borfast Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 I was seeing one of lunarmagic's posts and I started thinking that there is a generalized fear of adware/spyware. What I would like to know is: why? I don't use Windows as my main OS anymore, so I'm free from that kind of problems but even when I still used it, I never had any problems with that kind of stuff. Maybe it's just my geek side but I think there are some basic (and pretty logical) things that people can do to prevent that kind of software from getting into their computer, like having an updated anti-virus program, a firewall like ZoneAlarm - which let's you choose which programs can access the internet, and which can act as servers (I'd really like to see something like this for Linux, some day... <_<) and above all, not running software they don't know what it does. So my question is, why do people give themselves to the work of installing anti-spyware applications? Quote
cmuskett Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 I did because of the fact that going to some websites automatically download undesirable programs onto my computer that go and change my home page and install search bars to my browser. I had one that I could not uninstall until I downloaded SpyBot Search and Destroy. I just do not want anything like that to ever happen again. I don't want someone else controlling what is on my computer... Quote
TCH-Sales Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 No mater how hard you think about it, there will always be somebody somewhere who thinks installing Bonzi Buddy is a good idea. Now, I'm in a position to where I have to go to many webpages all day long, and so I have no way around it. If you choose to use the internet, sooner or later you're going to run into this problem some-place and some-ware. That's why programs like Ad-Aware or Spybot are so helpful, because think of it as owning a house, and you get infested with roaches. Ad-Aware and/or Spybot clean out the crap, and then your left good to go. There's no way you can 100% protect yourself if you want to enjoy yourself online. Trying to stay clean of all these things all the time, 24 hours a day would be like the crazy old man that lives on the corner obbessing that house is filled with millions of germs that are plotting against him. My words of advice are enjoy what you can, and learn from your mistakes online. You find a program or site that's up to no good? Clean it out, and don't go there again. Then spread the word to your friends, and help us all out a little. Quote
imadsurfer Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 Well, I'll have to admit that in the past I have had some things I didn't want come creeping in to my 'puter. For the past year though, I haven't had anything slip past my defenses. Of course, I have a Linux gateway and firewall now that I didn't used to have, and I'm also more careful of where I send my browser. My settings when I use IE are turned up to the max, and I've got filters out the yeng yang on my e-mail. It's a shame that you have to be so careful, but as long as there are people surfing, there will be others trying to feed off them...........just keep your heads up, and wait for that next Ad-aware release! ImaD Quote
cmuskett Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 Exactly.. and I don't need someone to follow me around the internet telling people where I've been.. LOL It's my business what sites I see.. no one elses! Quote
borfast Posted June 25, 2003 Author Posted June 25, 2003 cmuskett, that kind of thing can be completely avoided if you configure IE so it won't let webpages do that. Usually people tell me "Yeah, sure, but I'm no computer genius and I don't know how to configure IE". I usually reply "Sure, but you were genius enough to learn that such programs (anti-spyware) existed, learn where to get them, learn how to configure and use them....." I think the greatest problem is that people don't want to read programs' help pages. It's all there. And if it's not, people would just have to ask somebody. Quote
borfast Posted June 25, 2003 Author Posted June 25, 2003 Oh, and I'm forgetting the most important part: you won't have any problems at all with self-installing programs and stuff like that if you use another browser (no, it doesn't even need to be Mozilla ). And they don't even have to be "specially" configured. The simple fact that they don't use all the ActiveX voodoo and all the bloat IE has, is enough to make them far more secure than IE. But if you do decide to try Mozilla (which I strongly recommend to any IE user), you can throw away all those pop-up killers and anti-spyware stuff. Mozilla has an integrated pop-up killer and, as I said, is not vulnerable to those nasty auto-installing programs on malicious websites. Quote
imadsurfer Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 Yeah, but Borfast, you forget one thing. We're getting older and it's harder to figure stuff out the older you get. At least I've found that to be true. Granted, I spend countless hours reading and trying to learn more, but I have also made my living in computers off and on over the years. The average person doesn't even know where to start looking.....you come from the "new" age of 'puter users, and you take much for granted.......then again, I could be totally wrong! woooot ImaD Quote
