# How "safe" is this? Would \*you\* use it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2001, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-safe-is-this-would-you-use-it/88122 "2001-10-18T01:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-safe-is-this-would-you-use-it/88122/1 "2001-10-18T01:49:21Z")
I have to settle for a wimpy 56k dial-up modem connection to get online. I have been surfing the web for “web accelerators.” The one in the link below seems to be highly promoted, but after reading their “privacy statement” I get a very uneasy feeling about even considering installing it. [http://www.marketscore.com/main/privacy\_statement.asp](http://www.marketscore.com/main/privacy_statement.asp) I already am using this one \> [http://www.modemmax.com](http://www.modemmax.com) and I have no qualms about it. ModemMax doesn’t involve anything such as the above one, MarketScore, does. ModemMax really does work, at least it seems to. The internet speed tests show a signifcant difference. Any “boost” I can get to speed my surfing will help immensely. I really need to find a way to afford DSL! ---
**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:** [October 18, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-safe-is-this-would-you-use-it/88122/2 "2001-10-18T01:56:01Z")
Spyware blows chunks. [sub]Another thoughtful post from Mudd[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-safe-is-this-would-you-use-it/88122/3 "2001-10-18T02:06:50Z")
I wouldn’t do it. The bottom line, in my opinion, is that it doesn’t make sense that a third party type service could somehow speed up the modem speed on your end. Back when I was using a modem, I would visit [DSL Reports](http://www.dslreports.com/) and other sites to find different ways to tweak up the system on my end. Again, having someone else out there, who’s sole purpose is to monitor and then sell information about you, really doesn’t seem legit to me. Or, at the very least, the idea that their interested in your connection speed, and somehow making it better, is far from their top priority. Don’t do it. Tweak up and clean out your system as best you can… and save up for a DSL connection asap. And **Mudd’s** right- Spyware blows chunks. ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-safe-is-this-would-you-use-it/88122/4 "2001-10-18T02:11:51Z")
if you’re using windows, you can tweak some settings in the registry which determine packet size and things like that to be optimized for modem. [http://www.sysopt.com/maxmtu.html](http://www.sysopt.com/maxmtu.html) ---
**Author:** ![pharoah\_chromium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@pharoah\_chromium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharoah_chromium)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-safe-is-this-would-you-use-it/88122/5 "2001-10-18T03:17:03Z")
A lot of web accelerators work by allowing you to seize multiple ports at the server end. Not dangerous to you, but extremely annoying to the operator and the other users you are preventing from accessing the site. You can also get blocked from the site for doing this. ---
**Author:** ![aramis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@aramis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aramis)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-safe-is-this-would-you-use-it/88122/6 "2001-10-18T03:54:17Z")
One simple technique you can use to optimize your browsing time is to never, or almost never, just click on a link. That forces you to sit and wait while the next page loads. Instead, rightclick on the link and select the “Open in New Window” option. That way, you can be reading looking at one page while one or more others are loading in the background. When you finish reading the current page, close that window and another one will be ready for you.