today i had a chat with whitesmoke.
they sayd the gotd offer is not true and i shall not believe what i read....
i find that really strange
all i wanted to know if whitesmoke also works offline... they didnt want to tell...
?????
today i had a chat with whitesmoke.
they sayd the gotd offer is not true and i shall not believe what i read....
i find that really strange
all i wanted to know if whitesmoke also works offline... they didnt want to tell...
?????
Whitesmoke.com is listed on malwaredomains.com and has a red WOT rating. Check yourself. This is very bad software and should not be installed.
wow thats heavy news...
shouldnt GotD refrain from givin that software out ?
i asked them if the software would work offline as well... now that question stayed unanswered... instead the service person just sayd "we dont give software for free" and disconnected without bye...
that was disturbingly rude...
thanks for informing about their malware status btw... i wont take it then...
Try to post on the giveaway page about whitesmoke being listed on malwaredomains.com and the red WOT rating and your post will be deleted. This type of editing by the mods is pretty typical when software with poor reputations is given away. Go ahead and try to make a post on the giveaway page about the malwaredomain or red WOT listings of WhiteSmoke and check if your post gets listed. I bet it won't be.
actually i just checked the listing...
http://www.malwaredomains.com/wordpress/?p=1906
as you can see, whitesmoke requested removal ... malwaredomains.com is investigating...
Whitesmoke.com also has sites named whitesmoke.us and whitesmoke.co.il. Both those sites are listed on malwaredomains.com. If you go to either whitesmoke.us or whitesmoke.co.il you are redirected to whitesmoke.com. Some sites have multiple listings in case they start accumulating a lengthy rap sheet for a bad reputation. The WOT listing has some details of other people's experiences- http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/whitesmoke.com
It looks like some user comments are making their way onto the giveaway page. Apparently whitesmoke is installing toolbars and changing home pages (probably default search engines as well) by default. There's no telling what else it's doing.
http://www.mywot.com/scorecard/whitesmoke.com
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/whitesmokecom-c401635.html
http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/whitesmoke.com
Many green downloads
In our tests, we found a small fraction of downloads on this site that some people consider adware or other potentially unwanted programs.
http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/whitesmoke.com/msgpage
uses adware/spyware affiliates, installs conduit toolbars, changes homepage and search behaviours on Firefox/MSIE, conduit toolbar uninstaller does not restore previous settings
WhiteSmokeTranslatorROW.exe Changes your default search page Changes your default home page Buttons, toolbars or add ons
WhiteSmokeWriterGeo****_en.exe FOUND: Artemis 3/10
http://www.freepcsecurity.co.uk/2010/08/25/malicious-sites-august-25/
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=2001584
WhiteSmoke.com - what a joke!
Somehow my 11 year old son's email has been picked up by WhiteSmoke.com and their associated domains. I get a huge amount of spam from them - mostly without unsubscribe options, although I have tried that. Even tried their live chat but once they found I wasn't going to send money they disconnected.
http://www.avgthreatlabs.com/sitereports/domain/whitesmoke.com
30-day site report for: whitesmoke.com " Surf with caution "
First of all: I did not install this programme, just did some research about it and the website.
So I can't say anything about the function or installation from my own experience.
You can find some sparse info about the programme on :
http://www.whitesmoke.com/faq.html
@ gotdfan23: you have to be online. Please read the FAQ
@ mj2323 and others:
"Try to post on the giveaway page about whitesmoke being listed on malwaredomains.com and the red WOT rating and your post will be deleted. ..."
That's simply not true.
Read the comments and you'll see that most of them are negative about this giveaway.
It is true, that not every comment is approved, for different reasons (you'll find the discussions here in the forums), but it's not true that a bad WOT rating may not be mentioned.
However, isn't it enough when one user posts this info? Is there any additional benefit if the same "news" is posted over and over again?
It's not very helpful to just parrot what other users have written about what other users have written about what other users...
You get it?
Just look at the WOT reviews. A user found a mentioning on malwaredomains.com - many others just told the same. The only user who researched and mentioned that malwaredomains de-listed whitesmoke, was defamed as supporter of whitesmoke.
As I know that the GOTD users will have a look at WOT, I made some research / googled early this GOTD-day and posted on WOT about the fact that whitesmoke was de-listed and I pasted this info:
This is what I found on http://www.malwaredomains.com/wordpress/?p=1906:
"Posted on July 6th, 2011 in Removed Domains by dglosser
whitesmoke. com has requested removal from our list. It is being temporarily delisted while we investigate their request
There are nearly 2 months gone since malwaredomains posted this on their website - time enough to investigate closer - it can't be "temporarily" forever.
Well there is a lot to say about some of the "security" sites/blogs. It's a difficult task to see through the game of the bad guys, so I will not belittle the work of malwaredomain.com, freepcsecurity or others, nevertheless, I always try to find some info about the reason why they list a website as red - and didn't find any. I couldn't even find whitesmoke mentioned under the freepcsecurity link hotdodge posted.
