Q: Permissions problem with Safari. Problem Recurring.Safari VERY slow or Crashing

Figgy wrote:

As you requested I am reporting to you that the following graphics were not viewable, instead only WHITE SPACES in their place:-  4, 7, 8,9 and 10.

I'll post them here but there is no more guarantee they will appear for you here any more than in the User Tip. A bug associated with the way this site works often prevents them from appearing, and I have no idea if or when it will ever be corrected.

4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 respectively:

Separately, what do you think of the software "AdwareMedic" available at http://www.adwaremedic.com ?

I have not used it, so I have no opinion, but I am not in favor of that approach for the same reason its author is not in favor of that approach:

"Despite the fact that I wrote it, I'm not much in favor of that approach either. Asking someone to download an app in order to eliminate the effects of some adware installed by some other download seems hypocritical."

Adware has been and will always be a moving target. Its appearance, the effects on your Internet activity, and methods of detection and eradication are all guaranteed to change. No magical cure-all product that works today will work forever. I advocate education, so that adware's future appearance can be recognized and avoided.

Adware is an intrusive marketing concept doomed to eventual failure, for the simple reason that computer users are livid about it. It may fail as a result of Apple responding to consumer complaints by closing OS X to user-installed modifications, by legislative action dictating what Apple and other companies must do to prevent it, or by users educating themselves to the extent that adware's market collapses. I much prefer the latter to those other options, meaning that it is incumbent upon Mac users to shun adware in all its forms.

Education is a process requiring active participation. Installing some mysterious product to solve problems created by some other mysterious product doesn't result in education, it avoids it, and risks having unpleasant solutions imposed upon all of us.

Figgy wrote:

 

Fourth day of using Safari 7.1 (with Extensions turned OFF) and everything is functioning well.

I think there may have been some missed communications here. Turning Extensions off isn't meant to fix a problem, but rather as a troubleshooting step to determine if any of the extensions you use are responsible for the issues you are seeing. If so, then the next logical step is to determine which extension or extensions is at fault.

It's also not clear whether you ever ran AdwareMedic which would have removed any adware extensions you had installed.

So the question is, what are the names of the extensions you currently have listed when you turn Extensions back on?

Thanks, you certainly have a lot more extensions than I thought you would and I'm unfamiliar with about half of them, but I can say that none of the known adware extensions are there.

Unfortunately it's past bed-time here, so it will have to wait.

The only conflict I see is that the author of ClickToFlash / ClickToPlugin indicates you should not be running both (Plugin includes Flash). I used to use CickToPlugin, but with the new Mavericks plugin management system, I'm not convinced I need it any more and have it disabled.

If you find those Extensions beneficial, by all means use them, just bear in mind that any Extension has the ability to cause undesired behavior. It's common for a minor OS X or Safari update to cause that to occur.

Fortunately Safari makes it very easy to isolate problems strictly related to Extensions - simply click the Uninstall button. Well-written Extensions will also include a check box to effectively disable that Extension without the need to uninstall it completely (that option may apply to all Safari Extensions – not just "well-written" ones – I have no way of verifying all that exist).

Safari 7 (Mavericks): Extensions pane of Safari preferences

Also, bear in mind that installing certain varieties of adware will modify your Mac in ways not limited to Safari Extensions, and require additional effort to eradicate.

Figgy wrote:

 

The Extensions I currently have installed are:

 

SafariRestore 6.1

Do Not Track Me: Online Privacy Protection 3.1.1064

SPOI Options 1.8.187

TED HTML5 video player 1.0

My Permissions Cleaner 1.6.7

YouView 0.2

ClickToPlugin 2.9.8

ClickToFlash 2.9.8

Evernote Web Clipper 6.2.4

Adblock Plus 1.8.5

I have been having somewhat the opposite issue as you. Everything was running fine using Safari 7.0.x and Mavericks 10.9.4 & .5, but when I updated to Safari 7.1 half of the tabs I had open stalled.  I could have closed all the tabs, but disabling Extensions cleared up the problem, so I turned off automatic updates to see which ones were going to be updated (potentially as a result of the release of 7.1) and am about half way through re-enabling them one-at-a-time to find the issue.

