Blocking Opera users can also get you in trouble with Google search
Published January 18th, 2008 2:37 PM EST By Daniel GoldmanThe CVS pharmacy website is notorious for blocking Opera users from accessing its homepage. When visiting cvs.com with Opera, you’re forwarded to a page saying:
“You have landed on this page, because we do not currently support your web browser and/or browser version.”
“Our site currently supports the majority of Mozilla-based and Internet Explorer browsers on Windows and Macintosh systems. However, we do not support Opera, Beta versions, or recent releases of some browsers. We hope to remedy this in the near future.”
Google Search Bot also blocked
Here’s the problem for CVS and others who only allow Internet Explorer (IE) and Mozilla browsers: The GoogleBot is neither IE nor Mozilla, and thus they too will be blocked from view the site.
Here’s proof. Take a look at the Google’s cached version of cvs.com; it shows the same ‘upgrade’ message Opera users see. (See screenshot below)
We at Opera have contacted CVS a few times over the past few years, each time telling us that they’re working on ‘Opera support.’ Nothing has ever happened. Needless to say, Opera works perfectly on cvs.com; I see no issues at all.
So after cvs.com neglected Opera users for this long, we’ve taken the matter into our own hands.
Fixing sites with Browser.js ua.ini
We’ve just updated our browser.js ua.ini to give the ability for Opera users to visit the cvs.com homepage.
With browser.js, Opera is able to modify and change the code of the webpage before the browser renders the page. We use it to fix sites that refuse to recognize Opera. The browser.js file is automatically updated on your computer every two weeks. (To manually get the latest browser.js version, go to Help > Check for updates).
Now when you go to cvs.com, Opera will identify itself as Firefox when it requests the page from the server. CVS now gives you the correct webpage instead of the bogus upgrade error.
Of course we’re taking a risk with this (i.e. identifying as another browser). CVS won’t see any Opera visitors in their site logs, which surely won’t compel them to fix their issues with Opera.
Sprint and Open the Web
My next Open the Web pet project is Sprint. I can’t login into my Sprint account when not identifying myself as either IE or Firefox. I’ve emailed the developers working on that part of Sprint’s site, but have yet to receive a response.
(This is how Google sees cvs.com)
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” We’ve just updated our browser.js to give the ability for Opera users to visit the cvs.com homepage. ”
I’m using last weekly build, still can’t access site ? :confused:
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Investor, Opera checks for a new version of the browser.js file every two weeks. As I mentioned in the post, you could manually check for an updated version by going to Help > Check for updates… Opera will automatically check for a new version. On the next browser restart, you should be using the updated browser.js version.
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What about a status icon or something like this to be able to see when Opera uses browser.js / ua.ini? I don’t ask for an option to disable it, I just want to see which web sites Opera has to spoof or debug. Would be a very nice feature.
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wupperbayer, when Opera uses the browser.js to modify a page, it logs it to the Error console (Tools > Advanced > Error console).
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Great comercial for a stupid site.
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As I see, you do not have to restart Opera after checking for new versions, it will use the new one when it is updated.
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Done that, are you sure Opera build 9745 can access http://www.cvs.com ?
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@Investor 9745 is working fine with http://www.cvs.com just go to “help->check for updates” and restart opera
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What about Citigroup’s studentloan.com? They seem to have had problems with Opera for ages, but it isn’t simply a browser block. Their server page file extension shows up as a download. I’m not sure how many American college students pay their refinanced loans there, but it’s a lot.
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@alex,
thanks, did so, but no… so my install or PC is not working right … Never mind, though, if it works for mainstream, I’m happy
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My Opera does not work on cvs either. It states it already is updated, but I get the block page. (I do not need cvs, they may want me though…
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It works, sorry. Opera updated silently, I needed only to restart Opera…
Now, I am free to NOT buy there
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Just for the record, this was fixed using the override_downloaded.ini which is commonly referred to as the ua.ini.
@wupperbayer: That’s a brilliant idea. One of us should start a thread about it at my.opera.com. Currently, all browser.js changes do post a message to the error console (Tools, Advanced, Error Console).
AS vindictive as it is, I’m happy that the ignorant and/or lazy web devs are being “punished”. I wonder if google punishes themselves for blocking opera…
@everyone: If you want a (possibly) quick fix (read: hack) for any web site (that you are not designing/creating) that’s not working correctly in opera, I would suggest you start a thread Open the Web & Take Action. This will usually get a quick userjs fix or atleast notify alot of people about the problem. If you are having trouble getting a site you are developing working in opera, i would suggest you go to the Opera and cross-browser Web design. To get the most out of that experience, I would suggest you validate your site before you post there.
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It doesnt because google has no its own ‘content’ so you cant miss it using any form of search. And btw google does not block opera, it doesnt support it, it is a difference.
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@wupperbayer
I think that is a SUPERB idea.
A little glowing nasty light down the bottom or in the address bar to show which pages Opera has had to finesse to let it work.
Taking it and running with it, maybe clicking on that little icon could show a small form with basic details of what was done (taken from specially formatted comments in code maybe?) and a link to email the site admin asking they fix it.
Two clicks from finding that icon to an email being open directed to them. Might encourage admins to sort out those simple issues if users send emails as well as the company dealing with them?
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i’m using opera 9.25, and the browser.js did work perfectly, because the first time i visit the website in my life i was masked as firefox. However i was still blocked by the upgrade page!
Then, i changed to mask as iexplorer, and it was working i could enter the website.
Finally, i wanna tell that it’s weird, but on my browser, masking as firefox simply doesn’t work most of the times, i have to mask as iexplorer to have the masking correctly working.
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I do think it’s a great idea to visually notify users that Opera has had to modify the page to make it work. It wouldn’t have to be in your face but something discrete in the status bar would be good.
Alternativly, a massive big red box could pop up with alarm bells ringing saying “this site was built by people who still think the ‘browser war’ is between IE and Netscape!”. But only a few of us would get the joke…
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@Colin: what’s the URL of the studentloan.com page that doesn’t work well with Opera?
@fearphage: thanks, I’ve updated to post.
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I checked cvs.com using Opera and it seems to be working now! I do not get the default error page.
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i’m using opera 9.25, and the browser.js did work perfectly, because the first time i visit the website in my life i was masked as firefox. However i was still blocked by the upgrade page!