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Warning: "Site Altering" Software

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Warning: "Site Altering" Software
Hi,

I'm not exactly sure this is the right forum, but I recently came across this article about some site-altering software from a company called eZula and thought I'd let other site owners know about it, as the tactics the software employs do seem a little worrying:

http://slashdot.org/.../07/31/2015216.shtml

The software in question, TopText, appears to automatically insert text-link-ads on ANY website where it finds specific key words, in other words, it alters your pages and puts un-paid advertising right on your site.

Obviously this will only apply if someone has the software/plugin installed, but the worrying part is that people could assume that YOU have endorsed the link that this software has put on your pages, as well as the fact that the software is, in effect, altering the nature of your content without your consent.

You can, apparently, block this on a domain basis by writing to:

support@ezula.com (see the article for an explanation)

I apologise if this is the wrong place to put this, but I just thought other site owners may have similar concerns to my own and want to actively do something about it.

I've written to them today with a list of my own domains I want blocking, we'll see what happens ....

All the best
Shaun

Follow-up: I've taken some screen-shots to show you how it changes links:
http://www.qango.com/tt/
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Isn't this just the same kinda thing the M$ Smart Tags were going to do?

Andy

webmaster@ace-installer.com
http://www.ace-installer.com
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Andy,

I think it's the same kind of principle, but this shows it's not just M$ who are trying to alter our content, and I wanted to give others the opportunity to write to eZula and get their sites 'off' the list, especially since I didn't think that many people would be aware of eZula's software!

All the best
Shaun

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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
With IE's version they give you the option to include a meta-tag in the HTML, which would disable this function Smile

I'm gonna email eZula today and get my sites taken off right away!

Andy

webmaster@ace-installer.com
http://www.ace-installer.com
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
qango,

This has been going on for awhile now...the big hipe with $M IE 6.0 version is that it includes the plug-in out-of-the-box.

An example of this technology has been around since 2000:

http://www.quickclick.com/

This resource was blitzed in the media (saw tons of TV commercials about it) for about two weeks back in December 2000.

Regards,

Eliot Lee Wink
http://anthrotech.com/
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Thanks Eliot, I've written to them as well.

I'm sure that for some people this kind of software/plugin is useful, but my main concern is that it changes what I have created, edits my content without my permission, and offers links to things that I might not want to recommend or would not want to promote.

If you find any more, let me know and I'll get on to them as well .... Smile

All the best
Shaun

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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
For anyone who's interested, there is quite a discussion going on this subject http://gethighforums.com/...m10/HTML/001386.html.

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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
I will have a javascript completed, hopefully by tomorrow that will disable the eZula code from working on your website. Coupled with the META tags that disable the Microsoft version, and we'll have 2 of these rats caged....

I'll post here, and on the GetHigh forums the code and instructions for using it.

Sure is a shame that we have to go to these lengths to protect what is ours to start with.

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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Hi John, I posted some code in the perl forum that you add to httpd.conf that should stop smart tags from all pages apache serves.

Mods:http://wiredon.net/gt/download.shtml
Installations:http://wiredon.net/gt/
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
There is a working detection script at http://www.whirlywiryweb.com/q/ezula.asp and also instructions on how to get rid of this virus from your system.
If you down load top text from there site, then the uninstaller will not work.
This is from whirleywiryweb -
The uninstall procedure as outlined by Ezula is inadequate as
it leaves EZulaBootExe (and EzulaBoot if you downloaded Ezula from the
Web) sitting. These are Ezula's download/installer components. The
EzulaBoot component allows to REINSTALL TopText through a Web page
even, invisibly, without the user's knowing.
The only to get rid of it is to edit your registry.
Here is another good discussion thats going on -
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/...=20&pagenumber=1

Bob
http://totallyfreeads.com


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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Also have a look at these -
http://www.ipagedir.com/...activate.toptext.htm
http://www.takebacktheweb.com/
I havn't been able to try the reload method as toptext dosn't seem to be working on my system today. It was working overtime yesterday.
Maybe some one can test this.
Maybe a combination of the detection script and the reload script. If toptext is detected, then reload the page.

Bob
http://totallyfreeads.com


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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
The reload is a bad idea, for a lot of reasons.

What I'm doing is working with a buddy of mine here in Seattle that worked on the VB Scripting engine for MSIE at microsoft. He's going to help me write a script that totally disables selected objects on a page. Detect and Disable, without a reload.

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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Get him to have a word on the sly with my mate Bill about these darn smart-tags Smile

Mods:http://wiredon.net/gt/download.shtml
Installations:http://wiredon.net/gt/
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
But unless people allow the VB script to run - which most people won't - it will be useless.


- Mark

Astro-Boy!!
http://www.zip.com.au/~astroboy/
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
From what I can gather, the eZula thing will only function if you have scripting and activeX enabled in MSIE already, so we can go into this with knowledge of a "script/vb" friendly environment.

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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
I haven't really looked much into the TopText thing, so I may be wrong, but I would guess that it's just like any other plugin for IE.

You don't need scripting enabled to view flash, or to use the Google toolbar, etc...

- Mark

Astro-Boy!!
http://www.zip.com.au/~astroboy/
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Are you sure? The user installed (probably unintentionally) ezula so it is safe to run (much like you clicked ok to run a signed program when installing flash, or the google toolbar). However, visitors would be prompted to whether they want to install your anti-object object, something most people won't do (especially if it's not signed).

