[Oisín]

I just had what I assume must be an ad forward me.

I don’t have any evidence that it was an ad, or which ad it was, ’cause when I went back, the page reloaded and it was a different ad; but, after having read a thread, when I clicked on the ‘Back’ button to go back to the Lounge, I suddenly found myself on this page for no apparent reason.

I’m assuming this is not proper adiquette*?

*I just made that one up, höhö

[Oisín]

I’m not sure, but I think the script that does this (I just got it again) is either:

http://a.as-us.falkag.net/dat/dlv/aslmain.js

or

http://a.as-us.falkag.net/dat/cjf/00/16/32/57.js

– or rather some combination of the two. They’re both pretty gibberishish, but they’re the ones that were present when I went back (I don’t think the page reloaded this time—but I can’t be sure).

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

höhö

Translation, please

-t

[Axel]

this has happened to me twice on the boards in two days. I got redirected to great4mac during page load.
thank god I found your post, I was beginning to think I was getting crazy...

[Oisín]

What the hell?!?

Just got an even more annoying one.

When loading the page, it gave me a friggin’ pop-up (translated into very bad Danish) that looked like this:

Translation
NOTE: If your computer has error in registry database or the file system, it can lead to unforesean or error behaviour, “freezes” or destroytion of the system.
If you correct these errors, you can improve your komputer’s functions and prevent loss of data.
Would you like to install ErrorSafe in order to check your computer FOR FREE (Recommended)
Cancel / OK

Obviously, I clicked Cancel. That didn’t do me much good, though—it forwarded me to this page. I take it clicking OK would have done the same.

When I clicked the Back button, it gave me another pop-up saying something similar to the first one, and when I clicked Cancel on that one, yet another pop-up, saying something like, “Right-click and click DOWNLOAD to download the program, and then select RUN from the dialogue box” (or words to that effect), which had only an OK option, no Cancel. Clicking OK there, however, did not (as I’d feared) lead me back to the spam page, but allowed me to finally view the page I’d been trying to view all along.

The two JavaScript files I mentioned in the first post in this thread were also there on this page; but I’ve since noticed that they’re there on every page, so obviously, they’re not the culprits, ahem...

[mkbhatia]

I think this is a VC ad. I'll look into this ASAP (later tonight).

m.

[mkbhatia]

It should be gone now. Sorry for any problems. Here is the response from our network:


We found the culprit and shut down their campaign. They were definitely
running this without our knowledge and it is most certainly against our
T&Cs. I have seen this software running under other guises, like
'system dr.' or something like that, on other networks so please keep
your eyes out.
Best,

[marden]

I got an unwanted download titled:

kermit.macnn.com

the other day when I went to the now locked Gwynneth Paltrow thread.

I did nothing to ask for this download and it may have damaged my system.

Someone is asking for trouble.

I think that means no one should click on ANY links or ads on MacNN.

Seeing as how ads are a source of income for a forum it should behoove the powers that be here at MacNN to investigate and make it absolutely clear to all posters that surfing and CLICKING here is as safe as can be.

If not, then the posters should know the risks they are taking by continuing to click on ads which might mine their IP or bogus links that might do the same thing.

Without privacy no one will have freedom of expression.