Guidescope is a free community-based Web navigation service.
It works with your browser to help you navigate the Web faster,
safer, and easier. It helps you navigate faster by
blocking ads. It helps you navigate safer by selectively blocking
cookies, thereby stopping ad companies and others from
tracking your surfing. It helps you navigate easier with one-click
navigation and information tools. Guidescope's Opt-In Offers make
it easy to take advantage of valuable marketing messages and offers
if and when you want. For more information, please take the
Guidescope Tour.
How do I sign up for Guidescope?
Download Guidescope at www.guidescope.com.
It's free for individual use at home and for business trials!
How does this help me surf faster, safer, and easier?
To stop unrequested pop-up windows, we recommend using the free,
Mozilla browser,
an open-source, Netscape-like browser. In Mozilla, select "Preferences"
from the "Edit" menu. In the form that opens, click on "Advanced" then
"Scripts and Windows". Uncheck "Open unrequested windows" and
you will no longer see unrequested pop-ups! Once you do this, the
Guidescope Menu will no longer automatically open on start up or when
you load our home page. To open the Guidescope Menu, you will need to
add a Guidescope Menu toolbar bookmark to Mozilla's Toolbar, as described
here.
Can Guidescope filter cookies?
Yes. You can block cookies from all sites except those that you specify.
Click here for more information on how our cookie filtering works.
How is Guidescope's ad filtering different from other ad-filtering software?
The Guidescope service blocks ads using a collaborative database augmented
by pattern matching. Other ad-filtering products only use pattern
matching and aren't able to block ads that don't match their patterns.
We are the only service that uses a Web community to keep our ad
database up-to-date and accurate. We block ads that others miss.
Click here for more information on
how our blocking works.
When I register for Guidescope, what kind of personal information is required?
Guidescope requires no personal information. We don't even require
your email address. (It is easier to safeguard your privacy if we never
collect personal information!) We do allow you to give us some basic
demographic information so our
Opt-In Offers can match your
interests, but that information is entirely optional.
Click here to see a sample user profile.
Why don't you use regular email to communicate with users?
We don't use regular email to communicate with our users in order to
protect our users' privacy. Instead, once
users have installed our free software they are assigned a
User Mail box at our Web site that communicates
directly with our support team.
Does Guidescope watch everything I do while browsing?
When blocking is turned on, our software works by sending the URLs of the pages you
visit to our server, which checks them against a database of known pages containing ads
and sends back a list of graphics to be blocked. When blocking is turned
off, URLs are not sent to our server. Because our service sees where
you go on the Web when blocking is on (so it can stop the ads there), we
have carefully designed the service to avoid gathering information that
would be likely to harm the privacy of your movements around the Web.
As our privacy policy states, we regularly
irreversibly randomize the anonymous identifiers in our logs so they
aren't (and can't be) associated with even your anonymous account ID.
Because our filtering database is dynamically updated by a large user
community, our blocking is more effective than other filters. If you
use other filters (or none at all) you will likely wind up giving out
a lot more tracking information to organizations that don't respect
your privacy.
We are serious about protecting your privacy! For more information, see our
privacy policy, one of the strictest on the Web today.
A special version of our service is available for commercial users who
would prefer to run our database server in-house, thereby eliminating the need
for queries to our central database server. Commercial users should
contact us for more information.
Doesn't checking your database slow down loading pages?
Only one query to our database is made per Web page. Our database servers
take less than a millisecond to look up a Web page in our database.
The rest of the overhead of reaching our servers depends on your
particular link to the Internet. Our database servers are specially
designed computer systems that respond far faster than any Web server can.
If a single ad is blocked on a Web page, then you more than fully recover
the cost of querying our database server.
We run multiple database servers in multiple countries and use a
sophisticated fail-over scheme so difficulty in reaching a database server
will never stop you from loading a Web page.
If you are blocking ads, why do you let your affiliates put ads on your Menu?
Many users find the Guidescope Menu co-brand
links useful because they provide an easy way to get to a
favorite site. (A co-brand link appears on your Menu only if
you downloaded our software after being directed to our site
by one of our affiliates.) If you don't want a co-brand link
on your Menu, then you can turn it off using "Customize the Guidescope Menu"
on your User Profile
page. If you want, you can even use the co-brand
Live Testing feature to put
your own custom entry on your Menu. You have control over the contents
of your Guidescope Menu!
If you are blocking ads, why do you send me ads in your Opt-In Offers?
