Firefox Users: When you click an invalid link, do you go to Microsoft.com?

[Skinner]

I've been running Firefox for about a week, but just today I noticed something really wierd. If I click on an invalid link, I get automatically sent to www.microsoft.com.

For example, I get sent to the Microsoft page if I click on this link, which has the "http" part listed twice:

http://www.democraticunderground.com

Here's what it looks like in Fireox. Note that the URL for the Microsoft website is listed in the location bar:



I tested it on Internet Explorer, to see what would happen, and I got the normal IE "Cannot find server" page.



I ran Ad Aware, and I don't have any spyware. I find this really irritating. Anyone else experience this?

ON EDIT: EarlG figured it out. See here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3011287&mesg_id=3011363

[shoelace414]

1. wow.. that's weird

I went there too

[ulysses]

2. yeah, I do!

That's messed up...what the hell?

[MrScorpio]

3. Same here, Skinner

And I'm running the Mac version of Firefox

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. It seems to only be the case with DU.

I don't understand why. Otherwise, it usually puts up a popup window that says "http://xxxxxxxx.com cannot be loaded"

[Skinner]

7. Actually, it seems to work with any website I try.

For example: http://www.yahoo.com

Maybe it only happens with the double "http" issue. :shrug:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

10. Yeah, you're right.

[ulysses]

14. I think that's it.

The bad link on this page doesn't do it.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

9. Check that - it works otherwise too.

I think it's the double "http://" part that does it.

[supernova]

5. Freaky! I never noticed that!

:crazy: I tried it just now on purpose and got sent to that same MS window.

I tried it from http://www.plastic.com

[johnnie]

6. Never noticed that before

It's the man trying to hold us down. Someone has some explaining to do.

[lpbk2713]

8. FWIW, I use Mozilla 1.7.6, Firefox's cousin.

And I go to a blank page and a msg box pops up saying "HTTP could not be found"

Ed: If it does it with Firefox and not with Mozilla it makes me wonder if the Gnomes of Redmond haven't been screwing around with Firefox and installing bogus default URL's. Gates and his devious crew are capable of doing such as this. I used Netscape for years before going to Mozilla. Very rarely use MSIE, only when I absolutely have to.

[AntiCoup2K4]

11. Yep. It's happenned two or three times.

I figured it was something like when you type in an URL wrong and usually get a page that someone set up to take advantage of flying fingers on the keyboard (see www.goggle.com as opposed to www.google.com)

Maybe Microsoft bought up some of these "almost" domain names and their using it as a tool to push XP Service Pack 2?

Spyware was the first thing I looked for as well, and my computer was clean, so I don't think you need to worry about that.

[gollygee]

12. I got microsoft too!

how odd!

[northzax]

13. me too, when I use the httpx2 trick

otherwise I go to a search engine. (for instance if I type www.democracticunderdroung.com)

I think it's a function of the double http somehow, but why microsoft I have no idea.

[EarlG]

15. I figured it out

If you type any word into the Firefox address bar, it automatically sends you to the top-ranked Google page for that word - exactly the same as if you typed the word into the Google search box and hit "I'm Feeling Lucky". In Skinner's case above, it read the first part of the bad URL and sent him to Google's number one search result for the word "http" which happens to be Microsoft's website.

Try this: type the words "miserable failure" into the address bar and hit enter. Or type the word "idiots" :)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

18. Crap, beat me by a minute. (nt)

[Skinner]

19. Ah, yes. That would explain it.

In fact, if I look at the status bar on Firefox, you can see that it is hitting google briefly.

BTW: Everyone should take Earl's advice. Type the word "idiots" into Google and click "I'm Feeling Lucky."

[Elidor]

21. Hey, that's pretty cool!

I never knew about that feature.

[kick-ass-bob]

22. We have a winner.

I just stumbled onto this thread - I did that by accident in Google's little search bar at the top, putting only http in there and it sent me to the search page - where MSoft was the 1st link.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. Here's the explanation

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235786

Firefox does a "I'm Feeling Lucky" google search when you type an invalid name. It appears it parsed the invalid URL down to "http" before doing that.

If they fix the aforementioned bug this oddity should vanish.

[all.of.me]

17. oh my god! this is new! yuck!

no, i have always gotten a 404 error page, not this bullshit.

yuck yuck yuck

we're trying to get AWAY from ms with firefox! my god, they are everyfuckingwhere!

[Misunderestimator]

20. Yes... weird... just tried it.