Hosts files. Problem w/ e-mail notification?

[videobruce]

I have a hosts file on my 2k machine. A number of forums that I visit I am not getting e-mail notifications including this one to threads I am subscribed to. I have checked my address and notification options.
Is this the problem?

[Force Flow]

All 2k/XP systems have a hosts file. What that does is bind specific web addresses to IP 127.0.0.1, thus effectively blocking you from accessing them. I very much doubt this is related to your problem unless you have modified it.

When you post on a forum, do you enable instant notifications in your user control panel and tick the box for an email notificaion when you make a post?

[videobruce]

Yes to both. There isn't a problem here. I thought it might of had to do with the adservers many of these forums have/use. Though I'm not familar with just how all of the at works, I doi see from time to time site names/servers that I reconize as ad related.
How about a ISP blocking them, treating them as spam even though I haven't done anything and don't have any spam filters set up locally or at the ISP that I changed?