome on iOS is a thin wrapper around Apple's WKWebView control. Apple will not allow other browsers on iOS. Yes, there is an App named Firefox, Chrome etc. but they are simply wrappers. The core functions are all Apple.

Gary

It does sound like it. I couldn't read the whole article, but could read the comments. The area of China, it was said, is a region of military cyber activities.