The toolbar selects the best image to replace the ad, but does not replace images that are not served up by ad servers.  In other words, PWS toolbar leaves photos such as the Reuter's Photo: Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, March 18, 2008 and the graphics for Related Quotes beneath the photo.

This is a great way to avoid unwelcome distraction.

Alternatively, you could use the toolbar to provide your own favourite distraction ;-)

The new gallery feature on WordPress is handy, as the new "upload gallery to post" option makes it easy to show you the eight images (plus original) that I prepared and uploaded to my ProWebSurfer (PWS) account.

I always use the PWS toolbar with Firefox to replace advertisements on webpages.

These pebbles we saw on Brighton beach last week are just what I need for a refreshing change of online scenery ;-)

(Actually these pictures remind me of a good sunny day at the seaside, two days before we built snowmen!)

More to follow...

Entries close at midnight PST on Jan 31, 2008. Most popular new album wins !!!

Here's to a great 2008 for all of us !

The Firefox version 2.3 of the ProWebSurfer toolbar has an undocumented feature that allows users to add images to their replacement albums using their mouse. This functionality is only available to registered toolbar users. You can register at www.ProWebSurfer.com . This document describes how to install/activate and use this functionality.

How to activate the Mouse Add functionality.

1. Start Firefox.
2. Enter “about:config” in the browser address bar
3. In the filter box enter “pws”
4. Right click on pwstoolbar.mouseMenu
5. Select toggle. This will change the value to true
6. You may have to restart your browser for changes to take effect.

How to use the Mouse Add functionality

1. Find a page with an image you like on it
2. Move your mouse over the image you want to add to your album
3. Right click
4. You will see a new menu item “Pro web surfer: save image to album”
   1. This menu will let you add the image to any of your pre-existing public or private albums.
   2. You can also add the image to a brand new album new album.
      1. By default your new album will be scoped to private.
      2. You can change it to be public by logging on to your mypws page @ www.prowebsurfer.com
      3. To see your newly created albums, either restart your browser or use the “option->reload” feature on the ProWebSurfer toolbar.

   One of the cool things this feature does is let you add image from your local computer to your private albums !

This is a big step forward for us: until now, ad replacement albums have been static, with content changing only when the album creator has made changes. Now we can offer dynamic albums which will reflect your preferences and change during the day.

Please let us know what you think about this and how we can use this in future.

So far, we have moderated all new albums submitted as public PWS albums and only accepted content that we feel is appropriate to most adults. If users want to see private images (without limit) they can do so as private albums, but they are not able to share these images with other ProWebSurfer users.

Do you have any thoughts on how we should guide our policy in this area?

Check out our turkey album. Have fun !

What's next? For all users of PWS, please tell your friends, because we want to increase the size of our community, as well as the number of ads being replaced, so we can add more cool services for the next generation of ProWebSurfer. Watch this space !

1. New distortion free image display algorithm for replacement content. Even images taken with your camera phone will look great!
2. Support for our new image drop service. Registered ProWebSurfer users can now create new ad replacement image albums and add to existing albums through e-mail. It’s easy. Just attach your favorite images to an e-mail and send it to ProWebSurfer. Learn how at http://www.prowebsurfer.com/pwswebsite/ImageDrop.jsp
3. Lots of performance improvements.
4. Your albums can have several same sized images and unlike previous versions they will show up randomly as you surf.

Thanks for being a ProWebSurfer !

This is one of the new albums posted by ProWebSurfers to the ProWebSurfer site. We have noticed an increase in pet and animal pictures. Cute never fails to please: dogs, cats, pets. The younger the better. Check out the ProWebSurfer site and start replacing unwanted browser ads with images of your choice. Over nine million ads replaced to date !
The original picture comes from Tony Johns in the UK. He sent his photograph of a "football team" of 11 Irish setter pups to the UK Telegraph newspaper. Mr Johns and friends borrowed the strip of local football team Bromsgrove Rovers and pegged the pups up.

My company (ProWebSurfer) offers a free service to replace online ads with images of your choice. Our most popular albums are nature scenes (moon rises, lansdcapes) but we also have some cool spoof ads - including the Exxon ad above. Check it out. Anyone interested in sharing images which raise awareness of climate change and its likely effects, please check out our site.