# Fuckarse GATOR Corporation **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 11, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151 "2003-06-11T17:05:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/1 "2003-06-11T17:05:08Z")
Those fucking ubiquitous spammy-spam-spam-fuck pop-up Gator ads. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHH!!! Why in sweetfuck’s name isn’t there a box that says: “NEVER trust content from the Gator corporation” ??? I just hate them SO much. I want them to go away for ever. Sorry if there is something really simple and obvious to block them, I just don’t know how. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/2 "2003-06-11T17:09:11Z")
In Internet Explored, have you tried Tools ¨ Internet Options ¨ Advanced, and then un-checking “enable install on demand”? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/3 "2003-06-11T17:09:39Z")
Download and run [or [url=http://beam.to/spybotsd]Spybot](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/Adaware%5B/url). Both are highly effective at removing Gator. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/4 "2003-06-11T17:11:18Z")
Crap. [Adaware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) – [Spybot](http://beam.to/spybotsd). ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/5 "2003-06-11T17:13:07Z")
Thanks - yes - I have both Adaware and Spybot, they are both excellent. **Binary** - will disabling the install-on-demand cause any other problems in installing stuff? (What other things than Gator install on demand?) ---
**Author:** ![Bubba\_Ray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bubba\_Ray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bubba_Ray)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/6 "2003-06-11T17:19:13Z")
I have both [www.gator.com](http://www.gator.com) as well as [www.cometsystems.com](http://www.cometsystems.com) added to my not trustes sites, that seems to hold the plugins at bay. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/7 "2003-06-11T17:24:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by istara \* > \*\*Thanks - yes - I have both Adaware and Spybot, they are both excellent. > > **Binary** - will disabling the install-on-demand cause any other problems in installing stuff? (What other things than Gator install on demand?) \*\* My experience has been that this does not cause problems. You should be able to install anything that you choose with no problem, as far as I can tell all that it does is eliminate those annoying things that want to install when you hit some web-pages (like those clock weather enhancement things, as well as other spyware type crap). I would also recommend that you get and install Zonealarm. A pretty cool personal firewall that will let you know if things are trying to phone home. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/8 "2003-06-11T17:34:11Z")
Some info on blocking Gator can be found on [this discussion board.](http://forums.theideaweb.com/t1474/s.html) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/9 "2003-06-12T02:22:50Z")
Sorry for the innocent question, but should you be foolish enough to let Gator install itself on your machine, what happens? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/10 "2003-06-12T02:33:41Z")
Uhm, please tell me what’s so bad about Gator? I use it for almost all of my internet passwords (excepting important sites, such as those which have my credit cards numbers or personal information). You guys have me worried. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/11 "2003-06-12T02:39:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissa \* > \*\*Uhm, please tell me what’s so bad about Gator? I use it for almost all of my internet passwords (excepting important sites, such as those which have my credit cards numbers or personal information). > > You guys have me worried. \*\* [Here’s a story.](http://www.internetnews.com/IAR/article.php/10789_1474911) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/12 "2003-06-12T02:44:22Z")
Gator monitors the websites you visit, creating a personal profile about your apparent interests which it passes on, along with your e-mail address, to spammers looking for targeted demographics. Less subtley, it scans for keywords in web content, and causes pop-ups to appear, as though they are the sponsors of the web-pages you’re looking at. They also offer advertisers the opportunity to piggy-back on specific web-pages. In short-- more junk and clutter! Of course, that’s just what it’s _designed_ to do-- it’s also crap software, and an added benefit of having it installed is that you’ll often find that your browser crashes spectacularly often-- sometimes even bringing down your entire OS, requiring a reboot. Great! ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/13 "2003-06-12T02:47:37Z")
Aw, jeeze! All this time I kept wondering what the hell was wrong with my computer . . . . Thanks for the info. Now, I have to go learn all of my passwords so I can get rid of it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/14 "2003-06-12T02:49:33Z")
Gator = Bonzi Both are spawns of Satan. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/15 "2003-06-12T02:50:29Z")
Correction-- Gator claims that they do _not_ collect e-mail addresses. From the horse’s mouth: > [@](#): > > Whether you are an advertiser, direct marketer or researcher, Gator can reach your target audience through: Demographic and lifestyle profiles > Delivering your message to consumers viewing any site on the Web, at any time. > Delivery customized offers to consumers based on past behavior. > > Gator provides targeted promotions and advertisements for over 400 companies (including 60 Fortune 500 companies and 80 advertising agencies), driving extraordinary ROI. Gator campaigns often reach double-digit click and conversion rates - up to 20 to 40 times higher than traditional banner ads. > Gator has the ability to anonymously monitor user behavior throughout their Web travels without ever collecting personally identifiable information. To review our Privacy Statement, click here. Thru this permission-based relationship, Gator has incredible insights into user behavior, and thus can deliver targeted, relevant ads. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckarse-gator-corporation/181151/16 "2003-06-12T14:55:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissa \* > \*\*Uhm, please tell me what’s so bad about Gator? I use it for almost all of my internet passwords (excepting important sites, such as those which have my credit cards numbers or personal information). > > You guys have me worried. \*\* Warning issued by my employer a couple of years ago (bolding mine): > [@](#): > > While Gator seems like a good Internet form filling application at first glance, it is a problem to USPTO’s security because it can be used to compromise the integrity of PTOnet. **The USPTO has recorded a couple of incidents where the application was used to launch denial of service attacks to Internet sites**.