If you're having trouble in chat with the ads, make your Hosts file look like this:
For windows:
This will work if you're using winxp or win2k. If you're using Vista it might still be there, I don't know. Although
BiTMAP said that he heard Vista supposedly doesn't (or won't be in the future) use a Hosts file. (See
Csharps comment below).
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
127.0.0.1 localhost
216.109.112.135 subtracts.userplane.com
Note all you change is adding the "216.109.112.135 substracts.userplane.com" 216.109.112.135 is the IP address that came up when I pung yahoo.com
If you do this then this is what happens.
Yes it works, you can search for things and it'll load up yahoos search page. Unfortunately there's no way to have it open in a seperate window so it just loads in the same window which means you end up navigating away from chat.
Your hosts file is located at C:/WINNT/system32/drivers/etc/hosts
or C:/Windows/system32/drivers/etc/hosts
It can be edited with notepad. A quick way to do that is just to browse to it with windows explorer and right click on the file and select Open With and select Notepad. After you edit the file restart and it will make the ads stop showing up and quit stealing mouse focus away while you type.
In windows xp home edition, with the default setup (somthing I figure most reading this would have)
Click start and right click on My Computer and select Explore.
That will open up windows explorer and you should see the drives on your computer
Expand C: > Windows > system32 > drivers > etc
Click on etc and you'll see a few files.
Right click on Hosts and select Open With.
In the box that comes up select Notepad and click OK.
In notepad add this line. (you can add it anywhere, but I put it at the end for clenliness)
216.109.112.135 substracts.userplane.com
It should look like what you see above.
X out of Notepad clicking yes to save.
Close the chat window and reopen it.
You should see a Yahoo page that says can not display.
It will load the regular Yahoo homepage after a few seconds.
When it does this it will steal mouse focus away so watch out for that.
If it makes you navigate away you can click the backspace key to get back into chat.
For OSX
SPOILERS! (Click to view)Postmaster said on APR 08, 2007 11:48 AM:
So it's like this:
You can do this for Mac OSX, but it's a little trickier. But only a little.
First, you need to show your "hidden files." Since OSX doesn't want you doing that, you'll need some third party application to help you. I used Showall.
Got it here: http://100degrees.org/software/macosx/showall/index.html
Anyway, go where beppo said...to the etc/hosts directory. By the way, before you modify this, you'll need to change ownership of the "hosts" document to you and give yourself read/write priveleges. Change it back to "system" ownership, and "admin" group when you're done.
Open the "hosts" file in textedit and add in this line
216.109.112.135 subtracts.userplane.com
Close, save.
Now OSX needs you to Reload the NetInfo Database. I found out how to do this here: http://kb.doit.wisc.edu/middleware/page.php?id=4506
Open Terminal. Do step 2 from the above link. Which is to say, enter this in the terminal:
sudo niload -v -m hosts . < /etc/hosts
It's not as complicated as it looks.
Hope that's relatively clear.
post
Not that a whole heck of a lot of you mac kids would understand half of that in the first place though. (Yes Marky, I know you would and a few others will.) 
If you're using a mac, well quit using a watered down wannabe unix and install a real OS on your computer. If you're already using a real OS (QNX, Solaris, FreeBSD or any other genuine unix) then you probably wouldn't need to read this post anyway.
You can do this for Mac OSX, but it's a little trickier. But only a little.
First, you need to show your "hidden files." Since OSX doesn't want you doing that, you'll need some third party application to help you. I used Showall.
Got it here: http://100degrees.org/software/macosx/showall/index.html
Anyway, go where beppo said...to the etc/hosts directory.
By the way, before you modify this, you'll need to change ownership of the "hosts" document to you and give yourself read/write priveleges. Change it back to "system" ownership, and "admin" group when you're done.
Open the "hosts" file in textedit and do the modification he says...the "216.109.112.135 subtracts.userplane.com" one.
Close, save.
Now OSX needs you to Reload the NetInfo Database. I found out how to do this here:
http://kb.doit.wisc.edu/middleware/page.php?id=4506
Open Terminal. Do step 2 from the above link. Which is to say, enter this in the terminal:
sudo niload -v -m hosts . < /etc/hosts
It's not as complicated as it looks.
Hope that's relatively clear.
post