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Why do I continue to get meld.js downloads?

I have uploaded the latest Java script to my iMac, and now it seems I receive meld.js downloads three or four times a day. Why; what does it do to my iMac; and, how do I get it to stop?

Apple TV, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Apr 25, 2013 3:59 AM

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29 replies

Apr 25, 2013 4:55 AM in response to Bronco 01

There is no such thing as uploading the latest JavaScript. JavaScript is an element built into web pages you visit. It's not on your computer. Do you mean Java? Similar names, two entirely different things. Are you seeing the Java coffee icon for a Java applet on the pages you visit where this happens? Sounds to me like it has nothing to do with Java.


What do you mean meld.js "downloads." Is it just that you get some kind of notice re. meld.js? That's not a download. Are you being prompted to download something? What browser are you using? If you are using Safari, go to Preferences and uncheck "Open safe files after downloading." What sites does it happen on? Can you give some URLs. meld.js appears to be a JavaScript running on certain sites.


See if using an Adblocking extension gets rid of it.


How about a screenshot of what you're seeing.


Message was edited by: WZZZ

Apr 25, 2013 9:16 AM in response to WZZZ

WZZZ wrote:


There is no such thing as uploading the latest JavaScript. JavaScript is an element built into web pages you visit. It's not on your computer. Do you mean Java? Similar names, two entirely different things. Are you seeing the Java coffee icon for a Java applet on the pages you visit where this happens? Sounds to me like it has nothing to do with Java.


What do you mean meld.js "downloads." Is it just that you get some kind of notice re. meld.js? That's not a download. Are you being prompted to download something? What browser are you using? If you are using Safari, go to Preferences and uncheck "Open safe files after downloading." What sites does it happen on? Can you give some URLs. meld.js appears to be a JavaScript running on certain sites.


See if using an Adblocking extension gets rid of it.


How about a screenshot of what you're seeing.


Message was edited by: WZZZ

I'll try to be clearer, because you're far more knowledgeable than me. While using the Safari 5.1.9 browser doing all the things on the browser one would expect, I seem to be attracting a file called meld.js into the download folder on the bottom dock of my iMac. I can delete it, but another will appear within a few minutes, so deleting seems not to have any effect. I did recently accept from Apple a Java update, which I downloaded onto my iMac. I did not have it before then. I am unable to link the meld.js files with any particular web site I might have visited; it seems to be on its own "arrival schedule." Below is a screen shot of the download folder's contents.

User uploaded file

I do not use any ad blockers that I know of, but I'd be happy to accept a secure suggestion for adding one.

Apr 25, 2013 10:11 AM in response to Bronco 01

I don't see it being related to having installed the latest Java. All the latest Java + the Safari 5.1.9 updates did was to allow you to run Java applets on a per-site basis. And this is JavaScript, which as I said, is entirely different. I've googled this, but I'm not finding much to go on and don't really understand where it's coming from.


Did you try removing all cookies and clearing the cache in Safari?


The idea about using an adblocker is just a guess. But you can go into Safari Extensions and get Safari Adblock and see what effect it has on this.


As I said, be sure to uncheck "Open safe files after downloading."


I'll try to call in the cavalry on this one. Maybe someone else will have a better idea what's causing this.

Apr 25, 2013 10:16 AM in response to WZZZ

WZZZ wrote:


Did you try removing all cookies and clearing the cache in Safari?


The idea about using an adblocker is just a guess. But you can go into Safari Extensions and get Safari Adblock and see what effect it has on this.


As I said, be sure to uncheck "Open safe files after downloading."


I'll try to call in the cavalry on this one. Maybe someone else will have a better idea what's causing this.

First, there now seem to be several Mac users now online asking similar questions about meld.js, so it must be bothering them too. I read one discussion relating that file to the weather wunderground web site, which I use everyday. I did remove all cookies and cleared the cache in Safari. If it is safe to do, I will download Safari Adblock extension too...but not until you confirm that for me. Someone also recommended Ghostery for Safari, what can you tell me about that extension or application...is it also safe to use?

Apr 25, 2013 10:22 AM in response to Bronco 01

That looks to me like some site you're visiting has an error, and is downloading a JavaScript file rather than loading it for execution. (JavaScript code libraries can be placed in .js files and referenced by JavaScript code on a web page.) keep an eye on it, and make careful note of what page (or pages) you're viewing when you see this happen. Then report back here and give us a link to the page(s), so we can see if we see the same behavior.

Apr 25, 2013 11:41 AM in response to thomas_r.

Thomas A Reed wrote:


... keep an eye on it, and make careful note of what page (or pages) you're viewing when you see this happen. Then report back here and give us a link to the page(s), so we can see if we see the same behavior.

That was not easy before, but now that I'm attuned to the download I'll check it more carefully. It's not obvious that the meld.js appears exactly coincidentally with landing on a particular web site. If that works, however, I'll report the finding back to this discussion.

Apr 25, 2013 1:43 PM in response to thomas_r.

