-- POPUPS -- please read

MarkG · October 16, 2003, 06:50

For the next 24 hours(at least) all popups on Apolyton should be "silent". if you get one while using our site please post on this thread the location(page) that you got it.

Thank you

DaveV · October 16, 2003, 11:41

I went to the Civ III main page (linked from the "import surcharge in Germany" news item), and got two popups, with the following addresses (right-click, properties):

http://ads.revenue.net/media/iserve....edia_id=205811
http://www.gamblingresource.net/search.php?ref=514846

Style is light ultra-special, IE 6.0, windows XP professional.

I still have the windows open, if you need any more information.

Edited to add the rest of the URLs (oops).

alva · October 16, 2003, 11:54

I just got the Britney one, I think on the 'other games' section.
So used to them that forgot about this thread and closed it.

ultra-special-, IE 6.0, XP PRO, cable connection, drinking coke and smoking and L&M sigarette, wearing a red turtle neck,.....

vovan · October 16, 2003, 12:35

Just got the Britney one...

'Poly URL: http://www.apolyton.net/forums/forum...s=&forumid=139

Ad URL: http://www.gamblingresource.net/search.php?ref=441316

Default style, IE 6.0

DrSpike · October 16, 2003, 12:38

Is this a cunning plan to flush out the rogues? If so,

vovan · October 16, 2003, 12:42

I also just got a pop-up when clicking a link to an external site, though I am fairly confident it was served by 'Poly. (Because I have the google toolbar and 'Poly is the only site from which I allow popups.)

'Poly URL: http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...81#post2411981

Destination URL: http://www.ufo-aftermath.com/pages/headquarters.html

Ad URL: http://media.popuptraffic.com/pop_im...ign800x600.jpg

Hope that helps.

MarkG · October 16, 2003, 14:41

many thanks, we should be 95%+ popup-silent now

Rasbelin · October 16, 2003, 15:12

What's the idea of this anyway?

Not that it matters to me, as I'm pop-up free anyway.

MarkG · October 17, 2003, 04:21

yeap Rasbelin, abusing our free service is really cool....

Rasbelin · October 17, 2003, 06:20

WTF are you now saying? Are you trying to suggest that I abuse ACS by blocking pop-ups? Gee. Isn't that abit gross?

DarkCloud · October 17, 2003, 09:42

Oh, this is good, now that this is fixed, I can turn off my blocker!

Exile · October 17, 2003, 15:18

I just used Spybot to clean my HD of malware last night prior to shutting down for the night. After coming onsite today, I shut down my IE browser and ran another check. There were 2 new malware progs/files there. Something is still DLing these things onto my machine from this site.

I didn't go to any other sites prior to running this check. I wanted to see if this site was the culprit, especially after reading about all the malware problems the site has been having of late. After doing so, I went to several other sites I regularly visit, using the spybot to check after each visit. No other sites so far have dled anything to my machine. I'm still doing this and will continue for the next few days in order to eliminate other possible sources. I have no idea of the periodicity of these malware downloads. If it happens again, I'll post again.

Tuberski · October 17, 2003, 19:00

Originally posted by Exile
I just used Spybot to clean my HD of malware last night prior to shutting down for the night. After coming onsite today, I shut down my IE browser and ran another check. There were 2 new malware progs/files there. Something is still DLing these things onto my machine from this site.

This is the only site you go to?

ACK!

vovan · October 17, 2003, 19:46

Originally posted by Exile
I just used Spybot to clean my HD of malware last night prior to shutting down for the night. After coming onsite today, I shut down my IE browser and ran another check. There were 2 new malware progs/files there. Something is still DLing these things onto my machine from this site.

Hmmm... That is very strange. I run Spybot almost every day and haven't gotten any "spyware" for ages - only the ad sites' tracking cookies. What adware gets installed on your computer by this site as you say? I am sure if you provided the names of those programs, they would be much easier to track down for the admins.

Also, make sure to check your computer for viruses. If you remove adware but not the virus that actually spawns it, that might be the reason also. (Which is not to say there is always a virus spawning adware, just that there might be.)

Finally, you know that security warning that normally comes up when a components wants to be installed? If you ever checked the "Always trust" box or lowered your security settings, IE may install adware without any prompts. Go to Tools->Internet Options...->Security, and pull the security level for the internet zone up to maximum, and see if the adwares still get installed. If they do, I strongly encourage you to check for viruses.

Rasbelin · October 17, 2003, 20:56

ACS has bugged me with the Alexa registry key in the past, but I haven't got it anymore from this site. I took the Comission Junction tracker cookies on purpose, despite it was spyware, because otherwise ACS wouldn't have earned 20$ from me.

Markos, sorry, but you can bugger of by claiming that I wouldn't have supported this site financially, just because I block annoying and even malicious pop-ups. Plus I have stated that I'm willing to join the cause and give a few dimes to you and Dan to run the sites - donations or sponsored memberships. I could even calculate how little you have lost because of me blocking pop-ups, because in exchange I have used your referal code for Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Comission Junction (Jelsoft).

