# will you people please LEARN (spyware) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 10, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-you-people-please-learn-spyware/223799 "2004-01-10T06:36:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-you-people-please-learn-spyware/223799/41 "2004-01-10T23:00:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > \*\*I doubt it, as long as your notification function is enabled. More likely Geohubby is a little careless or has difficulty distinguishing genuine advisory messages from scam ones (hey – I admit that’s not easy.) > > Can you supply a site URL that installs spyware without the op’s knowing about it or being able to prevent it? If so, give it to me; I’ll try it out, then run AdAware immediately after and report back. \*\* He doesn’t remember what site it was–he does a lot of surfing by following links and doesn’t always remember the urls of all the ones he’s been to. The first time it happened, there was a mad pr0n spammer on LiveJournal and he unthinkingly clicked on a link that had been posted in somebody’s journal comments, and it put a whole mess of viruses and spyware on his computer. The second time, it was just spyware, but I’m certain he did not click “Yes” to anything either time–both computers are in the same room and I can clearly see his screen from my chair, and he usually asks me about anything he’s not sure about, since I’m a little more computer-geeky than he is. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-you-people-please-learn-spyware/223799/42 "2004-01-10T23:04:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > \*\* > To use a simple example: say some nasty website manages to change your homepage without your noticing. Run all of the scrubbers you want, they will not detect or fix this. You must change the homepage back yourself. I assume that something similar has happened to me and my computer (actually my computer does not have this problem, it is my parents computer that I am trying to fix. My father installs any old thing he sees.). > > So in closing, go to hell pretentious nincompoop. \*\* YES, this is always happening to me lately, and I constantly have to change it back. Fuck that shit. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-you-people-please-learn-spyware/223799/43 "2004-01-10T23:37:43Z")
The OP is an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-you-people-please-learn-spyware/223799/44 "2004-01-11T02:39:10Z")
**Geobabe,** go check the site **Q.E.D.** linked to for that patch test. ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-you-people-please-learn-spyware/223799/45 "2004-01-11T03:18:50Z")
We both did, and both machines check out fine. ---
**Author:** ![Computer\_Guru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Computer\_Guru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Computer_Guru)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-you-people-please-learn-spyware/223799/46 "2004-01-11T03:30:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*Why _should_ people know about spyware? It is afterall sneaky crap which installs it’self without any user interaction. > And ‘let?’ ‘LET?’ you’re blaming the victims? I can’t stress enough how passionately I hate the whole sneaky dishonest obnoxious evil that is popups. I feel sorry for the poor souls who’s computers have been infested with this shite. \*\* Yeah, Once I went a site thinking it was the correct address and it dropped a virus onto my system using a temp file. Luckily, Norton caught it. This is also why I have it set that temp files are deleted each time I shut down my browser. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-you-people-please-learn-spyware/223799.md?page=2)