This morning, I tried to look at some of the threads over in Classics Tech, and couldn't - and it's my fault! Here's why:
First, a little background:
These days, I spend a lot of time working on coustomers' DSL connections and their computers. Over 50% of the time; the trouble is that their computer is so chock-full of virii, adware and spyware that Internet Explorer - and "my" DSL router - is too busy servicing that, um, "stuff" to allow them to "surf the Net".
This "junk" can be pretty malicious, too! My own computer picked up (who knows where, 6 people use it online!) one fun little program called a "data miner"; which watches where we were going and what we were entering in through the keyboard and sends the information on to "somebody". Most cases, a data miner just sends the info to some sleazy advertising agency which uses the info to decide what kind of SPAM with which to fill your email box! But, it can also be recording when you're ordering something at some super-duper "Secure Online Ordering" webpage! The webpage may be secure, but your keyboard very probably isn't! The data miner can be recording all your keystrokes (like your credit card number and the "threee digit secret code" on the back of the card :eek; ) and later sending the info along to whomever to use however they want. Mostly, small things are charged (easier to keep you from noticing); but every once in a while somebody gets greedy and you're getting a nasty-gram from Expedia.com because "the card rejected" on those two tickets to Aruba! How do I know?
Well, by the time Mrs StDr and I figured out what was going on, and cancelled our Debit Card (had been used to order -online- Christmas stuff for 1/2NK and her sister and brother) we lost approx $3170! And, by the way, all that "credit protection" doesn't work on a Visa debit (check cashing) card Expedia sent me the nasty-gram the day after we cancelled the card. (We really weren't planning on going to Aruba!)
And now, the problem:
Since then, I got really serious about my computer. First off, Norton anti-virus doesn't catch all this stuff (trust me!) - cause it's not a "virus" in the truest sense! So, now Norton "has some backup"; and those new programs don't like some of the adware that comes with Stangnet usage! Ad-Aware SE keeps wiping out all the "Tribalfusion" cookies from when I click on Forum pages; Spybot Search and Destroy blocks all "Avenue A, Inc" attempts, and SpyAd Blaster is usually the one which catches "admdt". Then the page just stops loading. I then click "refresh" - maybe do it twice, maybe more than twice. This morning, I gave up after trying to "refresh" my way into a thread on 9" third-members! Seven refreshes, seven times I end up looking at a blank red screen (yeah, my SN desktop theme is " '05 Mustang"). I gave up trying to read it.
Y'know, I'd probably pay for a "premium membership" if Mike or somebody could guarantee that I won't be dealing with this crap anymore!
Still Dreamin'
First, a little background:
These days, I spend a lot of time working on coustomers' DSL connections and their computers. Over 50% of the time; the trouble is that their computer is so chock-full of virii, adware and spyware that Internet Explorer - and "my" DSL router - is too busy servicing that, um, "stuff" to allow them to "surf the Net".
This "junk" can be pretty malicious, too! My own computer picked up (who knows where, 6 people use it online!) one fun little program called a "data miner"; which watches where we were going and what we were entering in through the keyboard and sends the information on to "somebody". Most cases, a data miner just sends the info to some sleazy advertising agency which uses the info to decide what kind of SPAM with which to fill your email box! But, it can also be recording when you're ordering something at some super-duper "Secure Online Ordering" webpage! The webpage may be secure, but your keyboard very probably isn't! The data miner can be recording all your keystrokes (like your credit card number and the "threee digit secret code" on the back of the card :eek; ) and later sending the info along to whomever to use however they want. Mostly, small things are charged (easier to keep you from noticing); but every once in a while somebody gets greedy and you're getting a nasty-gram from Expedia.com because "the card rejected" on those two tickets to Aruba! How do I know?
Well, by the time Mrs StDr and I figured out what was going on, and cancelled our Debit Card (had been used to order -online- Christmas stuff for 1/2NK and her sister and brother) we lost approx $3170! And, by the way, all that "credit protection" doesn't work on a Visa debit (check cashing) card Expedia sent me the nasty-gram the day after we cancelled the card. (We really weren't planning on going to Aruba!)
And now, the problem:
Since then, I got really serious about my computer. First off, Norton anti-virus doesn't catch all this stuff (trust me!) - cause it's not a "virus" in the truest sense! So, now Norton "has some backup"; and those new programs don't like some of the adware that comes with Stangnet usage! Ad-Aware SE keeps wiping out all the "Tribalfusion" cookies from when I click on Forum pages; Spybot Search and Destroy blocks all "Avenue A, Inc" attempts, and SpyAd Blaster is usually the one which catches "admdt". Then the page just stops loading. I then click "refresh" - maybe do it twice, maybe more than twice. This morning, I gave up after trying to "refresh" my way into a thread on 9" third-members! Seven refreshes, seven times I end up looking at a blank red screen (yeah, my SN desktop theme is " '05 Mustang"). I gave up trying to read it.
Y'know, I'd probably pay for a "premium membership" if Mike or somebody could guarantee that I won't be dealing with this crap anymore!
Still Dreamin'