MarkG · October 17, 2003, 23:28

Ras, this site provides a "package". You can deny it or accept it. You making your own kind of "deals" does not change the fact of your abuse of the service.

Btw, CJ cookies(actually, all cookies) are NOT spyware

MarkG · October 17, 2003, 23:34

Originally posted by Exile
There were 2 new malware progs/files there.

did you get a popup when you visited the site? what other ads did you see? what programs/files did you find?

please be precise when accusing our site of infecting your computer with anything. thank you.

Frozzy · October 17, 2003, 23:37

Originally posted by MarkG
Ras, this site provides a "package". You can deny it or accept it. You making your own kind of "deals" does not change the fact of your abuse of the service.

Btw, CJ cookies(actually, all cookies) are NOT spyware

Technically, Markos is correct here...

MarkG · October 17, 2003, 23:39

We're introducing banners from a new provider. Popups should remain "silent". If you get a popup please note here the page, the content/url of the popup and the content/url of any other ad you saw on the page that spawned it

Please be sure that you were only browsing Apolyton at the time that you got a popup and that you're spyware(which when installed on your computer can spawn popups while you're browsing any site) free, using Adaware and/or Spybot.

thank you!

Tuberski · October 17, 2003, 23:42

Originally posted by MarkG
did you get a popup when you visited the site? what other ads did you see? what programs/files did you find?

please be precise when accusing our site of infecting your computer with anything. thank you.

He's been accusing you for 2 days, we got your back.

ACK!

Asmodean · October 18, 2003, 04:47

for this Mark. Nice initiative.

Any ideas what/who caused the pop-up/Gator hell??

Was it one of your ad-providers? A third party provider that had "hitched a free ride"? or something else entirely??

Asmodean

Rasbelin · October 18, 2003, 05:46

Originally posted by MarkG
Ras, this site provides a "package". You can deny it or accept it. You making your own kind of "deals" does not change the fact of your abuse of the service.

List me then among all those who get banned quite frequently for actually abusing your service. I'm sure that I'm such a criminal person like them, so I must belong there. Yeah, right.

Btw, CJ cookies(actually, all cookies) are NOT spyware

Ad-aware and Spybot S&D have both listed the Comission Junction cookie as a malicious tracker cookie, which you get from this site too when clicking the word "vBulletin" at the bottom of the page, so that any referal earnings from Jelsoft could be directed to you via Comission Junction.

MarkG · October 18, 2003, 06:46

I'm sure that I'm such a criminal person like them

at least they are only making the site less friendly to everyone else. you're making it less likely to exist....

Ad-aware and Spybot S&D have both listed the Comission Junction cookie as a malicious tracker cookie

please let me know how exactly it's malicious and how it damages your computer

MarkG · October 18, 2003, 07:00

Originally posted by Asmodean

for this Mark. Nice initiative.

Any ideas what/who caused the pop-up/Gator hell??

i havent goten into the process of enabling one by one our older providers.

ad networks dont care that much about accepting gator-like ads in their business and will most of the time not give you an option to not show them yourself. so we'll have to drop them entirely

we're currently testing a new provider and will see about testing popups next week

DrSpike · October 18, 2003, 07:38

Nice developments.

Case · October 18, 2003, 08:27

...and there was me fearing that those ads were legit and had originally been aproved by 'poly management

I'm glad to see that they weren't - gambling and Britney Spears sit awkwardly with the high-brow content on the rest of the site

Asmodean · October 18, 2003, 12:50

Originally posted by MarkG
ad networks dont care that much about accepting gator-like ads in their business and will most of the time not give you an option to not show them yourself. so we'll have to drop them entirely

Which truly sucks

But still, thumbs up to the Apolyton team for taking action on this

Asmodean

Ben Kenobi · October 18, 2003, 16:52

I don't know if this helps or not, but when I go on apolyton here is what I see in my cookies folder.

I cleaned up all my cookies.

Logging onto Apolyton, I get two cookies:

1. anyuser@apolyton.net

2. anyuser@qksrv[2]

Clicking on the Apolyton community, and trying to post a message I get this additional cookie.

3. anyuser@bfast[2]

here are the screenshots.

http://apolyton.net/upload/files/Ben...obi/gator2.bmp

http://apolyton.net/upload/files/Ben...obi/gator1.bmp

Now, checking my temporary internet files, this is what I see. A file called parasite?

http://apolyton.net/upload/files/Ben...obi/gator3.bmp

Clicking on the properties of the file,

vovan · October 18, 2003, 17:52

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Now, checking my temporary internet files, this is what I see. A file called parasite?

Would that be Apolyton's script for checking whether your machine has any parasites? The one that put warnings on the front page if you do? Open it with notepad and see what's inside.

Though don't double-click it to execute, in case it is, indeed, a parasite, though I'd think parasite-writers would be a little smarter than that.