# An ad link, appeared, then disappeared in my post. I didn't put it there. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 6, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979 "2012-03-06T22:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/1 "2012-03-06T22:33:27Z")
I made this post and once I submitted it, the word “opinion” showed up as a blue hilighted link. I was curious so I clicked on it, and got a page with a voice telling me I was “today’s winner” and asking me to fill out a form for a $50 Walmart gift certificate. As if. I shut it, and closed the thread and when I went back to the thread the link was gone. Does my computer have a problem? Does the SDMB site have a problem? Is this some ad provider you people use, and if so shouldn’t my member fee exempt me from it? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/2 "2012-03-06T22:37:05Z")
And it just did it AGAIN, TWICE, in the post I just wrote above. One word showed up as a link when I previewed the post, and another link on a different word is showing up right now as I type the this post. This one – if I just roll over it it says “answer 1 question and win a $1000 Walmart gift certificate”. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/3 "2012-03-06T22:46:08Z")
FYI, still another ad link is showing up under another word in post 1 of this thread. I’ve started a full scan of my computer with Spyware Doctor, and I’ll let you know the results, ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/4 "2012-03-06T23:03:03Z")
Check your browser add ons/plug ins. It could be a toolbar, or other add on. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/5 "2012-03-06T23:06:08Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Check your browser add ons/plug ins. It could be a toolbar, or other add on. What exactly would I be looking for, and how would I recognize it? FYI, I use Google Chrome. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/6 "2012-03-06T23:33:51Z")
It appears Chrome calls them ‘extensions’. > **[Install and manage extensions - Chrome Web Store Help](https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/answer/2664769?visit_id=638875323628972551-1552561421&hl=en&rd=2)** > > You can customize Chrome on your desktop by adding extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Install an extension Important: You can't add extensions when you browse in Incognito mode or as a guest. > [@](#): > > **Temporarily disable extensions** > > [ol] > [li]Click the wrench icon on the browser toolbar.[/li][li]Select **Tools**.[/li][li]Select **Extensions**.[/li][li]On the Extensions page, click **Disable** for the extension you’d like to temporarily remove.[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/7 "2012-03-06T23:43:28Z")
There are no extensions installed. This is a brand new computer, maybe 2 weeks old. But I do see on my control panel that some program called Yontoo was somehow installed two days ago, and what little I’ve found about it seems to suggest this may be the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/8 "2012-03-06T23:56:43Z")
I think you are right. Here is a [discussion of Yontoo over at BleepingComputer](http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic294912.html), and while it doesn’t appear to be out and out spyware, it is definitely foistware that can create problems. It probably came in with another program that was downloaded. The uninstaller apparently leaves behind files, folders and registry entries, so you might want to use [Revo uninstaller](http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html)to get everything. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/9 "2012-03-07T16:52:23Z")
Thanks for bringing this to our general attention; I hadn’t heard of this until right this very minute. It’s something else we’ll need to look out for. ::: sigh ::: wishing all people who write this kind of software were torn apart by wolves ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/10 "2012-03-07T18:00:59Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I think you are right. Here is a [discussion of Yontoo over at BleepingComputer](http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic294912.html), and while it doesn’t appear to be out and out spyware, it is definitely foistware that can create problems. It probably came in with another program that was downloaded. The uninstaller apparently leaves behind files, folders and registry entries, so you might want to use [Revo uninstaller](http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html)to get everything. Thanks for the link to Revo, as the Control Panel uninstall failed to work. That does seem to have been the problem. It has gone away. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/11 "2012-03-09T17:59:16Z")
FYI, I’m pretty sure this downloaded and installed along with a program called ‘Handbrake’, which converts various video file formats. There was a whole slew of programs that wanted installation is the same process. I thought I said ‘no’ to all of them, but either I missed one or it ever asked in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/12 "2012-03-09T18:25:52Z")
Interesting. I’ve had Handbrake (0.9.5) installed for a while now. I just went to their website and noticed that they released an update (0.9.6) about a week ago. I installed the update, and it never asked me about installing any third-party software. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/13 "2012-03-09T18:36:37Z")
> [@](#): > > wishing all people who write this kind of software were torn apart by wolves How could you wish such a thing!? [sub]Ferrets would be much slower and more painful[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/14 "2012-03-09T18:56:15Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Interesting. > > I’ve had Handbrake (0.9.5) installed for a while now. I just went to their website and noticed that they released an update (0.9.6) about a week ago. I installed the update, and it never asked me about installing any third-party software. A lot of shareware can be found on multiple sites,some of which have different downloader routines and throw in extraneous crap. Unfortunately I don’t remember what site I found it at. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ad-link-appeared-then-disappeared-in-my-post-i-didnt-put-it-there/614979/15 "2012-03-09T19:10:59Z")
Yeah, Handbrake itself is a respectable cross-platform video transcoder. But you can always get it from the source, at [handbrake.fr](http://handbrake.fr). There’s no reason to accept a download that packages it with all sorts of other junk.