I have Sold my Soul to the Devil

[Kor37 9]

I keep in touch with friends from school and ones that moved away

 

I thought that was what e-mail was for??? :biggrin:

 

 

 

I also joined sveral groups like WWE, ECW, Video Games, Etc. to use their forums

 

I didn't realize that these sites had forums like that. I can understand that part.

[Stephen of Borg 2]

Indeed, I'm a member of a couple of Trek forums there

[Itchygomba69 0]

I keep in touch with friends from school and ones that moved away

 

I thought that was what e-mail was for??? :biggrin:

 

 

 

I also joined sveral groups like WWE, ECW, Video Games, Etc. to use their forums

 

I didn't realize that these sites had forums like that. I can understand that part.

 

you should join myspace and Join some groups with us

[Itchygomba69 0]

http://www.myspace.com/unemployedskeletor

 

this is my favorite member of Myspace, he cracks me up

 

the Unemployed Skeletor, see what you guys are missing

 

http://www.myspace.com/unemployedskeletor

 

this is my favorite member of Myspace, he cracks me up

 

the Unemployed Skeletor, see what you guys are missing

[DrWho42 13]

If (or when...) aliens invade the Internet, MySpace would prolly be one of their main strategic targets.

That Major Tom doesn't get talked alot about anywhere past MySpace....

[Itchygomba69 0]

they have the startrek 2.0 forums on myspace which is kinda kool

[gul_nodrog 2]

It sounds like "myspace.com" is a place to get together with 50 or more of your "closest friends" and engage in conversation.

 

That really wouldn't work for me because I only have five or so friends and if I'm honest, 3 of those are only acquaintances. Mainly, the only people I want to talk to in a general way are living with me in my house!

 

When I want to talk about Trek, I come here. When I want to talk about Harry Potter, I go to hpforums.com (but not before I check the news at Mugglenet).

 

I waste enough time out here already ... do we really need another place to hide from the real people in our lives? I think I'll go take a walk around my neighborhood RIGHT NOW and actually have some face time with real people.

[Indy 8]

What's wrong with MySpace? I haven't been able to access it for a couple of days. Is this something that happens a lot?

 

The thing I like about message boards and things like MySpace is that I can meet people from all over the world. Sure, I can walk around my neighborhood and talk to the neighbors, and I do. But it's not bloody likely I'll be able to talk to somebody from another country in my neighborhood. So I do both the neighborhood thing and the internet thing. Eh, it broadens my horizons...

[Itchygomba69 0]

they are doing upgrades to myspace

[Wishfire 2]

There was recently an issue with one of the MySpace advert banners, which contained a Trojan Hourse virus. Here's the story...

 

A banner advertisement posted on the MySpace Web site may have infected more than one million users with adware, according to security firm iDefense. The advertisement was included in user profiles on MySpace and could have been operating for about one week.

 

The deckoutyourdeck.com advertisement exploited a flaw in the way Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser handles Windows Metafile (WMF) image files. Users running unpatched versions of IE would never have realized that the banner ad had silently installed programs that generate pop-up ads on their system.

 

"This is a criminal act," said Hemanshu Nigam, chief security office at MySpace, in a statement. "This ad is being delivered by ad networks who distribute these ads to over a thousand sites across the Internet in addition to ours. We are working to have these ad networks remove this ad so that they do not appear on our site."

 

Banner Patch

 

An iDefense spyware analyst, Michael La Pilla, told The Washington Post that he discovered the attack on Sunday as he browsed the MySpace site. When he came across a page with the offending ad, he received a message from his browser asking him if he wanted to open a file named exp.wmf.

 

After a brief investigation, La Pilla found out that the spyware installation program contacted a Russian-language Web server in Turkey that tracks the PCs on which the program has been installed. The tally had climbed to 1.07 million machines, though La Pilla said the seven Internet addresses contacted by the downloader seem to be inactive now.

 

According to La Pilla, the ad also attempted to infect users of Webshots.com, a photo-sharing site. Though he cannot pinpoint the date the ads began sending out their spyware, it is believed that it coincided with the occurrence on MySpace on July 12.

 

The WMF vulnerability was originally discovered last December after hackers exploited the flaw using a specially created WMF image distributed via e-mail, instant message links, and Web sites. When users opened the image, the hacker could take control of the infected PC. Microsoft released a patch for the bug back in January, but many people did not install the patch.

