PPRuNe & valueclick.com

[gwallerich]

I'd like to post a formal objection to the fact that PPRuNe loads a spyware program (cookie) onto our computers whenever we visit the site.

Specifically, the small banner ad below the menu list on the left of the screen appears to load valueclick.com, a known spyware program, whether or not it is selected.

Lose the spyware stuff, PPRuNe!

[erick_p]

valueclick, quickserv etc are just advertising exchanges. they will not collect anything against you that can potentially harm you or anything. if you really care about this, just get some app like ad-aware (http://download.com.com/3000-2094-10121984.html?tag=lst-0-1)...

cheers,
.ep

[Blacksheep]

Valueclick is pretty harmless, but beware of the wicked Trojans lurking inside some of the free programmes that offer to keep your computer free of spyware. Ad-Aware isn't clean.

**************************
Through difficulties to the cinema

[Travelling Toolbox]

Blacksheep

Thanks for the heads up. Can you be a bit more specific? What is Ad-Aware actually loading that is not "clean" as you say?

Thanks again

[What_does_this_button_do?]

AdAware is clean.

Proof please that it isn't.........

[major1]

Gents,

Valueclick is an "AdBot"

There's a program called Spybot below that eliminates them.

SpyBot- - Search & Destroy searches your harddisk for so called spy- or adbots; little program modules that transmit advertisements to your computer – and information about your surfing behaviour to the net. It can remove those bots, and also some of the tracks you leave when surfing: cookies, the list of recently visited websites, etc..

[gwallerich]

Ad-Aware is a shareware program that identifies and removes spyware. I suspect that Spybot does much the same thing.

I use Ad-Aware, and it repeatedly finds a spyware item on my hard disk called valueclick.com. This is apparently loaded as a result of my visits to PPRuNe. This is why I made the original complaint.

Danny, is it really necessary to dump this unwanted stuff on us?

[Warren Rabbit]

Amending the subject just slightly; has anybody else noticed that our pilot.pprune email address is now being subject to spam after being incredibly and mercifully free of it as long as I've had an address? I knew it couldn't last forever, but sure enough, as soon as I recommended a Pprune email account to a friend because I'd never received a single piece of spam, in they started to come.

No real problems with me; as I said, I am amazed it was spam-free for so long. Just more proof of the CEO (Sun? Oracle?)who said "Privacy is dead, get used to it." Sad but hardly earth shattering.

:(

[PAXboy]

I do not use the PPRuNe email but one way in which they might leak out is if someone gets their PC stuffed by a virus? If their address book is syphoned up by the virus, then there is no telling where it might go.

Just a thought.

[Warren Rabbit]

Could be right, I'm no expert. But I thought most of these viruses were disseminated by attacking weaknesses of Outlook Express, the "default" Windows email package. Unlikely they would have found it necessary to attack Pprune's email?

[Just an other number]

Never, never, never use Outlook Express.
I get so many virus warnings from my company - they all seem to be linked to Outlook Express.
Who needs it?

[What_does_this_button_do?]

Wht you saw in AdAware was a cookie for Valueclick.com not an executable file.

[ajk]

I know of a PPrune moderator who stated that he was able to identify a computer and serial number of its modem using his 'sophisticated' equipment. Nothing is secure on this net including identities.

[Evo]

ajk. Things can be highly secure on 'this net', but it's your job to make them so. Windows does leak information and is fairly insecure but it doesn't have to be - but if people cannot be bothered to fix it then it is their fault. Given a little preparation (I'm not making any effort to be anonymous at the moment) I'll happily challenge this PPRuNe moderator to identify me :)

Try Do-it-yourself Internet anonymity (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/22831.html) for a start. Do a bit more searching. Educate yourself. It's not rocket science :)