Our Opt-In Offers are totally "opt-in" - we don't send you any unless you ask for them
and we don't require that you sign up for any. If you do sign up for a category and later cancel
it, you won't receive any more messages from that category.
Our Opt-In offers are supplied by a third party using a system
carefully designed to protect your privacy. They only know you as
a randomly-generated opt-in ID at our site (an ID that is different
from your anonymous account ID). They have no access to our system or
databases. They only know the categories and opt-in user information you give us.
They can't tell if you in particular have read an
Offer, even if you click on one of the links in their message.
Guidescope's Opt-In Offers are an easy way for you to sign up for
the information and offers you want, without giving up personal
information such as your email address. For more information
click here.
What browsers does Guidescope support?
The Guidescope service currently supports Mozilla 1, Netscape 3/4/6/7 and Internet Explorer 4/5/6 on
Windows95/98/ME/NT/2K/XP, and Netscape 3/4/6/7 on X86 Linux and X86 Solaris.
Special Note: We've received reports from users that copies of Internet Explorer
supplied by some free ISPs (such as Juno) have been modified by the
supplier to ignore proxy settings. Such browsers will not work with the
Guidescope service. If you have such a browser, then we suggest getting
a fresh copy directly from
Microsoft.
Does Guidescope work with AOL?
Yes. Guidescope works with AOL if you install another browser, such as
Mozilla (our favorite),
Netscape or
Internet Explorer,
and use that browser to surf once you have logged in to AOL's Internet service.
(Internet Explorer comes with Windows95/98/ME/NT/2K/XP and with AOL CD-ROMs, so
you probably already have it.)
Does Guidescope work with my free ISP?
Guidescope software requires that your browser's proxy settings
function properly. Guidescope does not work with ISPs that override
your browser's proxy settings, such as
Juno, Excite's FreeLane, Tiny Online, and Freeserve.
Guidescope software does work with free ISPs that don't
override your browser's proxy settings, such as
NetZero and
BlueLight.
Why doesn't Guidescope block ads from my free ISP?
Free ISPs usually ask you to view ads in a special window in exchange
for the free Internet connection that they provide. The Guidescope
service filters ads from Web pages. We don't filter ads shown by free
ISPs in the special windows opened by their software.
Are there any plans for a Macintosh release?
Yes. When it is available, it will appear on our
products page.
Are there any plans for a FreeBSD release?
Yes. When it is available, it will appear on our
products page.
Until then, we have heard that it is possible to run our Linux
software on FreeBSD 4.2 using the Linux emulation libraries.
How do I use Guidescope with WebTV?
Unfortunately, Guidescope is currently not available for WebTV. This is
because it is not possible to download software applications using WebTV.
WebTV only runs software supplied by WebTV.
Questions about using the Guidescope service
Where can I find detailed information about using Guidescope?
For a quick overview, take our online tour.
Consult our online manual for more
detailed information on how to use the Guidescope service. You can even download
a PDF version of our online manual there. Our
help resources include a search engine that searches
all our manuals and Web pages.
I've downloaded your software for Windows. How do I install it?
If you are installing on Windows95/98/ME/NT/2K/XP, then locate the file
guide0994.exe. Double-click on it to start the installation.
Follow the instructions in the InstallShield. You will also need to set
up your browser. Detailed instructions for setting up your browser are
here.
If you can't find the file guide0994.exe and you
downloaded our software some time ago, then you might not have the
latest version of our software. Click here
to download the latest version.
I've installed your software, but I don't get the Guidescope Menu.
After installing our software, you need to set up your browser to
use it. Detailed instructions for setting up your browser are available
here.
How do I filter pop-up windows?
To stop unrequested pop-up windows, we recommend using the free,
Mozilla browser,
an open-source, Netscape-like browser. In Mozilla, select "Preferences"
from the "Edit" menu. In the form that opens, click on "Advanced" then
"Scripts and Windows". Uncheck "Open unrequested windows" and
you will no longer see unrequested pop-ups! Once you do this, the
Guidescope Menu will no longer automatically open on start up or when
you load our home page. To open the Guidescope Menu, you will need to
add a Guidescope Menu toolbar bookmark to Mozilla's Toolbar, as described
here.
What is the "Console" window for?
Windows users that have installed our software on their computers will see
a Guidescope Icon in their Windows Tray. Right-clicking on the Tray Icon
pops-up a context menu that includes the command "Open Console".
The Console window is provided for knowledgeable users who might want
to monitor the behavior of the Guidescope software on their computer.
