I have been invaded by a new persistent pop-upwhen arriving at the GOTD website

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I have been invaded by a new persistent pop-upwhen arriving at the GOTD website

(25 posts) (12 voices)

Started 13 years ago by Bigun
Latest reply from Anonymous

Bigun
Member

About one week ago I started getting a new pop-up when I opened the GOTD website. "Stickr" was bad but the new pop-up is even more intrusive. I have not been able to identify the origin of the pop-up even though I have checked the new program installation list, looked for its identity by removing each of the browser's toolbars and add-ons, and eliminated every possibility that I could find under the guise of "browser helpers". I have seen something that I believe calls itself "Informer" that asks to be installed while downloading a GOTD offer. When I searched my computer for a program named "Informer" I came up empty-handed.

Possible choices given on this unwanted toolbar include: "Google", "Facebook", and "MySpace".

I have a program on my computer called "Admuncher" that comes with a full range of options allowing me to select various types of advertisements and pop-ups including the option to rid a webpage of all advertisements. "Admuncher" is not working with this new tool bar.

If anyone has experience getting rid of my new abomination please tell me the steps that I can take to rid myself of this newly appearing.

I apologize for posting my request if the topic has already been recognized and dealt with. I was unable to find this topic previously mentioned using the GOTD's search engine.

Posted 13 years ago #
Inas
Member

Hi Bigun - I'm surprised you are only now asking about this Informer Software program. Yes, for a very very long time now, this has been a standard software program that GOTD offers to all its visitors, upon installation of the daily GOTD program.

You have the option of not installing the program, by clicking on the "close" button, and nothing will be installed on your system, if you "close" out of the pop-up.

Also, given that the Informer Program is a software-installation offer, I doubt there is a way you can prevent it (unlike other pop-ups) from showing up in your browser - but maybe I'm wrong - other folks will correct me on this point, if need be. Hope this helps.

Posted 13 years ago #
Deserthead47
Member

I think this is the thread you were unable to find.

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/7596

Ive learned just to ignore any new ideas,like this one,that they come up with on the front page.

Posted 13 years ago #
TheDarkEngine
Member

The toolbar you are seeing does not reside on your computer as a program or browser helper or anything else. The toolbar is a new feature of the GOTD site itself. Everybody sees it. There's nothing wrong with your computer. Just click the little arrow on the toolbar to minimize it and/or ignore it. It's no big deal.

Posted 13 years ago #
wizzard_of_ozz2004
Games Master

Nope wrong link there Bob. As TheDarkEngine said, the new "toolbar" you're referencing is in fact a new "feature" for the site. You can refer to it as bookmark and share. Not a bad idea, but this idea was too intrusive. Most sites these days have a bookmark and share feature, but it usually just resides at the bottom of the post instead of scrolling all over the page as this one.

Posted 13 years ago #
Buzz
Member

I have admuncher too, but had to add my own filter rule to make it go away. There is
a thread here somewhere that tells about it.

Posted 13 years ago #
Buskieboy
Member

This stupid thing only just popped up within the last few days.
It wasn't here the last time I came to GOTD. Again, just like "Stickr",
it is annoying and obtrusive. It gets in the way of my ability to read
the comments, instructions or whatever is at the bottom of my screen.
With screen real estate at a premium, I don't want this POS on my screen.
If I choose to "share" it I will look for the appropriate links myself.

Now, how do you remove it/stop it? I've tried to use "AdBlocker" like we
did with "Stickr", but nothing has worked.

Anyone come up with a fix yet? How about the folks at GOTD? Give us an
option to remove it? It's things like this that either make people leave
or not join at all.

BOTTOM LINE: PLEASE GET RID OF IT or MOVE IT OFF THE VIEWING PAGE.

Posted 13 years ago #
Buskieboy
Member

UPDATE:

Using AdBlocker Plus, and this filter:

|http://s.web.informer.com/*

It made the "bookmark and save" popup on the bottom
of the screen go away! Bye-bye. So long.

