'Pop-up' firm seeks to block spyware act

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 6/11/2004 | Glen Warchol

[Dec31,1999]

What a mistake that was! I got an "anti-spyware" pop-up, one of six pop-ups and followed it to the end where they wanted a credit card number and $30. Oh well.

IE is useless. Microsoft garbage. At least on this machine. I cannot tolerate pop-ups.

[hchutch]

Uh...

Where can I get one?

[Poohbah]

There is a Firefox model for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002/2004 available for download at http://www.thinkinrussian.org/

[Abcdefg]

I'm pretty sure AdAware no longer detects Gain/Gator due to threats of a lawsuit. Spybot will clean it, though.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Oh yes, little old ladies want a piece of these guys.

[festus]

;I'm no lawyer, but can it be argued that the pop-ups and
;spy-ware are intruding on private property?

Its my understanding that, under current law, a hacker is able to argue that they didn't know they were intruding unless the systems displays at login a message that declares the system to be for authorized users only or somesuch.

Which is why for the last half-dozen years or so every commercial system I've ever accessed has had words to that effect.

So my thinking is that unless your system displays just such a warning the argument that they are intruding would be weak.

I'm no lawyer either, don't play one on tv and didn't even stay at a holiday inn express last night.......

[tsomer]

I'm using adaware, & we've got a copy of spybot on my kid's machine. She likes to play neopets, which means javascript, which means info-lice infestation. Disabling java helps in IE.

I no longer go to Drudge or Lucianne without giving my machine an adaware sponge bath.

I tried Mozilla a while back, and had problems with it. I don't recall much more than that it didn't get along with something else on my machine. I got frustrated and dumped it. But now I'm having second thoughts. What's the recommended browser among the techies these days?

[FrankR]

I have dial up to, but recently added Zone Alarm Pro and McAfee antivirus and haven't had a pop-up since. Great software.

Popups and spyware are in the same category as telemarketers, and should receive the same fate. The biggest boondoggle for my dial up is heavy graphics, or unwanted "flash" animation. I get on the net for information and hate to wait on some animated garbage that runs for the glory of the programmer, before I can get info. Usually, if there is not a "skip intro" button, I just go back and search for another site before it can even load...same with heavy graphics.

[PAR35]

Spyware can come in on regular websites, not just popups.

The worst of it usually comes bundled with "free" stuff.

[JoJo Gunn]

Sounds like you had a run-in with SpyKiller.

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24086

Be aware the spyware types are beginning to put "spy" and "spyware" something in their names to rope in the unsuspecting. Just be careful and use a critical eye about a program you haven't heard of. Ask about, either here or other places you trust.

[Jackknife]

I have high-speed JOI at 12.95 a month . I use a free pop-up block(Yahoo) and free ZoneAlarm firewall . I also use AVG anti-virus(free) and SpyBot Search and Destroy(also free). I have no problems now , whereas I used to before this inexpensive combination .
I have been hi-jacked a couple of times , and it sucks . these jokers should be strung up !!

[Jackknife]

Yahoo companion works great for me .... and its FREE .

[Jackknife]

You are SOOOOO right . I've found that ZDnet.com and Cnet.com are good resources for dependable downloads . They have reveiws on downloads and forums for troubleshooting .

[Skooz]

"... and abridges free speech."

You free speech ends at my front door, bud.

[JoJo Gunn]

Be aware that ZDnet and Cnet has a few employees of MS and other companies who post comments. And those two sites have been known to post.... well, let's be charitable and call them questionable things, on their download pages.

For instance, Spyhunter 1.1.29 (at the moment I write this) is at the top of the Cnet page. Why? They're a paid sponsor!!! And unless I'm mistaken, Spyhunter is the same as Spykiller, which scans your system, many times erroneously identifying things as spyware when they're not, and wants almost 30 bucks to remove it. Uh, it was supposed to be a free trial to boot. (Read the feedback and Google Spyhunter).

http://www.download.com/?tag=cnetfd.sb

Concerning the Yahoo toolbar, you might want to read this.

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=164793

[JoJo Gunn]

Addenda: ZDnet and Cnet are owned by the same group.

[Jackknife]

Thank you for the heads-up !!

[ShadowAce]

What's the recommended browser among the techies these days?

I highly, thoroughly, sincerely, recommend Firefox. With the available extensions, you can make it into a browser that works the same way you think. I rarely even see unwanted ads on web sites anymore since I installed AdBlocker, and I can't even remember what a pop-up looks like.

[Principled]

Haven't seen Spyware Blaster mentioned anywhere on this thread.

[JoJo Gunn]

Here's a little more about SpyHunter. I have no doubt that you who suffer from pop-ups have seen this ad. I saw it from Drudge a couple of months back, before I started running Firefox pretty much exclusively. Drudge apparently doesn't monitor his own site, or he doesn't give a damn.

Take a good look at it, and note it is NOT repeat NOT actually scanning your system. BUT also note how it says "unable to remove items" and "click the OK button to remove items".

Just what the heck is this: C:\\My Documents and Settings\Shared Documents\Malware? (It's vague and undefined gibberish).

If you click OK, it will take you to a page run by Enigma Software, which offers SpyHunter. That page is also laid out to scare the unsuspecting. On that page are two links, which if you click on them will start the download. Don't do it. Just look at the page and absorb what dishonest types do to rope you in, compared to the real guys out there who bust their behinds to bring us anti-spyware and they only ASK for donations!

This is the kind of sewage that the FTC needs to come down on immediately. It's completely false and erroneous, designed to mislead people who don't know any better, or those who think that smiling will make it go away.

deceptive and misleading spyware "remover"