So if you don't have auto-updates enabled, make sure all the ones you need are up-to-date and follow John's advise to enable them one-by-one and uninstall any you no longer need.  I think SafariRestore may be one of those since Mavericks can restore the previous session automagically, but you need to test that for yourself.

Not sure what's going on with DoNotTrackMe as there is supposed to be a v3.2.1112 available, but it won't update and it doesn't download from the web site. In any case, I don't have it enabled yet and suspect it could be an issue.

Hope this helps a bit.

Figgy wrote:

 

(2) I get email alerts when ever a new post arrives in this thread. At the bottom of each email there are two options:- One is to click a GREEN button to say that the post "Answered my Question", and Secondly, a BROWN/ORANGE button to say that the post "Was Helpful".

You get two "Helpfuls" and one "Answered" per thread.

(3) Also, as a favour, could you confirm that my email address is NOT visible when the mouse hovers over "Figgy" in my posts

I don't recall ever seeing an e-mail address associated with anybody's profile, only by accident in a posting and the hosts usually delete it there, so I'm fairly certain that's the default setting. In any case the only thing I see about you in either place is your location country, date joined, level and points.

John Galt wrote:

I have not used it, so I have no opinion, but I am not in favor of that approach for the same reason its author is not in favor of that approach:

"Despite the fact that I wrote it, I'm not much in favor of that approach either. Asking someone to download an app in order to eliminate the effects of some adware installed by some other download seems hypocritical."

Yes, I still advocate caution before downloading anything.

However, there are two evils here. One is asking a user to download an app they are unfamiliar with.

The other is the difficulty with manual removal. Your instructions and Linc's are all very well and good, but given the recent proliferation of adware, they cover a tiny fraction of the possible threats. If you want to criticize one solution, you'd better have another equally good solution to refer to, and you don't that I've seen. You can't just tell people not to use one possible solution and then fail to provide an alternative!

Further, many people have difficulty with manual removal instructions, especially when the instructions for some adware, if not followed precisely and to the letter, run the risk of crashing the computer and making it fail to be able of starting up again.

Thus, although I respect the idea that users should not be asked to download an app to solve a problem caused by downloading some other app, it is becoming increasingly necessary. You may not agree, but please do not denigrate me or my software because you don't agree with the idea. (Especially since I'm sure that you have, at times, referred people to some other unfamiliar apps to solve other problems, which is really no better.)

For those who do not want to download an unknown app, I do keep the manual removal instructions in my Adware Removal Guide in sync with all the adware that is detected by AdwareMedic. Both those instructions and AdwareMedic are provided completely free of charge (although you have the option to donate or purchase the software if it helps, this is not a requirement).

(Fair disclosure: I may receive compensation from links to my site and software, in the form of buttons allowing for donations. Donations are not required to use my site or software.)

Adware is an intrusive marketing concept doomed to eventual failure

One would hope so... but this has been a problem for Windows users for years, and the problem is just getting worse, and now extending to Mac users as well. I see no signs that it will end any time soon. As much as we all would like to see all the adware fail completely, it's proving to be such a success that copycats are coming out of the woodwork. If you knew how often I come across new, unheard-of adware being reported to me by AdwareMedic users, you would no longer be able to believe it will fail all by itself.

???

If you want to criticize one solution, you'd better have another equally good solution to refer to,

No, I do not have to. I can criticize all I want, for reasons I'm happy to justify if asked to justify them. Otherwise I'd just be a troll.

You can't just tell people not to use one possible solution and then fail to provide an alternative!

You provide an alternative. So have others.

You seem to imply readers are not free to think and decide on their own.

As I wrote, I have not used your software, so it is not possible for me to form an opinion about it. And, as I wrote, I have serious misgivings about installing software that modifies the Mac's file system to fix problems created by other software that modifies the Mac's file system. Many people may find that approach acceptable, but not everyone does. That's OK.

The reason I titled the User Tip the way I did was that I literally had a hard time understanding how it was possible to install adware given so many opportunities to recognize the threat, and surmised that many people simply don't appreciate those warnings for what they are. Installing some magical cure-all will not open anyone's eyes to that threat; in fact it indulges continued ignorance to it.