Posted 13 years ago #
Deserthead47
Member

Just returned and noticed error,link should have been

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/7563

The morphine must have been working overtime earlier,sorry about that.

Posted 13 years ago #
Bigun
Member

Thanks for the information. I checked into the GOTD website daily and just started seeing this edition about a week ago or maybe 10 days ago. Something must have been blocking it if it has been a thorn in the side for weeks or months.

So this add-on is the "Informer " program that I have been trying to avoid downloading to my computer. As others have mentioned there should be a way to disable or block this new GOTD pest. The toolbar, or whatever the addition is called, must be a window with its own URL inside of the main page's URL. Perhaps using a "packet sniffer" to identify the URL of this latest GOTD addition and blocking that URL is the way to go. I picked up on the the "stickr" posts to the forum immediately after stickr was introduced but somehow I missed seeing the previous posts for this latest add-on. Possibly I missed the posts because I did not identify this add-on as being the "Informer" program and I did not search on the "Informer" keyword.

I will follow through on the links that you all have referenced to see the mechanics that are being used to block or redirect "Informer".

Posted 13 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

If you are using FireFox as your browser, just install the add-on called NoScript, and the problem is solved. I have never seen the "Informer" on my screen.

Posted 13 years ago #
Bigun
Member

@ creamypretzel

Thank you for the heads-up on the "NoScript" add-on for Firefox.

Shortly after reading your post I downloaded and started using "NoScript". Each time that I have opened a GOTD webpage with "NoScript" enabled, the third-party JavaScript was blocked. NoScript did what I wanted it to do - it prevented the loading of the "Informer Toolbar". A nice feature of NoScript is the fact that NoScript shows (on the status bar) the particular script being blocked.

On the "NoScript" download page there is a link to the following URL:

http://hackademix./2009/01/25/surrogate-scripts-vs-google-analytics/ .

The webpage that the above link takes you to explains the mechanics of "NoScript". It looks to me that NoScript limits itself to inserting its own script into the JavaScript as is being executed.

The latest update to NoScript works while a webpage is loading and before any JavaScript included with the webpage is executed. This seems to me that NoScript limits itself specifically to JavaScripts on a webpage before the JavaScript can call any third-party URL.

NoScript does not change any of the internal coding of Firefox, it does not touch the registry, nor does it make any other change to my computer. At any rate, "NoScript" works and it seems harmless enough to give it a try for a few days to see how it interacts with the execution of JavaScript on webpages other than the pages on the GOTD website. If it turns out that NoScript necessitates writing a large number of exceptions, it could be that NoScript causes more trouble than it is worth. I hope that this is not the case because "Informer" looks like it is going to be a difficult program to uninstall.

Posted 13 years ago #
GMMan, Hexadecimal Blacksmith
Blocked

@Buskieboy: That rule was already on my list, except it was for blocking the source script rather than the whole domain (reason being that I didn't want to take out any non-obtrusive share links by Informer).

@Bigun: The Informer share bar is just a JavaScript-invoked DIV. The link to the JS file is embedded in the GOTD page (purposefully), and the rest is loaded with the JS file. No, this is not Software Informer that you are trying to avoid downloading, this is a separate piece of technology by the same company. And no, you don't need packet sniffers to identify it (it's not that sneaky). It's right there in the HTML source, if you do a little bit of digging. (To sum it up: it's not diabolical.)

Posted 13 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

@Bigun: NoScript will definitely be worth keeping. When you go to a web site where you want to allow scripts, just click, for example, "ALLOW giveawayoftheday.com". The next time you visit the site, NoScript remembers that setting so that you donot have to re-allow every time. It is really handy on some sites, where you want to see something, but probably won't be returning much. You just click "Temporarily Allow". When you leave the site, the temporary allowance no longer applies.

I'm glad NoScript was able to help you.

Posted 13 years ago #
GMMan, Hexadecimal Blacksmith
Blocked

I think NoScript is a bit too paranoid for me, personally. As long as I don't randomly blunder my way through the Internet, I should be fine.

