I have found out why I haven't been getting any flash on the plus! website and getting the message: Your Current Security Settings Do Not Allow This File To Be Downloaded when I try to download it.

IE-Spyad has put a block on the plus! website because plus! has adware in it. i have emailed the guy who maintains the list and he has replied. This is the email:

quote:

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Aaron:

You wrote:


>> Hi. I am writing to ask why you have put www.msgplus.net on your
>> IE-Spyad. For months the flash on that website did not work. As with the
>> downloading of Messenger Plus!
>>
>> I recently uninstalled IE-Spyad and found it was the culprit. Why have
>> you added this site to your list? Plus! does have adware in it. But it
>> is a very harmless one compared to others. And it is optional. Have a
>> look at this tutorial
>> <http://www.msgplus.net/help_tutorials.php?tut=install-uninstall> and
>> you can see what I mean.
>>
>> Can you please remove Plus! from your list. I'll be awaiting your reply.


No. At this time, that domain will not be removed. If you want to use that
domain, then you're welcome to manually remove the domain yourself from the
Restricted sites list after installing IE-SPYAD.

Why? Someone else asked me about the msgplus.net listing a few weeks ago.
This was my reply, after looking into Messenger Plus:

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OK, I've taken a look at the MessengerPlus application and the installation
process that it uses. You're right that it does notify the user that a
"sponsor program" will be installed unless the user elects not to install
it. That's only half the story, though.

This is no ordinary adware program: it's C2 Media's Lop.com, one of the
nastiest adware/spyware programs on the Net. Moreover, the notice/disclosure
offered during the MessengerPlus installation is completely inadequate and
arguably even deceptive. It describes the "sponsor program" as a kind of
search acceleration program, which is a meaningless description if there
ever was one.

Although the installation screen does mention advertisements and the search
bar, it neglects to mention the browser hijack (of both IE and Mozilla!) and
the fact that the program will have a significant impact on system
performance. It also neglects to mention the significant data collection and
transmission, or any of the other potentially objectionable terms of the C2
EULA. The addition of the C2 EULA in the next installation screen doesn't
make things any better, because sticking a 3100 word EULA in front of users
isn't good notice/disclosure, esp. in the narrow box that it appears.

The bottom line is that most users will have no idea of what they're getting
into by consenting to the installation of the "sponsor program," and that's
the fault of the MessengerPlus installation process.

----------------------------------------

If anything has changed from when I tested a few weeks ago, please let me
know.

Regards,

Eric L. Howes

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You should point out to him that it's not the full LOP.com package at all.  In my view it's far from malicious since it's completely removable and not that harmful anyway.

I said it was very harmless compared to the other ones. Maybe I should have explained it more.

Go do that.

Is the guy who wrote that part of a company, or just making that program himself?

Making the program himself. You can check it out for yourself here: https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/resource.htm

It seems he doesn't want to be contacted: there's no contact info on that page.

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Originally posted by raceprouk
It seems he doesn't want to be contacted: there's no contact info on that page.

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Pfff... what a bunch of crap. Oh well, if he wants to be contacted by his users every day for the rest of the year, so be it. I can't fight that kind of "arguments".

I've given up on his 'program' (what can you call it?). I've uninstalled it and now am only relying on Spybot and Spyware Blaster for bad sites.

Best idea you could have ever done is get rid of that....I've nver even heared of that...and if you install something but it won't let you install whatever you want then wtf is that about?

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Originally posted by lou_habs
Best idea you could have ever done is get rid of that....I've nver even heared of that...and if you install something but it won't let you install whatever you want then wtf is that about?

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quote:

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Originally posted by lou_habs
Best idea you could have ever done is get rid of that....I've nver even heared of that...and if you install something but it won't let you install whatever you want then wtf is that about?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Chaotic_Shield

quote:

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Originally posted by lou_habs
Best idea you could have ever done is get rid of that....I've nver even heared of that...and if you install something but it won't let you install whatever you want then wtf is that about?

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It's about the protection of newbie computer users.

To be honest, use Spybot's Hosts file feature. It blocks all the known spyware/adware sites, but not MsgPlus.net.

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If you ask me, i think its the up themselves "experts" that need protecting. Most people who have a bit of experience with computers will think that accept/decline thing is just another licence agreement for the program. Most will not read this.
New users will read every part thoughly and then choose.

If you asked me, it is a little bit decieving having it as an accept/decline thing, because most will click accept straight away, and then complain that it has spyware.

It could be changed, but i guess you want to make money.

Well, said like that, of course it doesn't sound good... but if you join screenshots to your arguments:





As you can see, the setup of Messenger Plus! uses 6 ways to prevent any user to click "I accept" without understanding what they are doing. If some people cannot read what's written in bold while the Next button is disabled and cannot see the big screenshot of the search bar above the agreement, then I don't see how I could help them.

If you have some suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them.

There aren't many more ways to "dumb it down". You have already done so much so the user doesn't accidently install it.

I guess the only thing you could do is make a big dialog popup explaining what is happening. Because the way I see it, when people see the EULA, they automatically just click next.

quote:

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Originally posted by linx05
...  Because the way I see it, when people see the EULA, they automatically just click next.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Patchou
Well, said like that, of course it doesn't sound good... but if you join screenshots to your arguments:





As you can see, the setup of Messenger Plus! uses 6 ways to prevent any user to click "I accept" without understanding what they are doing. If some people cannot read what's written in bold while the Next button is disabled and cannot see the big screenshot of the search bar above the agreement, then I don't see how I could help them.

If you have some suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them.

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quote:

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One suggestion i could make is for Patchou to add flashing test to the Sponsor program agreement secion of the installer notifying the user to read about the OPTIONAL sponsor program. This way Patchou can keep the sponsor program and at the same time help users clearly know about the sponsor program.

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quote:

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Maybe a little change in the text of the warning before the sponsor agreement screen: "The adware bundled in this program might be picked up by some anti-spyware programs as dangerous, but it is not. Feel free to ask questions about it here (simple link to forums)."

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Where does that tiny (5) tab lead? That's the only thing I myself didn't notice.

Althought that appears to be an older version in the images.

Not that I opted in for the 'schpiele' anyway.

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
Where does that tiny (5) tab lead?

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quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
Althought that appears to be an older version in the images.

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quote:

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Originally posted by RileyM
One suggestion i could make is for Patchou to add flashing test to the Sponsor program agreement secion of the installer notifying the user to read about the OPTIONAL sponsor program. This way Patchou can keep the sponsor program and at the same time help users clearly know about the sponsor program.

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