Google and Proxo

[Mele20]

For months I have had a strange problem with Google using Fx3.0 on a Vista Virtual machine. Suddenly, tonight I have the SAME problem on Fx 1.5 (yes, I still use that version) on my Host XP Pro machine. It is a Proxo problem affecting Fx only. I have been using Opera 1010 mostly for months now and it is not affected.


On Fx 1.5 or 3.0, on a Google search results page, when I click on a result I get a blank page with a strange Google address like some kind of loopback to Google instead of to the webpage. If I then click the back button, Fx does not go back to search results page but to a new http://www.google.com page. If I remember instead to copy/paste the search result url that I want to go Fx goes there with no problems (assuming the URL is not truncated in the search results. Of course, this is a poor, only partially working solution, but I was doing this on the virtual machine which I don't use that much but now that Fx 1.5 on my Host machine is acting the same way I am motivated to come here and ask about it).

If I bypass Proxo after I get the Google results page then I have no problems getting Fx to go to whatever result I click on.

For instance: On this results page:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q...b5d78ea28f

Result number 19 (Avast Blog), if I click on it I get a blank page with this url:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=we...Zf1HCNk29g

If I bypass Proxo and click on Result number 19 link, I get taken to the Avast blog.

The above happens on EVERY link I click on. If Proxo is not bypassed, I get a blank page with the "loopback" url.

Also, just now I got an entirely different layout using Fx for that search. It is alternating between normal layout and a strange layout with an odd looking square box in the upper left corner of the search results page that looks like a map and has "Google checkout" image that is clickable but that just takes me to a blank Google home page.

I am also seeing no filtering by Proxo on Google search pages. This just started. I see ads as well sponsored links. I don't use Google Alternate Display but all other Google filters from Feb 2009 set are checked.
I also have Kye-U's Google Search Remove Fade-in and Disable Google Suggest v 1.2 (which works on Fx 1.5 but not on Fx 3).

[Graycode]

(Dec. 16, 2009 07:08 AM)Mele20 Wrote:  For instance: On this results page:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q...b5d78ea28f

Was the use of '#' in the URL a typo or was that done by something else? It's expected that be a question mark, not pound sign.

I've noticed a Firefox problem that on some pages where the '#' locator does not exist in the content, then Firefox displays completely empty content. The page fetches are being done, and View-Source shows the page data is there. Yet absolutely nothing is shown by Firefox. It seems to happen consistently on Google but infrequently on other sites.

For example the following URL displays nothing at all in my Firefox v2.0 or v3.5.5 or a couple of others:
http://www.google.com/#foo

For your blank page problem I suggest looking for whether any URL re-write is being done that involves putting '#' into a URL. The '#' and anything following that is normally not sent to the proxy (or server), it's only within the browser and used for page positioning during the render process. The '#' can be given to a browser by a proxy (or server). So you would not expect to see '#' values in Proxo's logs of URL you've requested.

-------

Google does use click-backs to themselves for some sponsored links from searches. Again though, maybe there is some proxy URL mangling that is adding a '#' to cause your blank page in Firefox ... ???

PS - Sorry I can't help with identifying specifically what is causing your issue in Proxo, whether or not '#' locators are involved in what you're experiencing.

[JJoe]

(Dec. 16, 2009 07:08 AM)Mele20 Wrote:  For months I have had a strange problem with Google using Fx3.0 on a Vista Virtual machine. Suddenly, tonight I have the SAME problem on Fx 1.5 (yes, I still use that version) on my Host XP Pro machine. It is a Proxo problem affecting Fx only. I have been using Opera 1010 mostly for months now and it is not affected.

I believe you have found an ajax page,
http://prxbx.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=1350
or it has found you.

(Dec. 16, 2009 07:08 AM)Mele20 Wrote:  Result number 19 (Avast Blog), if I click on it I get a blank page with this url:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=we...Zf1HCNk29g

If I bypass Proxo and click on Result number 19 link, I get taken to the Avast blog.

The above happens on EVERY link I click on. If Proxo is not bypassed, I get a blank page with the "loopback" url.

It appears to be blank but contains

Code:

<body><a href="http://blog.avast.com/2009/10/31/what-do-av-products-do-and-how-are-they-tested/" id=link target=_parent>
</body><script>var a=parent,b=parent.google,c=location;if(a!=window&&b){if(b.r){b.r=0;a.location.href="http://blog.avast.com/2009/10/31/what-do-av-products-do-and-how-are-they-tested/";c.replace("about:blank");}}else
c.replace("http://blog.avast.com/2009/10/31/what-do-av-products-do-and-how-are-they-tested/");
</script><noscript><META http-equiv="refresh" content="0;URL='http://blog.avast.com/2009/10/31/what-do-av-products-do-and-how-are-they-tested/'">
</noscript>

code to redirect the browser to the desired page. Your set probably blocks this and leaves you stranded.

(Dec. 16, 2009 07:08 AM)Mele20 Wrote:  Also, just now I got an entirely different layout using Fx for that search. It is alternating between normal layout and a strange layout with an odd looking square box in the upper left corner of the search results page that looks like a map and has "Google checkout" image that is clickable but that just takes me to a blank Google home page.

I am also seeing no filtering by Proxo on Google search pages. This just started. I see ads as well sponsored links. I don't use Google Alternate Display but all other Google filters from Feb 2009 set are checked.
I also have Kye-U's Google Search Remove Fade-in and Disable Google Suggest v 1.2 (which works on Fx 1.5 but not on Fx 3).

Refresh your memory
http://prxbx.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=1350

Let us know if we need to take another look or help.

HTH