Said that, I found enough reasons to not install this programme, though I in deed need a help tool, as I'm not an English native speaker.
* I have found some on- and offline programmes I rely on.
* I am too lazy to learn a new tool ;)
* The whitsmoke webpage is a catastrophe, many ads little info.
As I have installed Ad Muncher, I'm sure I didn't even see most of the ads and pop-ups.
But I was not attacked or infected by visiting the site.
* What threatens me most, is the fact how this programme "invades" my PC, installs unwanted crap, changes settings, is hard to uninstall, not even a part of it can be used offline.
Experienced computer experts warned about this software and it's coding.
You can read this also in some of the GOTD comments.
Sorry, I'm distracted by some other tasks and may have lost the point.
To make it short:
I don't like today's giveaway.
I don't like, that people use tools like WOT uncritically. (BTW: I'm a heavy WOT user)
graylox
Firstly, did anyone get this software registered? I've installed it to my test rig and it won't register at all.
As for the installation of toolbars and home page hijacking; the toolbars can be avoided by making sure you read everything when you install the software. You just have to uncheck the boxes' so they aren't installed by default unless you ignore the checkboxes.
I was really interested in this software when I fist became aware of it a few years ago. They had a special offer on that enabled you to get the basic program for something like 75% off. I decided to go ahead and purchase the software as I wasn't happy with the Word for Windows grammar corrections and in some cases corrections to spelling errors. I though, (from the sound of their blurb) that their program offered something much better. When I tried to purchase the software I wasn't able to until the offer was over, (for some reason they wouldn't accept my card until I tried when the offer was over); at which point I'd already received so many emails from them with variations on their offers, I began to suspect things were not all they seemed. I never did purchase the software and despite trying to get rid of the emails I still get them (though not as frequently as previously).
When I tried to install today's offer I got warnings from two of my security programs about back door trojans and trying to install data invisibly. I still went ahead on my test machine as I was curious as to how good the program was, but as yet I've not been able to try the software because it keeps throwing up a message saying the software's registration is out of date.
I don't like, that people use tools like WOT uncritically.
Can't say that loudly enough IMHO . ;?P
Sometimes people get upset at someone else or a company, sometimes they misunderstand, sometimes they just want to be naughty, & in all those cases they can try to cause damage or nuisance to that person or company. There are quite a few people who just feel it's fun to game any sort of ratings &/or review system.
That said, I took an independent look at WhiteSmoke -- I know many are not native English speakers, plus many Americans write very poorly [too much texting & twitter & you forget the longer forms :-) ]. It includes a file called "ComVistaElevator.dll" that was written by the WhiteSmoke developers, & it has been found with a lot of mal-ware. I can't imagine anyone being so dumb that they would include their known company name in any mal-ware they wrote -- if you're that dumb you probably couldn't write the programming code to begin with -- so I suspect it was taken from WhiteSmoke software & used for other purposes without permission... if you're writing/spreading mal-ware, stealing someone else's code is not a big deal -- it's like an armed robber stealing a getaway car. WhiteSmoke also uses code called Security Manager 2010 for Microsoft Outlook, which suppresses warning messages, so I'd guess some security minded people don't like that either. Otherwise, while WhiteSmoke does use a lot of Windows processes/files, & so has more negative potential, it doesn't do anything wrong that I can see. I may not like them offering to install extras, but that's as common nowadays as ads on a web page, so all you can do is say no every install.
With so much discussion, maybe it'll be OK & perhaps helpful if I re-post what I put down on the comments page...
-------
WhiteSmoke is primarily a spell checker that works in whatever text box you have open -- select text & press F2. It does have a Translation feature, but in tests it would only translate the first 1.5 lines or so. How accurate it is compared to something like Google Translate I have no idea, but it does give you the option to send your text to onehourtranslation.com . WhiteSmoke does offer some Grammar correction, but IMHO it didn't compare to what I've seen in Word Processors, & many of the comments/suggestions made either didn't make sense to me, weren't 100% proper, or were poorly styled. Finally there are several form Templates included that are are actually Form Letters where you fill in the blanks, e.g. "Dear _____," .
