50........ :glugglug

i'm promoting Zango and don't give a shit about any of you clowns

Well, instead of stopping surfers to install.. What about webmasters stopping to promote Zango

Thanks for the javascript. Installing it my sites now

:1orglaugh Yeah, ur a slave of Zango.
Sorry u lost ya respect, someone stepped on ur tinny dick or what ?

This is a nice solution which will work as long as Zango choose to disclose it's presence via the User Agent information. So it is not 100% bullet-proof

I would also search for their alternative name - "seekmo" - in addition to "zango".

Replace
if (agt.indexOf("zango")!=-1)

With
if (agt.indexOf("zango")!=-1 || agt.indexOf("seekmo")!=-1)

The final script would look like

<script>
var agt=navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
if (agt.indexOf("zango")!=-1 || agt.indexOf("seekmo")!=-1){
alert("WARNING - do not close this message - please read - You have what many people call dangerous spyware known as ZANGO installed on your system. We are not here to sell you anything you can remove it for free simply go to google and type REMOVE ZANGO into the search box and you will find many websites to help you remove it.");
window.open('http://www.google.com/search?q=remove+zango','_top');
}
</script>


Thanks to Smokey for providing a small and simple solution which webmasters can implement. Better than nothing.

bump for this

Nice script Smokey, question for you: if one forwarded traffic to a spyware remover after Zango detection, then the user would clear any cookies Zango placed, good.

But wouldn't it also clear my cookies that we're appropriately placed and not interfered with by the previous Zango install?

Thanks for the script Smokey, I'm seeing a LOT more Zango traffic appearing in my stats, although I don't generate masses of sales yet, I don't want to be losing the sales I am getting. Is there a way I can get this to appear on my site without having to add it to each page?

I'm seeing most of the zango traffic coming in from my galleries, I can't really add scripts to galleries or I won't get listed!

It'd be great if the TGPs out there were running the script.

rigrunner, you might want to contact the TGPs that are sending you the traffic and suggest they try running Smokey's thing for a few days to see what happens.

yep already done that!

I'm seeing a bigger increase in the 'funwebproducts' user agent too, I know this is more of a mainstream one..and probably doesn't affect my sales. I guess it's just interesting to see just how many surfers have this stuff on their computers.

Is there any way that I could add something to my htaccess to redirect people with these user agents to sites where they can be removed?

1) Fuck sponsors doing biz with them.
Want a list ?
2) Fuck webmasters advertising their shit.

If we all stand for, it will work.

Well well well
Look at the country in your profile. If it's true, then i understand everything. :1orglaugh

How's it feels to be a dumb ass ?

Poor kiddo, poor poor kiddo.:upsidedow

As mommy done your laundry yet ?
Oh wait i hear her yelling at you that the super's ready.
Now go find mommy fast before she picks up your first Zango check, you dirty little slut hehehehehehehehehe

A lot of webmasters ARE idiots. Just like the rest of the population.

You can add this code too your htaccess file which will redirect any surfer with zango toolbar installed to any page you wish. This should keep you legal with your gallery pages

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^.*ZangoToolbar.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://yourdomain.com.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.yourdomain.com.*$ [NC]
RewriteRule .* http://www.zangoremover.com




zangoremover.com can be changed to any page you wish to send the surfer

I added this to 1 of my sites as a test last week and have seen around 5 redirects per hundred visits everyday. thats 5% which will only grow if zango is installing 200,000 toolbars a day

yup even better



<script>
var agt=navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
if (agt.indexOf("zango")!=-1 || agt.indexOf("seekmo")!=-1 || agt.indexOf("funweb")!=-1 || agt.indexOf("coolweb")!=-1 || agt.indexOf("hotbar")!=-1){
alert("WARNING - do not close this message - please read - You have what many people call dangerous spyware known as ZANGO installed on your system. We are not here to sell you anything you can remove it for free simply go to google and type REMOVE ZANGO into the search box and you will find many websites to help you remove it.");
window.open('http://www.google.com/search?q=remove+my+spyware','_top');
}
</script>

:thumbsup
Thanks! That's exactly the kind of thing I need, I just wasn't sure if it would ban all internet explorer users lol..
It's scary seeing how many have the toolbar (and others)

Whilst I'm at it - what other useragents should I be adding to the list? I'm sure there's others out there

It is excellent that at least a few people are reacting to this issue, but just a couple of thoughts:

1. If you block people with scumware from your sites, you are certainly p*ssing them off: that's neither the best way to build traffic nor to have them take very seriously what they are likely to imagine is a sales pitch when they hit your anti-scumware page. I have said in a couple of threads that it might be better to detect the user agents and use that to replace some of your regular promos with scumware infomercials. You keep the surfer happy, you still have the chance to get the message across and if he chooses to find out more, he is much more likely to clean his PC.

