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PC pages blocked by Spybot!?

Discussion in 'PriusChat Website Questions' started by Varko, Oct 7, 2004.

  1. Varko

    Varko Member

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    Danny,

    I am using Spybot S&D 1.2 and IE 6. Yesterday a was following some links provided by efusco in the thread:

    http://priuschat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=43827

    The first and second links, which are to PriusChat files, open another window and then Spybot blocks it with this message:

    Spybot-S&D has blocked the download of "Avenue A, Inc."!

    Then the page does not load.

    I have never had a Spybot issue with PriusChat before. I decided to go to the files library through the Forum menu and access them that way. When I opened the File Library there is a pop-up graphic of a Verizon cell phone (happened again today). The graphic stays up for just a few seconds then vanishes. Now subsequent attempts to load the File library listing page, after the initial time with the pop-up graphic, are blocked by Spybot.

    I ran Spybot to check for problems before trying to load the page and it said I was clean. Now afterward it says I have tracking cookies for Avenue A, Inc. and DoubleClick. I can't get to the PC files listing anymore unless I clean using Spybot.

    Is this something new to PC? Is this just me? What's going on?
     
  2. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Someone doesn't want you to see that information. Someone who fears hybrids.
    I suspect either the Big Three auto makers or the current presidential administration.
     
  3. Varko

    Varko Member

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    :lol:

    Now that we have the conspiracy theory out of the way, are there any other explanations?...
     
  4. pkjohna

    pkjohna Member

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    I see a banner ad on the file library page now as well.

    Any comments Danny?
     
  5. GreenSteve

    GreenSteve Web Hosting Provider

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    I'm sorry that I can't shed any light on your issue using SpyBot with Internet Explorer.

    I'd like to suggest a way you can work around this issue and raise the security of your system while surfing the web.

    Please consider trying one of the excellent web browsers that are available free from the Mozilla Organization. I prefer Firefox, some others prefer the original Mozilla. You can get Windows versions of either one at http://mozilla.org/

    These browsers have excellent popup control built in and configured by default. They are able to discriminate betweeen popup windows you have requested by following a link, versus the annoying kind that you get when you visit creepy websites.

    Microsoft browsers have a default behavior of running certain scripts that can sometimes be used to do harm to your computer. Mozilla browsers always offer warnings first, when appropriate, and are designed to automatically do the right thing.

    I create web content for a living. The last thing I would ever want to do is go surfing random websites with IE. It is a dangerously defective product.

    On the other hand, sites like this one do not contain malware. You're just suffering the effects of trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear in taming the gaping security holes in IE.

    Trust me, try a new browser. You'll love it.

    GreenSteve
     
  6. pkjohna

    pkjohna Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GreenSteve\";p=\"43964)</div>
    Steve, I love FireFox too but the latest build has been crashing regularly for me on the PriusChat site. Have you had any problems?

    BTW, the banner ad mention previously shows up with Firefox too. The "Avenue A" that Varko complains of is attempted by numerous banner ads (including several at Yahoo) and is not really malware or popup or even an IE issue -- it's more of a cookie system.
     
  7. mikepaul

    mikepaul Senior Member

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    The latest version of Spybot puts a bunch of sites, like IWon.com, into the Restricted Sites list in IE6.

    To access those pages again, go to Tools/Internet Options and pick the Security tab. Click the Restricted Sites icon, and then click the Sites button. Any site you want to visit must be removed from that list.

    Much practice lately, to keep IWon working. Someday, I (might actually) won something...
     
  8. Varko

    Varko Member

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    I have no sites listed in Restricted Sites in IE. This seems to be Spybot that is blocking the files page(s).
     
  9. GreenSteve

    GreenSteve Web Hosting Provider

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    Gee, I've used at least 4 different computers running either Win2K or WinXP and Firefox version 1.0 PreRelease on all of them, never a problem on this site.

    As far as cookies go, most of the concerns people have about cookies are misguided IMHO. Cookies are generally very useful, I'm nearly cerrtain this site, and absolutely similar sites of mine that use forum software, use cookies to identify users. This is essential to a complex database driven site.

    I hope Danny is able to at least offset some of his costs, and even better if he makes some money. I certainly do not object to banner ads.

    Steve
     
  10. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    I've been testing a banner-ad system, and had it running in the File forum since most people go in and get out quick and would hardly notice the testing going on. It appears that the cookies those ads are creating are clashing with your Spybot software. I can 100% assure you that PriusChat is not using any sort of Spybot.

    Sorry if this is causing anyone problems - I can move the banner test to another forum if needed. We will be adding new sponsors soon and in exchange for their sponsorship they will be able to promote themselves on various pages of PriusChat. As I have said from Day 1, these will never be pop-ups, or advertising that hinders your site experience like the Yahoo Group "Click Through" ads.
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

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  12. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    mozilla....free, secure, configurable, full featured and microsoft safe@!!
     
  13. Varko

    Varko Member

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    Thanks Danny for the explanation - I thought I was losing my mind (I have been sleep deprived. You know I have been kept up late with the new addition to the house. Those night time oil changes are killer :D )

    FYI: I have used other sites with banners with no interference from Spybot and I have had other Avenue A block message windows where the page still loaded after clicking OK. Rarely have I had the page stay blank and the status bar read "Done."

    Thanks Guest for the news about the update to Spybot I will look into it.
     
  14. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    i used to that before with IE but usually just closed the blank window and clicked on the link the 2nd time and it usually loaded the 2nd time around.

    never could figure out why it did this.
     
  15. seeh2o

    seeh2o Prius OG

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    Is Spybot needed when using Mozilla's Foxfire?
     
  16. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    nope.

    spybot or some other malware/adware detection program is recommended to maintain the performance of your computer. because of the platform independent nature of the internet, all browsers are equally vunerable.

    the sneaky part of spyware/malware is that most will not notice any immediate effect of an infection. but as more and more of these unwanted secret processes slowly monopolize the CPU cycles of your computer, over time you see a gradual decline in performance. for people with broadband connections, it may take dozens of infections before you notice any degradation of performance

    adaware is another program that works well also. many people say that one should run both programs to make sure that they catch all the infecting programs but i have yet to see one miss something the other caught. both work equally well although i tend to lean towards adaware a bit more since they seem to do more definition updates than spybot does.
     
  17. tag

    tag Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Varko\";p=\"44135)</div>
    You're welcome. No clue as to why that post showed up as "Guest".
     
  18. PriuStorm

    PriuStorm Senior Member

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    Hi there,
    Last night I had a similar problem as the OP of this thread from long ago. I use Webroot and one particular thread in FHoPol was blocked several times. The warning was that it had malicious content. When it happened 4-5 times, I quit trying to open it and thought maybe there was something to it. Today, however, it was blocked once but then it opened fine with no warning. Any thoughts on why this might have happened, other than the unsavory title and the fact that the thread festers in the political forum? Perhaps the content of the banner advertisement?

    The thread in question:
    http://priuschat.com/forums/freds-h...aves-proposes-tax-cuts-stimulate-economy.html

    I should add that I use Firefox.
     
  19. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    Knowing IE, you probably got flagged for trying to access a site that DIDN'T have driveby malware installation.
     
  20. Bob64

    Bob64 Sapphire of the Blue Sky

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    Perhaps this might be related:
    https://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/major-ad-networks-found-serving-malicious-ads-121210
    Since I believe PC uses doubleclick....