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Post by blokeman on Apr 20, 2009 4:33:52 GMT -5
EDIT** i started this thread cause of a spammer in the previous thread... 'everyone seems to be busy'...
so what`s with these bots and spamming... should I (we) be concerned about malicious links and such... i`m obviously not curious enough to click on them, but say i were, what could be the effects? Viruses, worms, trojan horses, blended threats?
I just got a PC, and i really don`t want it crashing like all my friends` PCs, cause they tend to download like it`s going out of style...
While we`re on the subject... Anything i should look for, or do when i download? I was a noob to cp`s, and now i`m a 'once again' noob to PC`s (last time i had one was back in `94)
I heard downloads(dot)com is a reliable place to start...
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Post by hal on Apr 20, 2009 8:12:46 GMT -5
Blokeman,
The best practice, and it sounds like you're already there, is to be careful. What operating system are you using? Windows XP, Vista? Do you have an antivirus program? I can send you links for a decnt free antivirus program if you need it, and others which may be useful in case you get some sort of disease later.
Hal.
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Post by mabudon on Apr 20, 2009 9:02:52 GMT -5
As a rule, people should avoid this entire top section of the forums.
I don't think they can embed executables so even looking at a spam post by accident is only a problem if you click on the jibberish links, if you avoid doing so all will be well. Don't forget, only me and Tommy are guaranteed to be online fairly often out of the mod squad, we will always delete spam on sight, but the best practice for registered users is to ignore this entire "general section" and use either general plant discussion OR plain ol General Discussions (the "bottom" forum) for anything that doesn't fit elsewhere
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Post by lloyd on Apr 20, 2009 9:53:24 GMT -5
I used to use Norton Antivirus till I got virused out one day. Switched to NOD by ESET, you have to pay but it seems to work and I go to some weird web-sites.
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Post by tael on Apr 20, 2009 10:58:34 GMT -5
Well, I just wanted to take this opportunity to say that the mods on this site do a GREAT job in keeping this site clean! The spam is always gone as soon as one of them is online, and it's excellent. So thanks guys! Everything else has already been covered by everyone else I think, in regards to safety. Generally you won't really get a virus unless you download it somehow, so as long as you're cautious it's allll good!
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Post by lloyd on Apr 20, 2009 11:23:51 GMT -5
Tael, the download part is a bit tricky with viruses. My worst attack ever happened when I just went to a site to download some old NES ROM's. (Ok, I should have known better) Before I could pull the network plug (and I had to-it was the only way to stop the attack) my computer was just about fried. Norton was useless. There were dozens of viruses, trojans and spyware; nasty registry entries were put in and tons of settings were changed to make rescue attempts difficult. I didn't knowingly download or click anything, it was enough just to visit the website. It took me a week to go in and out of safe mode, changing registry entries and manually removing lots of viruses using on-line instructions.
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Post by brian on Apr 20, 2009 13:39:13 GMT -5
As a rule, people should avoid this entire top section of the forums. Why not create a new top section above General, call it "spam can" or "there be dragons" and warn people not to use it, so all the spam links would drop in there?
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Post by petmantis on Apr 20, 2009 15:02:39 GMT -5
That might be a pretty good idea Brian!
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Post by brian on Apr 20, 2009 16:55:33 GMT -5
Actually if we call it "There be Dragons", most of us would want to check it out. Instead call it something like "Whither the Canadian Constitutional Debate" so we avoid it like the plague. Add a description that its a dump for spam and no one actually posts there.
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Post by tael on Apr 20, 2009 17:35:01 GMT -5
lloyd: Ah yes, I have gotten a worm in that way once. I don't even know how it happened, but yeah... I spent eight hours going in and our of safe mode fixing registries as well, only to find it did permanent damage somewhere... so I had to restore the computer anyway. Ah frustrations! brian: Haha! "There be dragons!" Yes, I would be very interested in a topic like that, so maybe your second suggestion is better.
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Post by mabudon on Apr 23, 2009 1:08:21 GMT -5
TO ALL
I have NO way to do anything about this overall section myself besides move things here and there. PLEASE do NOT post in this here "general" forum. IF nobody posts, then the only thing that will appear here will in fact be nothing BUT spam. I would post an "admin note" but my powers don't even extend that far so all's I can do is state and restate that this top forum is a spam-targetted area mostly because it has been left open just in case a legitimate member gets locked out. I have enough access to user accounts that I can be of some assistance should a person lose access (how much I don't know, haven't had to test that yet and have just touched heritage wood)
I state again, "general" is NOT a proper part of the forum, it's the lobby where the uninvited slumber. If this fact is too hard to digest and people insist on complaining about it, I apologize in advance for being unable to do anything beyond asking politely to ignore this whole top section. Personally I find it amusing that it would pose such a problem after I have repeatedly restated that A) any fix is beyond my or any other current active moderators abilities
B) there is a good reason why this one section is unlocked and
C) all people posting on this site should just avoid the top forum ("general") cos there'll be the odd spam that we, the moderators, as actual people with actual lives, schedules and responsibilities, will have to delete manually
If this sounds a bit short, I am sorry, but to post several times the reasons for the situation in this ONE SECTION OF THE SITE WHICH TECHNICALLY NOBODY SHOULD EVEN BE USING only to get PMs and posts suggesting folks aren't doing their jobs (almost always posted when I am sound asleep, if me and Tommy and FlyTrap had clones this wouldn't be happening) well it kinda ticks me off just a bit
for the LAST TIME PLEASE just ignore this top forum unless you have a problem with your account, you can post as unregistered here (as the Bots have ably proven)
I hope that did it- not against anyone but I feel as if my posts are either being ignored or being dismissed as "Excuses" and it is... disheartening to me
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