cmuskett Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 I don't have that problem anymore. I use Avant Browser which has a pop up stopper built in which also seems to have stopped just about all of those spyware problems. I also use Zone Alarm [free version] to stop any intrusions .. set on high. I have Nortons and AVG for virus protection. I think... [the operative word is think] I'm pretty safe now LOL Quote
imadsurfer Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 Well, I run Linux most of the time now when I'm not working on a web site, so I'm free of about 99% of the BS I used to have to worry about ... ImaD Quote
borfast Posted June 25, 2003 Author Posted June 25, 2003 You have a point there, imadsurfer. But still, if people are willing to spend some time looking for anti-spyware programs, spending some time learning how to use and configure them, I think they could also spend some time learning about other options. Maybe the biggest problem here is what Microsoft has made to the computer users over the years... most novice computer users don't know that anything else besides Microsoft even exists. For them, a 'web browser' IS Internet Explorer. For them, an 'operating system' IS Windows... So when people have a problem with some of their (Microsoft) software, they search for a remedy instead of a replacement... Quote
cmuskett Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 That is true. All I know is Microsoft and Windows. I know absolutely nothing about Linux or any other OS. And I've had a computer since 1996. Quote
borfast Posted June 25, 2003 Author Posted June 25, 2003 Yeah, I forgot to mention that I didn't mean to call you newbies nor something like that. I just meant that when you get a computer, all you get is Microsoft and if you don't have the time/will to look for other stuff and learn about it, you'll be stuck with MS forever... Quote
imadsurfer Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 I hear ya my friend. If I had my way, Linux would be on top of the heap.....but alas, I'm stuck in a MS AOL world.. The other problem is that people d/l the programs you were just talking about, and think they're protected. They don't learn how to set it up properly, and then when something happens they blame who ever they got the software from. About a month ago, a friend of mine got a virus on his machine for about the 3rd time in as many mos., so I had him bring his machine over and I installed AVG and set it up to run automatically, and to upgrade every 3 days...you know...all the bells and whistles....a week later he had another virus because it had come on once when he was doing something on his machine, so he just disabled it. Then he called me to say my software was crap! Mad!!! Oooooo.,...... Anyway, I just kinda mosey along, and do the best I can...... ImaD Quote
cmuskett Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 The way I look at it Borfast... I am a newbie!! LOL I see some of the discussions about different things here and I'm totally lost.. Like with Perl, PHP, etc... Now talk about something like PSP [Paint Shop Pro] and that's another story!! Quote
cmuskett Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 One thing I can truthfully say Ima D is that I have NEVER gotten a virus! I'm well protected against them. I never open an email from someone I don't know especially with an attachment and do not download stuff from websites I do not trust! Quote
imadsurfer Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 I know what you mean cmuskett. I'm just now beginning to learn about PHP, and Html still eludes me. When I first got in to computers, I wanted to know how to hook two computers together and make them talk. I made it my #1 priority, and I worked on it for hours and hours. Of course, this was also in the days of dos and not long after I started doing it, windows 3.1 . It was fun, I'll tell ya. Anyway, that's what I studied, and eventually I learned enough on my own to get a Network Administrator position at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. I kept up an 85 computer network, and ran the help desk as well.... I didn't have time to study all the other stuff....so here I am...dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to writing script, or anything of that nature.....but I'm working on it...... ImaD Quote
borfast Posted June 25, 2003 Author Posted June 25, 2003 This is a little off topic but... Imad, maybe you want to take a look at www.sitepoint.com and their two books, "Designing without tables using CSS" and "Build your own database driven website using PHP & MySQL". They're both great. The first one is not the greatest place to start learning HTML but it will give you an advantage over the people that started writing webpages in HTML - you will make heavy use of CSS. HTML has lots of limitations which CSS takes care of but people who are used to HTML find it a little difficult to use CSS instead of HTML to place elements on a website, so if you're not really into HTML yet, consider that an advantage The other one is also very cool for someone who is starting to write scripted websites. It's not the place to learn about PHP. Though it gives you a little PHP introduction, it's nothing special. But it teaches you very important basic concepts! Anyway, go to their website and read the chapters they have available. I bought both of them and I find them great Quote
imadsurfer Posted June 25, 2003 Posted June 25, 2003 Hey..thanks borfast. Thumbs Up I'll check that out, and I see what you mean about me having the advantage. I won't have to "unlearn" anything...... ImaD Quote
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