CHnJ

Just a quick nosey folks. I'm starting to build a site and could use these sponsored links.

I'm curious to know if my experience matches anyone elses.

pockygoes

The ones on this site that are underlined & provide links to sponsored links aren't too bad but the pop up ones drive me crazy.

pockygoes

arnie2oz

When I signed up I had the choice to make a one off payment so I got no pop-ups which I loathe -so I did and don't get them! Worth every penny (£10 ? premium membership?)
Go for it - cheaper than a night in the pub!!

Pollyana

I don't get the pop-ups, combination of being a premium member (having paid, at least I get an email account out of it) and of having anti-pop-up software, so I'm really hacked off at this almost subliminal advertising from these underlined links.

arnie2oz

Someone I know recently sent me an email which had an attachment offerring 000's of smilies free; I couldn't see the catch, clicked the attachment and ended up with Hotbar.

This is a toolbar (two toolbars to be exact) which appears on Outlook Express and then when connecting to the internet in anyway a 'Hotbar toolbar' appears and pop-ups arrive endlessly whatever you do. Each time the bar appears you can click on view, and remove tyhe tick against 'hotbar' but it re-appears when you visit another site.

Hotbar is well known (apparently) as spyware. It is really difficult to remove - the windows uninstall program doesn't recognise it-but there is a good website I found called PC Hell, from where I downloaded an uninstall program - it worked.

However, looking at the PC Hell website could make you very nervous to connect to the internet at all - it lists an enormous number of viruses and spyware problems



:scared: :scared:

Sorry post is so long but i HATE popups and for a short time 'Hotbar' was my nightmare!!

bondipom

I use mozilla which has a built in blocker. I don't mind the links as they are not intrusive,

vicky o

Ditto.

And have you noticed the kinda ad banner which is from google on the main forum page?

simbacat

Not just yours ours too. It took my husband two days to get rid of it. It took our whole PC over.

Ceri

don't get pop ups, and I am not a paid up member. I have a load of blocks on our computers.
Those tool bars I used to get now and again, . until I bought "Pest patrol" ( can't remember how much it cost) , I run it every so often.. picks up all the spy ware and viruses if any on my computer.. also have got zone alarm installed.

I tell you the frightening one:

Think it was last year, or the year before , I was looking for a hack for some programme, and came across this certain site.. well this site had all these pop ups about porn.. and do you want to enter ( so you press no).. it ignored you and went mad.. couldn't escape ( tried everything Ctrl and delete).. so had to shut the computer of at the mains.. next month I receive the phone bill and there is a number on it..phoned up telstra, and they said it's a porn number.. I went up the wall, explained about this web site.. and how do they allow such a thing.. ie charge you when you haven't use it.. so I asked if I could block these pay porn and other such numbers (190).. no they said, if it was a phone yes, but not if you are using the internet. so I look at .ombudsman. seems it is a huge problem.. lots of complaints! Anyway, I refused to pay this bill ( it was only $2.. but it was the principle of the thing!.. it would have been more if I had not shut off the computer the mains )... anyway, find out later a mate of mine had the same problem.. only he got a couple hundred dollar bill!!! ... asked him why on earth he didn't shut of his computer.. said he didn't realise. Sorry, I'd refuse to pay Telstra.. they have a duty!!! He paid his bill too... ( unless he was not telling the truth and was really looking at porn). But the site at which it happened to me was just a "hack" site.. I was looking for a hack. ..

after that, I tightened up my security big time!

so be warned: ( this may it explain it)


http://www.tio.com.au/FAQ/int_dumping.htm


Home | Consumers | FAQs | Internet Dumping
Internet Dumping
Q: What is Internet 'dumping'?
A: ‘Internet dumping’ is what occurs when the telephone line that connects a computer to the Internet is disconnected and then reconnected to another telephone number with higher than local call charge rates (normally international or premium/190 number rates). It is also known as ‘modem hijacking’ or ‘modem jacking’.
Internet dumping can occur when an Internet user accesses certain websites, most commonly pornographic but sometimes gambling, games and music sites. A software program known as an Internet Dialler is downloaded onto the computer from these websites. This software is preconfigured to cause a modem connection via a premium rate or international number to a defined sub-set of sites, i.e. a 'private Internet area'.

In its 'true' form, dumping occurs without the full knowledge or consent of the user.

For further information see:



........................



sponsored links? the best ones are the one that are not intrusive.. ie just a banner on the top of a page. These pop-ups and such don't work, it annoys people, and people are more likely not use or buy a product/service from these companies. As for the green highlighted links.. bloody annoying too - most people don't like their words being tampered with. One of my words in the lounge has a link... actually I think I'll go and edit my post .. and put next to it " This is an advertisement. Please beware I did not post this link in my message, and I have no intention of using their services now or in the future"



Or, if you don't want a link in your message.. go back and edit your post and delete the word which they have used to add their advertising to. ... ha ha.. I'm off to edit my post

Ceri

P.S just checked my message, the one which was highlighted yesterday.. and the link has gone. Yesterday it was on the word "Welsh" , hovered over it and said look for welsh things at Ebay.. seems it's gone now, I think they have stopped doing it today. doh, I wanted to edit it , and write a message next to the advertisment warning people that I personally dislike this company.(can't sue me for personally disliking something)

bondipom

Ceri that happens a lot to the unsuspecting and those with dirty minds who think they are getting free porn. Then they see their phone bill and the premium rate calls to the Ivory Coast.

One notorious place for this malware is the warez sites out there. Would not touch them with a barge poll.

Zonealarm is OK but I much prefer the firewall built into my ADSL router.

I just came across a user who installed back orifice on his PC (unwittingly) by installing some cracked software. If the laptop had been on the internet anyone could have remote controlled it and put on key loggers. The key loggers would have given up all passwords etc and put any internet bank accounts at risk.

At a minimum run wondows upate once a week and at the moment I would update anti virus software daily.
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
www.grisoft.com

Ceri

I do have a firewall. (not at the time that this happened though)

the porn number - mine was on one of these hacking sites.(nothing to do with porn.. and yet these porn things pop up). ie I needed a software hack.. and up pops all this porn - I went mad with Telstra when I recieved a bill ( I was with telstra at the time).

what they told me when I asked to block these numbers.. you can block it if it's a phone, but if you are using internet.. we do not block it... ( it's not in their policy) WHY?????? ( I have dial up) . This is Telstras policy.. I refused to pay the bill .. just deducted from my full bill.

Sorry Telstra has a duty, they allow you to block by the phone if you wish to do so ( ie if I plugged a phone in the socket of the wall , and pulled out my internet connection.. that they will block if you ask them to.

There are heaps of complaints about this.. ( Telstra also earns money from these international "porn/gambling" numbers"

Mine was only $2.. but imagine if I had gone to get a coffee etc, and I was not at the desk to switch off the computer .. that thing would have been in it's $100"S

My friend had a couple of hundred dollar bill ( Mind you I know he looks at porn sites.. so he was actually at a porn site. when it happened to him. unlike my experience)

bondipom

Watch out DRACUPG might on the prowl to invalidate your insurance due to porno overload.

Ceri

I do a lot things.. but porn is not one of them lol, I'm a decent woman! And I certainly don't want to look at these porn sites. yuck

dracupg

Dodgy driving licences, dodgy insurance, dodgy internet site, what next? This forum has certainly opened my eyes to the seedy underbelly that is the Aussie ex-pat community.

Still a bit to go before we catch up with the seedy Aussie community though