Posted 13 years ago #
Bigun
Member

I appreciate all of the responses that I have gotten to my original post. The NoScript program continues to work blocking this GOTD add on when I am using Firefox but is not very picky about what JavaScript it is blocking. Also I do not always use Firefox.

In regards to finding the rogue program in the HTML code - I am not too sure what to do about it if it is being parsed while the web page is downloading? My first action will be to see if I can find the "Informer like script" in the HTML.

It seems to me that GOTD should post a way to back out of this browser helper. Of course I felt the same way about the "Stickr program" but my feeling concerning Stickr did not accomplish anything. I am beginning to think that these two applications are really puzzle games in disguise.

Posted 13 years ago #
Bigun
Member

Before I can use the NoScript options of "allow" or "temporarily allow" I will have to know that a webpage includes a JavaScript. This is adding just a little bit more fun to the already puzzling puzzle.

Posted 13 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

If a web page includes the script, you should automatically see red in the little "S" icon. If you "allow" for the site's .com name, it will allow all script every time you visit that site. "Temporarily allow" will allow it only on the one visit. Your other option is to NOT check either, and just look at the list above the .com name in the list (after right-clicking the "S" icon), and choose which scripts to allow.

Posted 13 years ago #
Bigun
Member

CreamyPretzel:

Thanks for the clarifications and instructions on the use of "NoScripts". I very seldom run into a website where I worry about occult JavaScripts running so I will probably not keep "NoScripts" open all the time.

On those occasions that I have had doubts of a website being completely on the up and up I open the website in a sandbox and run any programs that I have downloaded from the questionable sites in a sandbox. "NoScripts" will be another safety feature that I can call on as well as use it to block bothersome advertising.

Posted 13 years ago #
GMMan, Hexadecimal Blacksmith
Blocked

The best prevention is to never visit questionable sites in the first place. Virus free for 4 years and counting.

Posted 13 years ago #
Just James
Member

I like the simple QuickJava extension for Firefox. It puts 5 buttons at the bottom of the browser: one each for Javascript, Java, Flash, Silverlight and Images. I leave them all off except Images until I want to use one of them on some page.

Posted 13 years ago #
goodgotd
Member

The best prevention is to never visit questionable sites in the first place.

what's the use in protection if all it can handle is a millpond?

I grant that there are some millponds that would *eat* hook, line, and sinker and be trying to get you...

But I figure doing first-hand research on possible attack sites as slightly more educational.

Virus free for 4 years and counting.

.blink. are you saying you haven't seen one in 4, had a warning something tried or one infect a system in that long? if the last, unless you count flaky ram as a virus, it's been far longer.

Posted 13 years ago #
GMMan, Hexadecimal Blacksmith
Blocked

Virus free for 4 years and counting.

By that I mean I haven't been negatively impacted by malware for that long. And by a recounting, maybe 3 years should be the proper number (I don't remember it very well because I haven't had anything happen to me that was virus-related for quite a long time). All my troubles these days are caused by stupid software, and slowly degrading software. The last virus alert I had was from a GOTD package (not installed) that I had archived (AntiVirus Mate, I believe). Other than that, nothing notable except my accidental partial formatting of my computer a year and a half ago when booting the Userful disc. (Stupid move, caused by overconfidence of what I see in a VM.)

Posted 13 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

I haven't had a PC virus, infection, Spyware, or anything else similar since I first got on the Web back in 1993. Of course, that may be because I don't visit porn sites, or places with names like "Joe's Web Site".

Posted 13 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

If I can go for a few day with no PC virus, infection, Spyware, that be good got one on the front page of GOTD, most page have one on like addthis.com Hosts engaged in malware distribution threatfire 2 Malware Blocked in 90 days http://windizupdate.com/ this is ok but if you click a link you may get a virus you can get a virus on good site,Warning: Dangerous Downloads and WOT is green that site been hack may be have a look at stop bad ware http://www.stopbadware.org/

Posted 13 years ago #

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