[angevine41]

I found a freeware applescript (Banana Peeler) that will supposedly remove the ad banner generators from each Sherlock plug in, but I don't know how to make it work, and can't contact the author.

Anyone know if it works? How? I supose it goes somewhere in system folder, but am afraid to just toss it in.

[wlonh]

FROM the Banana Peeler ReadMe:

1) How do I work it?

Double click on Banana Peeler. It's an AppleScript compiled as an application. It automagically finds your System folder, and fixes things for you. While it's working, you'll notice a file appear on your desktop called "Smooshed file". Please don't touch that file while Banana Peeler is running. It's the "work area" for the AppleScript. If things go well, Banana Peeler will end silently and Smooshed file will be in your trash.

2) Anything else I should know?

Yeah, all the source code for the script is right there. Drop Banana Peeler on Script Editor, and tada! You can see every line of code that I wrote. This should ease fears of viruses - the whole thing is only 115 lines long, most of it error catching. You can also run it from Script Editor.

3) What do I need?

Mac OS 8.5 with AppleScript installed. This script has been tested on many, many machines. Well, quite a few anyway. ALL RIGHT! I ONLY RAN IT ON MY G3/266 DESKTOP! HAPPY NOW?! But I have lots of RAM.

4) I'm scared it might squish my Sherlock files and do bad things.

You do make backups, don't you? Geez, I don't want to hear it. What kind of a doofus are you? There are two kinds of computers: those that have crashed, and those that are about to crash. Unless you're running Linux.

5) It seems awfully slow.

And your so-called point is what? On my G3, it runs about 28 Sherlock files per minute. It's a heck of a lot faster than editing them by hand. Walk away. Go outside your house and stand under that big yellow ball hanging in the sky. Wiggle your toes in the grass. Scratch behind your ears. Groom your mate, and bite the little lice things so they crunch.

[angevine41]

The reason I couldn't figure it out was it wouldn't expand until I found stuffit expander and dragged it in. Before it just sat there on the desktop with an IE logo on it, and wouldn't do anything except open a blank IE page and say "failed to load".

Is there some way to make .sit files automatically find expander when you double click them?

[wlonh]

well, if you have configured you Mac properly it is automatic, Stuffit launches at the completion of the d/l and processes it, furthermore you can set Stuffit's preferences to delete the .bin's and .sit's, etc, after they have been processed and you won't have the junk on your desktop. of course, you may want to save the .bin's and .sit's as archives for backup reasons.

check your Internet control panel helper app's in the Advanced section of Internet control panel which is accessible by going to the Edit menu (in menubar) while the Interenet control panel is open and selecting 'User Mode' from the Edit menu and then select 'Advanced', see that Stuffit is listed as the helper app for .sit, .bin etc

check your browser's pref's, there are settings in IE for example that say 'automatically decode MacBinary..' and 'automatically decode binhex...'

i never have to double-click on a download to process it.


[This message has been edited by wlonh (edited 10-16-1999).]

[angevine41]

Ah, So, and many thanks.

Ad banners gone from Sherlock, and how refreshing!

Thing is: I accept "normal" ad banners as a fact of life, but it seemed that most if not all the Sherlock ad banners were of the nervous, monkey-in-a-cage variety: restless and frenetic!! Good riddance.