Thomas, there's another thread where Bronco also posted. I'm quoting from that and I've told him to keep things over here from now on. He's responding to my suggestion to hold off on installing AdBlock, but he had already installed it.


Bronco wrote: OK; I wasn't trying to fight the answers, just fix the problem. Do I accomplish this in Safari's preferences, specifically where it says under each extension, "Enable AdBlock or Enable Ghostery?" While awaiting your response, the file, meld.js, just appeared in my Download Folder. I was not looking through any web site, buit there are tabs open. How do I pass on any information to you about the file other than its name?



Hmm, don't quite know what to say. Well, since it happened while AdBlock was enabled looks like disabling it becomes moot right now. Anyway, yes just uncheck Enable just to be sure. Maybe for the time being you shouldn't keep a number of tabs open, so you can close in on exactly which site is doing this.


Also, it's going to get confusing for me and Thomas, who is also trying to help, if you keep posting in this thread. Only post in the other one from now on and I will quote this latest discussion over there and include the link.

Apr 25, 2013 1:50 PM in response to WZZZ

WZZZ wrote:


Thomas, there's another thread where Bronco also posted. I'm quoting from that and I've told him to keep things over here from now on. He's responding to my suggestion to hold off on installing AdBlock, but he had already installed it. While awaiting your response, the file, meld.js, just appeared in my Download Folder. I was not looking through any web site, buit there are tabs open. How do I pass on any information to you about the file other than its name?



Hmm, don't quite know what to say. Well, since it happened while AdBlock was enabled looks like disabling it becomes moot right now. Anyway, yes just uncheck Enable just to be sure. Maybe for the time being you shouldn't keep a number of tabs open, so you can close in on exactly which site is doing this.


Also, it's going to get confusing for me and Thomas, who is also trying to help, if you keep posting in this thread. Only post in the other one from now on and I will quote this latest discussion over there and include the link.

WZZZ, Thomas, et al,

Forgive my intrustions, but let me clear up what this last thread meant to say. I did disable Adblock and Ghostery, as I suggested by question above, before the meld.js appeared. Now there are two of them in the download folder. I tried to say this, but the Apple dialogue appeared, which says they had the Apple Discussion Forum site down for update, so it did not get posted. I am enclosing what I have learned from the information listed in spotlight about this file, meld.js:


"...where from: http://tag.admeld.com/passback/js/331/wunderground_mr1/728x90/4/meld.js, http://usweb.dotomi.com/renderer/delPublishersCookies.html?pid=24245&rurl=http%3 A%2F%2Fmedia.fastclick.net%2Fw%2Fget.media%3Fxqryenc%3Dsid%253D70319%2526tp%253D 5%2526d%253Dj%2526t%253Dn%2526vcm_acv%253D1.3%2526c%253D0.3598713132087141%2526v cm_ifr%253D1%2526vcm_xy%253D-1..-1%2526vcm_vv%253Dtrue%2526vcm_vm%253Dtrue%2526v cm_pr%253D%2526vcm_tr%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wunderground.com%252Fcgi-bin%25 2Ffindweather%252FgetForecast%2526vcm_cr%253D%2526no_cj_c%253D1%2526upsid%253D76 3746197729%2526ud%253DCQAAAAAAAPg-EQAAAAAAAAAAGQAAAAAAAAAAIfyp8dJNYkA-KAAwAGjBn_ aLBXACiAGNyjWQAcD8G5gBr6UEoAEBqAEF&mpc=0&p=24245&pcg=20&cg=20&o=20

Apr 25, 2013 2:07 PM in response to Bronco 01

Certainly appears to be coming from that wundergound.com site, with what I take to be these secondary scripts. But I could be wrong about those being scripts.


tag.admeld.js


usweb.dotomi.com


media.fastclick.net


Searching, I'm not seeing very nice things being said about media.fastclick.net. But I'll let Thomas weigh in with a final opinion about all this. That's his expertise.

Apr 25, 2013 2:13 PM in response to WZZZ

I appreciate any and all help, but I hope you take no unnecessary research steps just to solve this problem. If I cannot do anything about the files and ought to delete them when they appear, that would be an OK answer. If I can preclude their arrival as a download, that would be better but not worth your valuable time. Thanks.

Apr 25, 2013 2:27 PM in response to Bronco 01

First, this is the WoT, Web of Trust, evaluation for media.fastclick.net. I wouldn't want to let this get anywhere near my computer. But this is referring to pop-ups, which isn't your issue, so maybe this is no big deal.


http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/media.fastclick.net


If you were to use Firefox with the Add-on NoScript, that would enable you to filter out these kinds of secondary scripts--if that's what they are. Problem is there is a bit of a learning curve using NoScript. If you want to know more, I can give you some links.


Otherwise, perhaps AdBlockin Safari will be sufficient to keep all this stuff out. Try running it for a while and see if these downloads stop. There is the possibility that third party advertising can serve up some not very welcome stuff.


But again, I would prefer to let Thomas weigh in on all this.

Why do I continue to get meld.js downloads?

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