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Topic ClosedA petition to remove malicious scripts
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Vompatti View Drop Down
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: A petition to remove malicious scripts
    Posted: March 23 2017 at 18:12
I'm sure most of us would prefer to use this forum without compromising their privacy and security. Currently this is not possible as navigating to the site triggers multiple malicious scripts intended to spy on the user and send their information to evil corporations such as Google, Facebook and Twitter without the user's explicit approval.

The issue could be partly alleviated by removing all the "like" and "share" buttons of the aforementioned corporations, which have no place on a private internet forum not associated with any of such entities. A satisfying solution would be to clean out all nonfree and thus potentially harmful scripts, which can be easily identified with the GNU LibreJS browser add-on. If any of them are essential for the functionality of the site, they should be replaced with free as in freedom alternatives.

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CPicard View Drop Down
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Points: 10841 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 09:15
I'm not sure a petition sent to the website managers would be useful: I may be wrong, but don't they just use a software which must have these fonctionalities as a basic settling?
So, I think that the petition should be send to the companies making said software.
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Vompatti View Drop Down
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 10:11
Perhaps they should change the setting then. Smile
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Points: 9226 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 10:40
Would adblocker do the trick for you?
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Vompatti View Drop Down
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 11:12
They can be blocked by disabling JavaScript, but that's beside the point, they shouldn't be there in the first place.
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Dean View Drop Down
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 12:11
They are there so the site can be self-funding. No tracking == no funding == no site.

If you want the tracking (and adverts) removed then it's going to cost you real money and not fake google-ad-money because there are only two ways it will happen: the first is for you to buy the site from Max and fund its operating costs from your own pocket; and the second is where you petition Max to make this a subscription-only site where you are therefore prepared to make a regular monthly payment and enjoy the site with the other fools who would be daft enough to actually pay to come here. 

So, basically if you want a free site then it's like it or lump it. And if you want a free site but don't want ads and their associated tracking bots then that large plank of wood in the wall with a brass knob on it is called a door, behind it is a whole wide world of internet wonder waiting to be explored.
What?
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Vompatti View Drop Down
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 12:29
The ads could be static images with no tracking though. PA has a relatively large amount of semi-regular users, I'm sure many of them would be willing to buy as space for their businesses and art/music projects without having to involve a middleman corporation like Google.

And didn't the like and share and whatever buttons that I block come with the latest update of the forum software? Does Max make money from them as well?
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chopper View Drop Down
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Points: 20030 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 13:43
Google Analytics isn't a "malicious script" - it provides the web site owner with useful statistics about web site usage. The Facebook and Google Accounts ones are for the "likes" at the bottom of the page. I doubt you'll find many major web sites that don't use something like Google Analytics (and it's probably been here for most, if not all, of the 12 years you've been a member of PA for).


Edited by chopper - March 25 2017 at 13:44
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Vompatti View Drop Down
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 13:58
Of course it's not malicious to the site owner, otherwise no sites would use it. As for the "likes", they're unquestionably malware and not in any way useful to either the site owner or the users.
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Angelo View Drop Down
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Points: 13244 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 16:51
Every Like is posted to Facebook, which potentially draws new visitors to the site, who might click on an ad, so in that way they are useful in helping the owner pay for the site. Before filing a petition, do your homework, as also suggested by Dean.
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Points: 3654 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 17:52
Listen, Vompatti, try to enjoy what we have while it lasts, it can't (and won't) get any better than this, believe me, my friend

(In the meantime, we should all happily persevere for Precision & Elegance in what we accomplish here, there, everywhere LOL your visual signature is priceless !)
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Vompatti View Drop Down
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2017 at 21:12
Originally posted by Angelo Angelo wrote:

Every Like is posted to Facebook, which potentially draws new visitors to the site, who might click on an ad, so in that way they are useful in helping the owner pay for the site. Before filing a petition, do your homework, as also suggested by Dean.
Are you suggesting there are people who actually click on those buttons outside of Facebook? Shocked
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chopper View Drop Down
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Points: 20030 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 27 2017 at 02:53
Originally posted by Vompatti Vompatti wrote:

As for the "likes", they're unquestionably malware and not in any way useful to either the site owner or the users.
Why are they malware and how do you know they're not useful to the owners?
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