In FF3. just click on Tools, then Add-Ons, then you select Shockwave Flash and disable it. It works immediately on all new pages loading after you changed settings. Need to enable back? Do the same, but this time, click on Enable button.

From there, you can have a chance to go head and disable other extensions that may not be 100% useful.

Go into about:config and change some network settings (double click on item):
a. network.prefetch-next – change it to false
b. network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server – 4 / 6
c. network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy – 8 / 12
d. network.http.max-connections-per-server – 12 / 24
e. network.http.max-persistent-connections – 28 / 32
Note: Smaller number for slower connection, bigger number for faster connection. For balance of both to suit slow computers with fast connection, use a number that falls in between.

Hope it works.

I’m not against ads in general, but if they slow a page from loading by a lot, or if their blinking and bright colors distract from my reading, I’ll block for those reasons.

I guess enough people respond positively to those kinds of ads I find annoying to make it profitable. I respond better to blog reviews of a product, and sometimes forum reviews. And I use search engines to look for blog/forum reviews after reading one of my subscribed blog’s reviews, in case it was a non-disclosed paid review 8^)

Useful information – thanks.