 

PCs with unpatched systems can become infected simply by accessing a Web page with the deckoutyourdeck.com ad. The exp.wmf Trojan horse program could upload automatically without the warning prompt that La Pilla received.

 

Once installed, PCs running the Trojan horse will contact multiple Web sites and download a slew of unwanted programs such as PurityScan advertising software. PurityScan is an adware program that can cause pop-up windows containing unsolicited ads to appear. The application also keeps track of the user's online activity.

 

Two Wrongs

 

Rob Ayoub, an analyst at the research firm Frost & Sullivan, said two facts stand out regarding the MySpace infections. First, home users are clearly not as educated about the need to make sure they have up-to-date patches and other security fixes installed. Second, MySpace needs to have a better security system to identify dangers hidden in the ads they serve.

 

If you are a legitimate business with a legitimate Web site hosting banner ads, you have a responsibility to keep the service clean, Ayoub said. "MySpace has some problems and this is a real blunder on their part. I can't believe any business would not scan or take more caution with banner ads posted on their sites. Ad network or not, there is no excuse for them not having a checking system."

 

One million people is a very large number, Ayoub said, and it demonstrates that the technology industry, and security firms and software makers in particular, might not have done enough to impress upon home users the importance of downloading patches. PCs that have not been updated exponentially increase problems with viruses, spyware and adware.

 

"MySpace should have been checking and users should have been patching," Ayoub said. "And because of that combination you have a million downloads."

 

Some PC users have said their reluctance to install patches and updates centers around the fear that any changes will negatively impact their computers. However, Ayoub pointed out, unwanted changes or problems with updates is relatively rare these days.

 

"There was a time when you had to watch and be very careful with your patches," Ayoub said. "And some of the big ones are a problem, but there haven't been big problems with patches for ages."

 

Home users, Ayoub predicted, will not start to take security seriously until Internet service providers start to make antivirus and antispyware software compulsory. That may or may not be the best solution, he said, but incidents like this are a "perfect storm" for users not protecting themselves.

 

"That's extremely dangerous," Ayoub said. "Maybe what we need to do is run public service announcements."

 

MySpace is "strongly" urging all Internet users to "follow basic Internet security practices such as running the latest version of the Windows operating system, installing the latest security patches, and running the latest anti-spyware and anti-adware software."

 

This banner has also appeared at runescape.com, so that any RuneScape users would know.

[gul_nodrog 2]

I just added some security programs to my computer via my new internet provider. Virus scan, firewall, etc. etc. Well, come to find out a component of this new security program is something called "bsafe.com."

 

I cannot access "myspace.com" or xanga or facebook or any other site similar to that ... not from my address bar and not from any link posted in any message on message boards like startrekfans.net or hpforums. I get this wonderful message every time I try; "site blocked." As an administrator I have a password to unblock them, but I'll never do that. Now I don't have to worry about my nieces or nephews or son being online at my home ... they can't get anywhere that I don't want them to go, this "bsafe.com" is that strong a filter.

 

I only hope they are using similar software at my son's school.

 

I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but I think this is hilarious and I hope other parents who want to get back or stay in the driver's seat find this software.

 

The internet is just a war zone ... another battleground where parents have to fight for their kids. They'll thank you one day.

Edited July 26, 2006 by gul_nodrog

[Itchygomba69 0]

I agree there are alot of Creepy SOB's out there, but myspace gets a bad rap. I have found out that Chatrooms are alot worst (not here but you know what I mean) I like Myspace for all the Football and werstling stuff on there

[DrWho42 13]

I agree there are alot of Creepy SOB's out there, but myspace gets a bad rap. I have found out that Chatrooms are alot worst (not here but you know what I mean) I like Myspace for all the Football and werstling stuff on there

That's typical of nearly all unmoderated chat rooms of that sort (like on Tagged.com, although it seems to be for teens and it shows..).

 

Being a member long enough, really, alot of kids add people simply to increase their friends number, upload images of not the most tasteful sort, and a great many other things aside from their inability to know correct English.. (like those who wRitE LiKe ThIs PoInTlEsSlY.. Or worst.) That seems to be the stereotype to MySpace, and seemingly a wretched hive of scum and villainy for those forementioned creeps who take advantage of these sorts of things..

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

A lot of friends on other forums are having issues with their MySpace pages as well.

 

Makes me SOOO happy I don't have one.

[Itchygomba69 0]

I have started to have issues, Its pissing me off because Training camp is starting and I can't get into the Steelers Forum