WhiteSmoke uses hooks to intercept what you're doing so it knows to open & copy selected text when you press F2 -- AV software may object. WhiteSmoke also includes "ComVistaElevator.dll" which may be another AV trigger -- Google hits include reports of malware. Security Manager 2010 for Microsoft Outlook is also included [e.g. osmax.ocx], which is designed to suppress several warning messages. Together those 2 components account for most of the nearly 900 new registry entries recorded. It also relies on Internet Explorer & Flash. The GOTD WhiteSmoke2011.zip [md5 = 8964890c24422adc373a11f693c0619b ] expands to the usual Setup.exe & readme.txt. Running Setup.exe opens a WinRAR self extractor, once it calls home to verify the date, that gives you the actual WhiteSmoke.exe file, just 146 KB -- before extracting the file browse to the folder where you want it. Running WhiteSmoke.exe downloads & installs the needed program files, when it's done opening a page in your web browser & showing a window with space for your e-mail address -- clicking the button after entering your address activates/registers the software... while I didn't see an About box, clicking the Start Menu shortcut "WhiteSmoke registration" brought up a small message window that it was already registered. During install you're given the option to add the Clarity Seek Service/Toolbar, which adds 2 folders to Program Files\ & a recorded 39 new registry entries [clarityseek.com]. The "WhiteSmoke" program folder holds 799 files, 95 folders, ~17 MB, plus a "WhiteSmoke" folder is added to User App/Application Data.
* * *
#39: "... it is possible to disable the Start with Windows option. Just right-click on the tray icon, select Shutdown WhiteSmoke, and untick the option “Load WhiteSmoke on Startup”."
Didn't work -- shortcut still in the Start Menu -> Startup folder.
* * *
#45: "Libre Office is 189mb !! WAY too many megabytes for me!! Why can’t they offer just the word processor instead of having to download the whole dang office suite?"
If you can manage the download, portableapps.com has a portable version setup -- run it entirely off a USB stick if/when space is a problem.
* * *
#77: "The “cannot run as it is not configured correctly” error message is shown when you don’t have .NET Framework 2.0 installed. Unfortunately the installer does not check for this vital requirement."
FWIW Process Explorer showed WhiteSmoke using Internet Explorer & Flash, but not .NET during testing. Just double checked & no .NET files/processes reported.
* * *
#79: "... can’t seem to get this installed, have tried three times. Each time it hangs on a white popup with a gray frame that says, “Preparing Whitesmoke 2011 for first time to use…”, and a ‘spinning’ icon that just keeps going. As I post this, it’s still spinning 15 minutes straight. "
Maybe check your Flash installation & version? You might also try visiting a page with Flash in your browser, right clicking the Flash object, & selecting settings, perhaps turning hardware acceleration off?
FWIW here's an excerpt of the WhiteSmoke Support page.
If you upgraded your Windows to Win7 and cannot see the WhiteSmoke buttons or text in the WhiteSmoke window, please do the following:
1. Open your Internet Explorer browser and go to > Tools > Internet Options > Advanced tab
2. Scroll down to Multimedia section and make sure the "Show Pictures" option is checked.
3. Click the "Restore Advanced Settings" button under the same tab.
4. Close Internet Explorer and launch WhiteSmoke again.
5. If you still can’t see the text or buttons please try to enlarge the WhiteSmoke window by simply dragging one of the corners.
WhiteSmoke is compatible with Windows 7. However, in Windows 7 64 bit, it works with Office applications only.
Overall not a bad giveaway....that is,if you can cope with a lot of proactive security warnings during install. :)
It's quite nice for translation purposes too...well, it's better than Google translate at the moment.., but (for me) there are too few languages available in this 'general' edition.
PS Thanks Mike, for another brilliant review.
To answer the OP
today i had a chat with whitesmoke.
they sayd the gotd offer is not true and i shall not believe what i read....
i find that really strange
It's not that strange - it has happened a few times in the past.
GOTD deals are typically arranged with company management or the developers directly, and nobody bothers to tell the lowly phone/support guy/mushroom.
What is surprising is that the support guy cannot believe he doesn't know everything about what the company is doing ("if I don't know about it, then it is obviously untrue")
Some companies outsource their support people (or they are in a different country/division of the company) - and the news of the Giveaway might only come to their attention when a GOTD user contacts them.
It is the old story - "the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing".
Thanks for the info guys. always appreciated when community take the time to research. :)
@graylox WOT ratings are not simply a collection of user votes. Several factors are taken into account. Whitesmoke.com has requested de-listing and have temporarily been de-listed from malwaredomains.com while the site is investigated. I'm sure thousands of sites request de-listing so maybe it takes longer than two months to investigate. But regardless, I think if you looked at the currently listed sites you will find two other whitesmoke domains that are currently listed and both those domains will re-direct a user's browser to whitesmoke.com.
I actually posted about the WOT issue and the malwaredomains.com sites of whitesmoke early in the giveaway but neither post was allowed. I see now that there are two posts about the negative WOT ratings that were allowed but after a considerable amount of time of the giveaway had passed. And the entire collection of posts on the giveaway page could probably be put in maybe 2-3 categories. So a lot of parrting is being allowed, despite your claims to the contrary.
It is not unusual for giveawayoftheday to distribute products that have negative histories and not unusual to censor negative posts about said products. Apparently the negative posts about whitesmoke became so overwhelming that you guys decided to start letting them through, otherwise there would be very few posts at all- which would look pretty suspicious in itself.
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