ATS and spyware/cookies

Dont be such a ---

Bad Wolf

Brother, if you want some decent security help with your puta, U2U me with your setup details and I will see what I can advise

With all due respect you have no idea what I research,so those are all unfair analogies.

This issue is not new -- check out the thread I made a while ago.

www.belowtopsecret.com...

I don't know why they decided to move my thread from the "Questions And Information", though.

It's not really just the idea of them using malicious tracking cookies that makes me set my security so high. And to be fair, if a few anti-spam catchers have flagged "fastclick" as a "malicious tracking cookie" then it really has nothing to do with anti-virus programs being "anti cookie" or whatever..It means that program is using trace methods that act as a data miner. Keep in mind some cookies can be used as perfect keyloggers. The fact is that internet users have a right to their privacy.

I pay for my Internet, and i don't really care what someone is trying to sell me. Internet is one of the few places where you can enjoy the content, without stupid ads every 5 mintues..like on TV or radio. So the idea of it being against T+C to block the adds...really doesn't make a difference to me.

I understand they have bills..that's fine with me..however unless they want to start paying for my internet..then i have the right to browse their page however i want. If that means turning off the adds..that's my right.

My problem is not really just the cookies..but the stupid non-stop pop up adds. See i'll be playing a game or something..and some stupid window with smileys or some other useless garbage that i'm NOT interested in..will pop up and screw up my game. That's what made me start blocking the adds.

I didn't feel like losing, or having to rush to shut down the pop up window, and then rush to open my game window back up..all because i was casually lookin at ATS in a minimized window or something. It was just an annoying hassle. Like i said there's no problem with paying bills..but when your paying bills is interupting my otherwise pleasant internet experience..i shut them off.

My advice to anyone is..the less cookies you keep on your computer the better. You don't know who these companies are that are installing these cookies. Granted not all cookies will harm your computer, or data mine..but the truth is that you can never be to careful. It's best to just get rid of all of them..because honestly screw advertising anyway. Like i said, we pay for our internet..and it's our right to browse it ad free if we choose to.

How about in the future just have adds with NO pop ups at all. Everybody hates pop ups..the advertisers aren't going to get any revenue because nobody will want to buy something from someone that annoys them.

Cookiez are not really a problem, and I seriously doubt anyone got their connections hacked, or hard drives wiped because of them. Most are willing to blame a cookie instead of foolishness on their part.
How many toolbars you have installed? Games? ( Wild Tangent = baddie) How many times have you installed something or agreed to a TOS without bothering to read it? Webcams? Chat Programs? FTP or other server? P2P program running 24/7 opening uncounted ports? Filling in personal info for some cheap freebie on some website? Giving your name,address,telephone number,credit card number,social security number to anyone who implies they need it for some purpose or other. Answering or opening e-mails or attachments from "a friend", your bank, some other bank, some mortgage company, ebay, paypal etc,etc.
Your computer is like a house with 65535 doors, and another 65535 back doors. (Tcp and UDP ports.) It is far easier to keep the majority of them locked than to try to run around opening and closing them, hoping someone doesn't sneak in whilst you are not looking. And far easier to check who is knocking than trying to remove them after they get in.

A cookie is a text file, not an executable. (I.E. not a program) Though it can be used in a hack by saving and disclosing information, in can not be run---therefore not used to wipe your drive all by itself.

reply to post by brotherforchrist


funny /funny/funny----you have troubles on this website so far ?----i'm probably going to ruin it for myself by saying this but up to now i've been left alone here by microsoft? at least thats who they say they are--------i suspect now that their "agents"? deal with us by an alphabetical or numerical system so that you dont have the same "watcher" as i was stuck with---my "guardian" gives me a hard time on cnn/debka/haaretz/and a few others i hardly ever look at now because "microsoft"? makes it such a miserable experience-------right now i hate what they do to me so much i would never ever buy another of their products as long as i live-----if i was still as evil as i used to be until G-D took me down and changed me ---i would hunt down microsofts assasins and eliminate them.

reply to post by brotherforchrist


i forgot ----if "microsoft" prompts me to make some changes that will make this computer "work better?" when i have started --the norton anti-virus protection kicks in and warns me that they-------"microsoft" have malicious intentions-----and guess what from checking out google and what they have in their site about the hell that "microsoft" puts its former devotees thru -----i believe norton's antivirus advice and googles----"microsoft ?" has a monopoly and treats us like they are the nwo ?if its them that makes my computer experience an un-necessary hell i'll be glad to see the last of "them?"

Originally posted by brotherforchrist
believe that the spear that allegedly pierced Chist's side is in the Statue of Liberty, and that he is an angel,can you?

woah woah i never ever said the spear of destiny was in the statue of liberty!!!
moses' shroud yes but not the spear dude you can't just say what you wanna say about someone to make them look luney this was a post about cookies and you involve me??

This is a image i was shown when i was on ATS, never thought about ATS the same way since.

just mine and norton's view though, i still like the site though.

ProTo

Originally posted by ProTo Fire Fox
s220.photobucket.com...¤t=001.jpg

The link isn't showing an image. What are you referring to?

Sorry that i had to post this image, big link did not work.

Wow...

...not much else to say about that pic.


Does Norton give any other info about it?

That was all i got, it comes up once maybe twice every 3 months. Some thing difanatly is not right.

ProTo

This is the first I've heard of anything like that happening. Are you getting that Norton warning now, and is any other data provided?

that pic looks photoshop to me.... J/K

wow.... I've never ever gotten anything like that on about 4 different computers / browsers with all sorts of spyware blocks, security etc...

Ever notice how your (place internet mail provider here) seems to know the content of your personal mail to target ads?
Fr' instance---your great aunt Petunia sends you a note about how great her trip to Mexico was, and suddenly, all your ads contain travel offers, cuisine, language courses---etc ad infinatum.

I would really not be concerned about ATS cookies.

Cookies are a necessary part of the net, both for convienience, and revenue, and are reasonably safe if you use a modicum of savvy and discretion about exactly which info you broadcast.

Just my dos centavos.

I ave 2 othe rpictures, but there the same as that one, i posted this up a while ago but was quilcky dimissed by some ATS members. Is there any reason for me to get this message ? o and Skeptic ills end you a pm about a different matter that i have some questions about.

This is odd... McAfee Site Advisor gives us a clean current scan.

reply to post by ProTo Fire Fox


For what its worth, McAfee Site Advisor doesn't find anything wrong with abovetopsecret.com.

Clicky

McAfee doesnt, Norton does. Plain and simple.

ProTo