[Donna]

Right. Ask Toolbar in Foxit Reader, Comodo can be removed but not with Symantec's because Norton's installer do not have option to customize the installation other than "opt-out" or "opt-in" with "community watch".

[johngalt]

Looks like I am going to be permanently looking for a replacement for SEP, even if it does start working in Windows 7 - and I'll have to pass this along to the Network Admin at the University as well.

We use SEP with much satisfaction there, but if this is how Symantec is planning on behaving, then it is time for the corporate world to opt out of Symantec - and then we'll see if the "customer is always right" or not.

[hayc59]

hewee, on Mar 9 2009, 07:22 AM, said:

That is even worse Donna.

With Foxit Reader with Ask on the Foxit toolbar in the zipped version I think you can if it is like other add-ons just delete the Foxit toolbar from the folder in it in but not sure on that because your talking about ask.

Its a real shame these come loaded with this ****
some folks dont give a whirl about it either!!

[hewee]

Celtic Ferret, on Mar 9 2009, 08:41 AM, said:

"...but not sure on that because your talking about ask..."
Indeed.
The old Benjamin Edelman piece from October 16, 2006 - "Current Ask Toolbar Practices"
--CF

Ok I am sure now.

[hewee]

hayc59, on Mar 9 2009, 02:06 PM, said:

hewee, on Mar 9 2009, 07:22 AM, said:

That is even worse Donna.

With Foxit Reader with Ask on the Foxit toolbar in the zipped version I think you can if it is like other add-ons just delete the Foxit toolbar from the folder in it in but not sure on that because your talking about ask.

Its a real shame these come loaded with this ****
some folks dont give a whirl about it either!!

You should my brother son's laptop. It has every cookie and everything else running on it. He is very very smart and all A's tru school and learn to use computer starting in grade school. Now he is 25 but darn he does not know how to keep the computer safe. He mom formated may times because he had so many things happen that it was to hard to clean up or she did not know how and after a couple days gives up.
He goes to all the wrong site also and just never seems to learn.

[johngalt]

Or, as is most often the case in today's world, cannot be bothered to take the tie to learn - I make a small living every eyar from folks just like that - they'd rather pay me to fix things than to maintain things themselves....

[hewee]

I know and if he was living here with me I think I would get it across to him not to do this or that and you need to do this and that. Then he would wonder why he never learned that before but will forget all the times I had told him to bring his laptop over to me. More easy now that I have XP because before I would of been losted.

[Donna]

One of CoU calendar moderators, Triple Helix, reported today that Webroot have added back Ask Toolbar again on their installer and it’s pre-checked. The version that have the Ask Toolbar again is Spy Sweeper v6.1.0 (Build 107)
Updates information for this products with Ask Toolbar will not be posted again.

Screenshot provided by Triple Helix:

[Donna]

BitDefender offers free anti-phishing toolbar according to reports in Wilders Forum. The toolbar has Ask.com search engine. There is no option for users to not to use Ask.com as search engine for their browsers.

Because of this action by BitDefender, we will no longer post update information on BitDefender.

Please read the reports and discussion at http://www.wildersse...d.php?p=1454890 (with screenshot)

[johngalt]

I also posted about his (as a direct reply to BillP's tweet) over here:

http://www.calendarofupdates.com/updates/i...ost&p=79296

[Donna]

The vendors are not listening to customers and to the community. They simply do what they want then explains that it's "clean", "safe", "no privacy issue", "not malware or adware or spyware" because they developed the toolbar then added only the Ask.com search.

I'm sure they run their own test in using Ask.com search so they should know better than us on what are the risk in using Ask.com search compared to others.

Ask.com search whether part or not of malware scanner vendors toolbar is not safe.
By partnering their company with entity that has bad business practice means their detection is not to be trusted anymore.

IAC business includes SmileyCentral, MyFunCards, zwinky and many others and these services is known to give infection, bogus stuff and many others.

Sponsored results in using Ask.com is also bad. Does Ask.com doing anything about it?

Some says the research of Ben Edelman is old already but don't they realize that the said report by Ben is still happening? Difference only is the "year" but the same thing is happening.

Few months ago only:
August 2008 - Ask.com sponsored ads will give rogue software: http://msmvps.com/blogs/hostsnews/archive/...26/1645917.aspx

Feb. 2009 - Early this year, one of the businesses of IAC/Ask, MyFunCards is offered via a bogus prompt (pretending to be Information Bar by Microsoft in IE browser) then lied to victim by offering MyFunCards toolbar (spyware/adware) instead of playing a video. Not to mention the content is bad for users : http://msmvps.com/blogs/hostsnews/archive/...23/1673279.aspx

So why in the world the malware scanner vendors will partner with IAC or use any IAC services by integrating it to malware scanner installer and program? They removed the detection so it will look clean and they created a toolbar to make it look clean program, safe service.