Nothing is controlled from the Console window. In normal operation it
is unnecessary to use it.
More information is available here.
How do I open the Guidescope Menu?
Once you install our free software, the Guidescope Menu appears on your
desktop in a small browser window that opens automatically whenever you
visit the Guidescope home page. It also opens
automatically the first time you browse after rebooting your computer.
If you ever close the small window, you can reopen it in a
number of different ways. Detailed instructions are available
here.
How do I block an ad or other unwanted graphics?
Block graphical ads using the Ad List. Detailed instructions are
available here.
How do I unblock an ad or other graphics?
Unblock graphical ads using the Ad List. Detailed instructions are
available here.
Why do ads that I've blocked still appear after I reload the page?
Your browser is probably displaying the ads from its cache.
If your browser is Internet Explorer, always hold down the "control" key on your
computer's keyboard (labeled "Ctrl" or "CNTL") when you click on "Refresh" after blocking
ads. If your browser is Netscape, always hold down the "Shift"
key on your computer's keyboard when you click on "Reload" after
blocking ads. This prevents your browser from loading from its cache.
More information on blocking and your browser's cache is available
here.
Turn Ad and Cookie Blocking off and on using the Guidescope Menu.
Click here for more information on Ad Blocking or
here for more information on Cookie Blocking.
I run more than one browser. How do I control which one your Tray Icon opens?
The Guidescope Icon in the Windows Tray uses your computer's "default browser" settings to decide
which browser to open. How you set the default browser depends on which browser you are using.
If you want Netscape as your default browser, follow Netscape's
instructions here.
Even though the instructions say "95 or NT", they should work for all
Windows varieties.
If you want to set IE as your default browser, here's how:
Under IE's "Tools" menu (in IE5/6 browsers) or the "View" menu (in IE4 browsers)
click on "Internet Options".
In the dialog box that appears, click the tab labeled "Programs".
At the bottom of the dialog box you will see a checkbox that reads
"Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default
browser." Make sure that box is checked and click on "Okay".
Completely exit and restart IE. If it wasn't already your default
browser, IE will ask you if you want it to be the default browser.
Click on "Yes" and you are done.
There is another way to set the default browser, but we only recommend
that experts use it. If you're a skilled technical person who's willing
to risk breaking your system quite badly, you can edit the system registry
yourself with regedit. The registry key we use is:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command
This is not for the faint of heart but it is the definitive answer to
setting the default browser.
How can I stop Internet Explorer from opening pages associated with shortcuts in your Menu window?
By default Internet Explorer opens pages associated with shortcuts in
an existing window. If you like this behavior, you can use our Menu to
first open an empty window. Then clicking on a shortcut icon will then
open its page in the new empty window instead of overwriting our Menu.
To learn how to use our Menu to open an empty window click
here.
Another and perhaps better solution is to tell Internet Explorer to open pages
associated with shortcuts in new windows:
Under IE's "Tools" menu (in IE5/6 browsers) or the "View" menu (in IE4 browsers)
click on "Internet Options".
In the dialog box that appears, click the tab labeled "Advanced".
Under "Browsing" uncheck "Reuse windows for launching shortcuts".
Click on "Okay" to finish.
Why don't you block ads on "secure" sites that use SSL?
To protect your privacy and maintain security,
we do not block ads on or examine data streams associated with pages of
Internet sites that use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), an option commonly
used on order forms that collect personal information such as credit
card numbers.
Can I control how blocked ads look on Web pages?
Yes. How blocked graphics appear is set as part of your User Profile,
which you can edit on your User Profile page.
Once you have installed our
free software, you will find a hyperlink to your User Profile settings
at the top and bottom of pages on our Web site.
Click here to see a sample user profile.
How do I access a Web archive on a "404 - page not found"?
You can get help accessing a Web archive by setting the "Page Not
Found" behavior, which is part of your User Profile. (Once you have
installed our free software, you will find a hyperlink to your User
Profile settings at the top and bottom of pages on our Web site.
Click here to see a sample user profile.)
Once you have set your profile to "Try archive", whenever your browser
can't find a page, a small window will open to help you access the archive.
How do I set up my favorite sites, search engine, reference, or weather site?
Your favorite sites, search engine, reference, and weather site are part
of your User Profile, which you can edit on your User Profile page. Once
you have installed our free software, you will find a hyperlink to your
User Profile settings at the top and bottom of pages on our Web site.
Click here to see a sample user profile.
How do I review or change my user information?
