Shoutbox

Okay, don't trust me and keep bickering in this thread. I've answered their question and I'm leaving now.

Actually, before I go, http://www.google.ca/search?hs=pG5&hl=en&client=fi...

quote:

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Originally posted by ShawnZ
Okay, don't trust me and keep bickering in this thread. I've answered their question and I'm leaving now.

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I'm not bickering or flaming ect...Just offering some advice to you for when you're helping, I don't care if you follow it or not, it's your choice.
I'm just saying if you can't be 100% sure if they are using the software what you think they are, it's best not to offer advice for it.

It's very likely they are using Zone Alarm, but my point is we don't know!

Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad you're helping, but from previous experience I've seen assumptions lead to a lot of confusion when helping people.

Zone Alarm Pro misdetects the fact that Plus! is attempting to log the keyboard and mouse strokes. Plus! hooking method has changed and no longer logs keystrokes or mouse events.

The information that is being sent to the Plus Server for statistical use is all anonymous. No personal information is sent during this time. You can disallow Plus! from doing that if you open the Preferences and under General there should be Allow Plus! to send anonymous statisticts (might be under Miscellaneous instead).

quote:

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Originally posted by Matty
Zone Alarm Pro misdetects the fact that Plus! is attempting to log the keyboard and mouse strokes. Plus! hooking method has changed and no longer logs keystrokes or mouse events.

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but matty we arent sure if its zone alarm or not !!!1

I haven't installed the adware program.
I am using Zone Alarm Pro.
I installed MsgPlus from the official site.

antd, to add on what Matty has already said:

Plus! doesn't monitor keystrokes and mouse movements at all. It never did btw. This warning you got (from whatever security program you use) is false. Such warnings can be given if the detection level of those security programs is set too high. The higher they're set, the more false alarms you'll get. It doesn't nessecairly means they are true.

Plus! _never_ contained any code to monitor keyboard strokes, nor mouse movements.

However, the only thing that Plus! "monitors" is what options you've used the most in Plus! (and for that, it even doesn't "monitor" all options available). This is done so Patchou knows which features are used the most and thus which features are popular and candidates to be improved.

This monitoring is nothing more than a simple numerical counter or flag for some used features. eg: If I use custom emoticons, the "monitor"-feature records this as "ce=1". Which simply means "custom emoticon used? = true". It does _not_ record _any_ personal information at all, it only logs if you used a feature or not (as in "yes" or "no").

Now, this information is send to the Plus! server, anonymously. Even your IP address isn't stored.

As Matty said, you can disable this "monitoring" in your Plus! preferences: Plus! > Preferences > General Options > Local Settings > Allow Plus to send anonymous, numerical statistics periodically.

And that is what triggers the "Plus! phones home" message.

Also, this is _not_ the C2Media company at all! C2Media has got nothing to do with this, except that the Plus! servers are sponsored/hosted by C2Media and thus their IP address fall in the range of what some people might call the "C2Media Company". The truth is that C2Media has got absolutely nothing on those servers for their own good. These servers are totally and absolutely dedicated for Messenger Plus! only and contain nothing, absolutely nothing of C2Media.

The statistics gathered by this Plus! feature are anonymous and only accessable by Patchou and are only meant to improve the most used features.


Thus:

quote:

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Originally posted by antd
But why is my firewall telling me that MSN Messenger Plus! is trying to monitor my keystrokes and mouse movements?

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Because it has either a too strong detection or a buggy detection system. Plus! does not, and never did, monitor things like that at all...

quote:

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Originally posted by antd
Also, why is it phoning home (...)

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To send the anonymous, numerical statistics on what function are used the most (which can be disabled).

quote:

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Originally posted by antd
(...) to C2 Media company when I sign in?

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Its "home" is not the C2Media Company at all.

quote:

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Originally posted by antd
Is it trying to send my username and password to them that you just logged?

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Absolutely not.

antd is right, using ZoneAlarm Pro version:6.0.667.000 I also got a warning about msgplus wanting (if I recall it right) to catch keystrokes.

Nothing to add to Cookie's reply except that some of you may want to contact Zole Alarm about it.... it's sad to see so many companies are giving into this fashion of displaying as much false information as correct one "just in case", without testing anything anymore.