I have absolutely zero interest in making Mac users dependent on me or the knowledge I have, and wish only to share it for their benefit. Knowledge kept to one's self is worthless unless it's sold, and I don't sell mine or even ask for "donations". I don't even care one iota about the number of silly dots beneath my name. Other participants of this site have other motivations. That's OK too.

Even though I have not used your software I have no doubt it serves a beneficial purpose for those seeking a solution to their immediate problem. Anything that hinders the prevalence of adware and accelerates its eventual demise is beneficial - other than for those who profit from it of course, most of whom seem to be Kromtech and other purveyors of worthless, time- and money-wasting trash.

(Especially since I'm sure that you have, at times, referred people to some other unfamiliar apps to solve other problems, which is really no better.)

I assume you are referring to EtreCheck? It doesn't modify the Mac's file system and I would not recommend its use if it did.

If you are referring to something else: I have been actively participating on this site before it was known as Apple Support Communities, before it was known as Apple Discussions, when it was known as Apple Tech Exchange. That period of time predates OS X's inception. It is possible that during that time and the hundreds of thousands of posts I made since, that I may have referred people to non-Apple programs to eradicate problems for which there was no other option. In any event I have not found a need to do that in several years, if I ever did.

Since you are so sure that I have, please provide a reference so that I can re-evaluate my recommendation.

More importantly: As far as I know your program is not available in the Mac App Store. Have you considered the possibility of your program becoming effectively hijacked by a download aggregator site to be bundled with malware, without your consent, in the same manner as MPlayerX? EtreCheck is already hosted on at least one such site. There is nothing to prevent other untrustworthy sites from doing the same, perhaps bundling it with adware as well. That's the reason I always refer EtreCheck users to its author's User Tip, or to his website, and to caution users to never blindly follow the results of a cursory Internet search.

Certain users of this very support forum habitually post links to software aggregator sites, instead of legitimate sources, for reasons I do not understand and that they do not explain. I assume you put considerable effort into your work. Are you prepared to take action in the event you lose control of it to Softonic, to C Net, to Mac Update, or to even less trustworthy sources of Mac software?

... you would no longer be able to believe it will fail all by itself.

That is not what I believe nor is it what I stated:

"Adware is an intrusive marketing concept doomed to eventual failure, for the simple reason that computer users are livid about it. It may fail as a result of Apple responding to consumer complaints by closing OS X to user-installed modifications, by legislative action dictating what Apple and other companies must do to prevent it, or by users educating themselves to the extent that adware's market collapses. I much prefer the latter to those other options, meaning that it is incumbent upon Mac users to shun adware in all its forms."

Kindly draw conclusions from what I wrote, rather than what you think I wrote.

John Galt wrote:

It is possible that during that time and the hundreds of thousands of posts I made since, that I may have referred people to non-Apple programs to eradicate problems for which there was no other option. In any event I have not found a need to do that in several years, if I ever did.

 

Since you are so sure that I have, please provide a reference so that I can re-evaluate my recommendation.

It didn't take much searching... found on the first page of some Google search results:

(Found in this topic.)

You cannot reasonably tell someone to download a third-party app that is not available in the App Store and then turn around and criticize people for advising the download of some other third-party app, citing as the reason that it is a third-party app that's not from the App Store.

Have you considered the possibility of your program becoming effectively hijacked by a download aggregator site to be bundled with malware, without your consent

Absolutely. I have included a specific clause in the license agreement prohibiting this, and I will defend that if it gets abused in this manner.

Thanks. Playing media files that QuickTime Player cannot read is equivalent to eradicating problems by making modifications to the Mac's file system. I will bear that in mind.

Once again I fail to understand the reason you believe I am criticizing your product, but I'm not a psychologist. My recommendations to the OP and others stand, exactly as written.

I sincerely wish you good luck with your product, really, I hope you make lots of money with it. I just as sincerely look forward to the day it is no longer required.

John Galt wrote:

 

Thanks. Playing media files that QuickTime Player cannot read is equivalent to eradicating problems by making modifications to the Mac's file system.

It's not a matter of what the app does... it's a matter of making any recommendation for a potentially-untrustworthy app - ie, an app that's not available from the App Store. It's wise to advise caution with regard to such things, but it's silly to say such recommendations shouldn't be made at all.