Your user information is part of your User Profile, which you can edit
on your User Profile page. Once you have installed our free software,
you will find a hyperlink to your User Profile settings at the bottom
of pages on our Web site.
Click here to see a sample user profile.
How do I use Guidescope with ZoneAlarm?
Here's how we have set up ZoneAlarm on our Windows computers:
Click on the "Security" button on the ZoneAlarm console.
Set both "Local" and "Internet" to "High".
Click on the "Programs" button on the ZoneAlarm console:
Program: GUIDE.EXE
Allow Connect/Local: Yes
Allow Connect/Internet: Yes (this allows it to connect TO the Internet)
Allow Server/Local: Checked
Allow Server/Internet: Unchecked
Pass Lock: Unchecked
Program: Internet Explorer (or whatever browser you use)
Allow Connect/Local: Yes
Allow Connect/Internet: Yes
Allow Server/Local: Unchecked
Allow Server/Internet: Unchecked
Pass Lock: Unchecked
If you ever "lock" ZoneAlarm, you may need to check "Pass Lock" for guide.exe as well.
Why on start up does IE tell me it can't find: http://www.guidescope.com/home/redir-user.htm?
If the first page you try to browse after start up doesn't exist, IE provides
confusing error messages. IE tells you "The page cannot be found", but its
Address bar shows "http://www.guidescope.com/home/redir-user.htm" instead of the URL
of the nonexistent page. To avoid this problem, make sure you enter a valid URL.
(Netscape doesn't have this problem.)
How do I connect several PCs to a single copy of your software?
You can connect several PCs to a single copy of the Guidescope
software by running the Guidescope software as a proxy server that
listens for multiple connections. If you don't already have a Guidescope
configuration file "guide.ini", create one in the directory in which you
installed the Guidescope software. Add a line to the configuration file:
listen-address address:port
where the address in address:port corresponds to the IP address of the
machine running the Guidescope software and port
is 8000. Then set the manual proxy
configuration of the browsers on each of the PCs to use the proxy,
following the instructions here,
but using the address and port of the machine running the proxy in place of
127.0.0.1:8000.
System administrators should review the detailed information about proxy
configurations available
here.
Please note that business users can try the Guidescope service free
for 30 days, after which a fee is required for using our service.
Please contact us for
sales information.
Why do I get warnings about "Problems with this Web page..." or script errors?
Ad servers have recently started serving ads using JavaScript. When the
Guidescope service blocks the ads it causes some browsers to generate
warning messages. In particular, IE 5/6 pops up a small window that
says "Problems with this Web page might prevent it from being displayed properly
or functioning properly". These warning messages are a normal side effect of
blocking ads served by JavaScript. The best solution is to turn
off the warning messages in your browser. In IE 5/6 uncheck the box on the warning
that says "Always display this message when a page contains errors".
Some versions of IE 5.0 don't provide the option to turn off the errors.
In that case, upgrade to IE 5.5 or IE 6.
Why do some pages come up blank or have a title "GIF image 1x1 pixels"?
You have reached a URL that our service identified as an ad and blocked. If you want
to see the page, turn blocking off and reload the page. Remember to turn blocking back on once
you have loaded the page.
I turned Cookie Blocking on and now I can't get to my Hotmail account.
Hotmail requires two cookies to function: one from passport.com and one from hotmail.msn.com.
If you are using our Cookie Blocking, be sure to allow cookies for both these domains.
If you are using our old, pre-Version-0.99, Junkbuster-compatible
cookie filtering with Hotmail, you need to
add the following two lines to your cookie.ini file to allow cookies for Hotmail:
passport.com
hotmail.msn.com
To check what version you are running, check the "Guidescope Software Version Number"
panel at the bottom of your
User Page. To get the latest version,
go to our Products Page.
Why isn't Netscape's automatic URL completion working anymore?
This feature is provided by Netscape if "Enable Internet Keywords" is not selected on
the Netscape's "Smart Browsing" form. Unfortunately, this feature is not active when
Netscape is using a proxy, such as our software. We are currently investigating alternative
ways of providing this feature.
[Resolved in 0.99] Why can't I read pages at idg.net?
This problem was solved in our 0.99 Version of our software.
We recommend that you update to Version 0.99.
To check what version you are running, check the "Guidescope Software Version Number"
panel at the bottom of your
User Page. To get the latest version,
go to our Products Page.
(If you have Version 0.98 of our software, turn blocking off to access sub-pages at
www.idg.net or idg.net.)