Cheers,

Alex

--
Gossamer Threads Inc.
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
I've just disabled all scripting in my browser and yes, you're right, Flash doesn't work anymore.

However the Google toolbar still works fine...

So I guess it depends on how this ezula thing works. If anyone of you have it, try temporarily disabling all scripting in IE (tools->internet options->security), restarting and see if TT kicks in.

- Mark

Astro-Boy!!
http://www.zip.com.au/~astroboy/
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
It works unless you have activeX turned off completely. It's tough to troubleshoot, because it's so intermittent. On some pages, the TopText works all the time, sometimes never, so getting a consistante test bed is very hard.

What we've noticed, and has been well reported is that after a refresh of the page, it disables itself. I'm 100% certain that the ezula team will fix that "bug" of theirs in a hurry.

In my testing, if I turn off activeX, eZula never works. So, the only way to really stop this crap is to find a way (hopefully, my redmond buddy will come through) to temporarily disable activeX for the current .html page being shown.

Now, I'm getting reports from my users about 3 or 4 other similar software programs, so it looks like this is going to be a serious battle......

Let the script wars begin.


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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Here is another crappy application:

http://webwarper.net/

Try the following:

http://webwarper.net/...ds.com/perl/forum/?*

-OR-

http://webwarper.net/...ww.anthrotech.com/?*

Regards,

Eliot Lee Wink
http://anthrotech.com/
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
That's so cool!!! They give you free things (supposedly called "advertisements"). They link to a product, which you can buy! That is such a cool idea. And they don't charge. I reckon that if you ask really nicely, they might give you free "advertisements" and send you them in your "email". I can't want to sign up. This is so fresh and new.

Hey - check this out - they want me - me in particular - to "warp" my modem. Woah. Hey. FOR FREE!

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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
It is actually much worse than what is stated here. Fotino, Surf+ and other products do the same thing as TopText. And the new W3C product called Amaya will even change the text, not just a color and hyperlink.

Gator is under fire for its product that can target specific URLs and replace ad banners as well.

The X10 pop under is childs play with these new products out and about.

The refresh option is OK but if you have a graphic rich page you just made a slow load even slower!

Putting a detection script on your site will work for those of you willing to redirect people away from your site to fix the issue. And then you must take into consideration that a majority of people are not going to want to or have the knowledge base to uninstall the product correctly.

Putting a script on the site that detects and disables would be good but then you would be as guilty as eZula for invading the viewers browser and CPU in general.

Making the site to where nothing could change it on any viewers browser is impossible. Heck we can't get IE and Netscape to be viewed exactly the same.

You can see that there is no simple solution. And with the ever growing market for alternative advertising, players such as eZula will continue to rake in money (based on what I have seen I would estimate around 500k per day)and the web designers and programmers will continue to be pushed down to an even lower level of income.

The KaZaA software that houses multiple scum and spyware programs (viruses)within it had almost 900,000 downloads this week alone from CNET and over 9,000,000 to date. Combined with Surf+ there is over 16,000,000 downloads to date.

This will become the bloodiest battleground that the web has seen to date. Advertisers cutthroating each other and the Webmasters and Site Owners will feel the pain brought on by this war.

The larger your site, the more target rich your environment. The more you depend on your site for income, the more you will be robbed.

Macromedia wont help, Microsoft wont help, It is up to us and others like us.

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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Hi,

I agree with most everything, except blocking, or running a script to detect altering software is _not_ an invasion of privacy. You have a right to deliver your content in a certain way -- unaltered -- and to prevent people from altering it through delivery. What the end user does with the content AFTER DELIVERY, that is open to debate, but until it's delivered "as is" or "as you intended" to the end user, such arguments need to turn back on the pirates and hijackers.

By 'jacking your content, these add on scripts can alter the impression of what a user has of your site, or even change what you are saying. That _is_ a violation of the free speech amendment, at least in the US, and this will be a bloody battle ground, since it will simply add fuel to the government's fires on "privacy" and "encryption" chips, and the like. It will actually help to bring on "Big Brother" a couple of decades late, but bring him on, none the less.

It's amazing how much damage is done by greed and selfishness.

PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Plugins:http://LinkSQL.com/plugin
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Re: Warning: "Site Altering" Software In reply to
Pugdog,

I agree with our right to deliver our sites in the manner which we program it. The issue becomes more complex though.

If you were to detect and stop that would be one answer.
If you were to detect and inform that would be another answer.
If you were to detect, inform and require repair before entering even another.

The issue here is how many hoops do you want to make your visitor/viewer jump through before they get to use your site. Some sites warrant an upscale attitude such as a high end resturant requiring a black tie or a jacket to be seated. Some/most are more like McDonalds. Come as you are, fast, easy, simple, filling.

Balancing out the sides is crucial to your marketing model. If you are after a ton of traffic then the McDonalds approach is much better. If you are after a very verticle market then maybe the high end resturant model will do the trick. But each site will have to weigh the fix for this issue against their model to see what impacts it may have on their marketing plan.

I am dead set against anyone changing what I deliver, but if I can find a way to not hinder traffic and to take away the thunder of these traffic and copyright thieves then the viewer wins and I win. If I have to slow down traffic then I lose and so does the viewer.

Balance is crucial!