Some users asked "What's wrong with Ask.com search?" So I test anti-phishing toolbar by BitDefender earlier today and while the keywords is being look-up and served by Ask.com, the browser is connecting to several remote host:
othersonline.com
ad.doubleclick.net
media.adrevolver.com
everesttech.net

Yahoo Toolbar with Yahoo search, Live Toolbar with Live Search and Google Toolbar Google Search, the user is not connected to any other remote host. At least, the sniffing and fiddling program here did not report such.
So what's wrong with Ask.com search again? Nothing but privacy and security issue and to see security software vendors to ignore this in exchange of money is upsetting many.

If a user will say.. oh those are tracking cookies only. Well, antispyware vendors is trying to detect such tracking/spyware/adware cookies because it has privacy issue.
Also, in connecting a user to several remote host while doing a simple search can lead to cases like Julie Amero case because some of the services by IAC is known as adware and spyware.

The malware scanner vendors suddenly developed a "Protection module" in a toolbar with Ask.com or offering Ask Toolbar in their installers then shouting at us that the toolbar is clean. The toolbar is not the only "issue" here but the practice that they are using.

What Malware Scanner Vendors are thinking?? $ instead of protection or improving their detection and product so the customers will go back and buy or donate (if freeware program).

Good thing there are other security software vendors that continue to provide clean installer and no unwanted and unnecessary 3rd party service/module. To name some that we trust todate:

1. VIPRE and CounterSpy
2. Avira Antivir
3. ESET Nod32
4. Avast!
5. Online Armor
6. Outpost
7. Kaspersky
8. Spybot-S&D
9. Malwarebytes
10. SUPERAntispyware

I'm sure there are more trusted malware scanners vendors and hope they won't join the dark side by pushing unwanted and unnecessary 3rd party components on their programs. I hope users will continue to support and use the good anti-virus, anti-malware vendors. Also, let's hope the users in the community will continue to help us in alerting the community on this type of issue.

[Corrine]

LandzDown Forum Stops Updates for Security Products with IAC/Ask

Ben hopes to have the time to update IAC/Ask next month.

This post has been edited by Corrine: 01 May 2009 - 12:18 AM

[Donna]

Glad to hear Ben will update his findings about IAC/Ask, Corrine.

Their business is being hug by security vendors now. Comodo offering HopSurf Toolbar that if a user do not wish to have Ask Toolbar, they have to remove HopSurf So it's just about Ask and not Comodo offerings.

[hayc59]

sorry just saw this about BitDefender will
remove my update and dang are these folks just plain ol' stuck on stupid!!

[MysteryFCM]

NoScript apparently now comes with Ask ...... anyone with FF want to verify this?

http://adblockplus.o...-noscript-users

Quote

22. Dorothy · 2009-05-02 00:12 · #

NoScript updated on my computer today, and while I understand (in part)the changelog webpage and the ads, I’m pissed; for today when it updated I had to op out of getting a ask.com toolbar. This trend of bundling toolbars has got to stop.
It’s dirty. It makes me wonder what else they’re bundling into it. If I want a toolbar I know where to find it.

Is there another tool that blocks all scripts until I allow them?

[hewee]

MysteryFCM, on May 2 2009, 04:03 PM, said:

NoScript apparently now comes with Ask ...... anyone with FF want to verify this?

http://adblockplus.o...-noscript-users

Quote

22. Dorothy · 2009-05-02 00:12 · #

NoScript updated on my computer today, and while I understand (in part)the changelog webpage and the ads, I'm pissed; for today when it updated I had to op out of getting a ask.com toolbar. This trend of bundling toolbars has got to stop.
It's dirty. It makes me wonder what else they're bundling into it. If I want a toolbar I know where to find it.

Is there another tool that blocks all scripts until I allow them?

I use NoScript, AdBlock Plus and hosts files.
I never seen any ads to start with but guess the ad blocking was don't from the hosts file.
Was always take to his web site after a NoScript update and was again today. To me that is no big deal and some other add-ons do the same thing.

I see nothing new added to NoScript and No Toolbar unless it's hidding really well. Only "ask" I can find is the use of ask in other words like task etc.

[MysteryFCM]

Cheers

On the subject of NoScript + ABP, you may want to read;

http://hphosts.blogspot.com/2009/05/open-s...to-malware.html
http://adblockplus.o...-noscript-users

[hayc59]

Steve is there anyway to add your list to Outpost Firewall?
thanks

[MysteryFCM]

The entire list? Not at present, no (well, you could import it into hpObserver and export it, but thats a bit convoluted).

Donna's IP Outpost Blocklist already includes the sites in hpHosts with the EMD/FSA classification though (not sure about those with the HJK/EXP classification)

[hayc59]

MysteryFCM, on May 2 2009, 05:28 PM, said:

The entire list? Not at present, no (well, you could import it into hpObserver and export it, but thats a bit convoluted).

Donna's IP Outpost Blocklist already includes the sites in hpHosts with the EMD/FSA classification though (not sure about those with the HJK/EXP classification)

Ok thats what I thought and thank you