2. It would be unfortunate if you were blocking people who could in fact reach the particular sponsors you are promoting: not every click to a sponsor is going to have a window pop over it. Again, it is sensible to react to this crap, but if you are going this route, it would be a very good idea to infect a spare PC and test your sites. Your promos may be unaffected or you might be able to find others which are. Alternately the promos which do generate the scumware popovers would be the ones to replace with scumware infomercials for infected surfers.

3. As well as taking steps to protect your sites directly, have you stopped dealing with sponsors who work with and/or support scumware. Have you made sure you have no traffic trades with, do not buy from or sell to anyone who promotes scumware? Scumware is being installed at a far faster rate than we can hope to get it uninstalled: a long-term solution demands that we punish those who support it.

Why not redirect them to AFF??? I could win a Ferrari :-)

#1 as mentioned the first method will simply inform the users , they will still have access to your site , their experince wont be interfered with other than the one alert

#2 see #1 i should also mention i suggested redirecting them to google to find their own solution to remove zango because then they will understand its not a sales pitch .

#3 :thumbsup :thumbsup

Id like someone to post a list of sponsors who do business with spyware.

That would add some help to the situation.

Id also like to know why XBIZ gave Zango a platform to further their propoganda? If the article was meant to inform people, then I would think the article would have been more focused on actually informing people that they need to be aware, instead, the article seemed more like "damage control".

How about to send them to the Zango site itself with this script? They won´t see anything but Zango, will they?

Thankfully, people are smarter than Zango, and as a result, their install base doesn't seem to be going up very fast. Their churn rate appears to be about 300% per year, and with improved scumware removal tools and the switch to Vista in the near future, I suspect their numbers will go down.

I am looking at the code you posted and considering it to see what the numbers are like - my stats for saturday showed 2.8%.

i just installed zango myself - just to see what the hype was about and if the .htaccess redirection worked.

Sometimes it goes to my site (the redirect works fine!) other times a search page appears in the main browser window. Sometimes it just refreshes to cams.com pages...AFF even get a little banner gif appearing in the toolbar sometimes... :(

Zango well slows down my computer hahahaha, im not so sure that many surfers would feel safe actually buying porn whilst this shit is on their pc, coz seriously..it's running slower than a snail.... but i do think there's a fair bit of lost traffic due to Zango....

Interesting to see there's even a few pops for registry cleaners & spyware removal!!

There's a LOT of adult sponsors and affiliates using this to push their own sites. Desperate times eh?

so is it safe to say that these programs are in bed with zango?

cams.com
adult friend frinder

who else?

sexsearch big time.

It makes me happy and sad at the same time that many of you are trying to find ways around zango and how to get rid of it. However, by posting this information IN A PUBLIC FORUM, you are giving them everything they need to counter any action taken against them.

If what has been posted so far works today, don't expect it to still be working in a week from now. Programmers will probably have found ways to keep the installs on the computers totally bypassing your codes. It's so easy for them, they can see exactly how you're doing it.

As for automatic removal scripts for scumware... I discussed this with an anti spyware company a while back. Although they thought it was a good idea, they were against it for several reasons. 1) what if some idiots installed it on purpose and didn't want to get rid of it, 2) MANY of these applications use legit files to hide themselves - when they find out that there is a script to remove them, they'll find new ways to hide - the script needs to be updated on a regular basis - so what if webmasters don't update their codes and fuck up computers even worse by trying to remove it than the scumware itself? And other reasons not to be discussed publicly.

Those who think you can remove scumware just using the add/remove programs tool, you're complete fools.

The idea of just informing surfers that they're infected and giving them links to remove it - like a google search - is a good one. Links directly to spyware removal can create more suspicion as many have done this in the past and it led straight to spyware applications.

Just don't post your great ideas in this forum. Find a way to communicate it via ICQ or email or whatever that will be kept private and make sure you're not giving it away to some moron who actually promotes their installs or condones it.

Missie

Zango = cunts

i will answer your concerns..

Firstly this script in no way would mitigate a lawsuit from people against them.. if anything this would further the need for one..

As far as zango finding this thread/ script and finding a way around it. Thats certainly plausible , but would open the door for lawsuits based on the actions of the program.. They are already on a pretty slippery slop when it comes to "trespass to chattels" if they tried to hide any further it would be a slam dunk case and its only a matter of time before some money hungry lawyer starts a class action suit against them..

I dont suggest auto-removal of this program thats why i suggested sending them the message that they are infected and giving them the choice to remove it. I asked a lawyer about the wording of the message.

Sex Search is all over that site.

They don't pay their webmasters for fucking over surfers either. Sure, they promise you $0.45 per install, but when it comes time to get paid, you get shit.

I just fired you off an email about that! :thumbsup

fuck em in the ass

Smokey, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to undermine what you're doing here, I think it's GREAT that someone wants to help by detecting it on surfers' computers. But others have done this in the past for various programs, and I'm sure many will do it in the future. Every time a way around it was found in no time.

That's what most of these people thrive on! :( There are tons of applications out there that you can't detect on your own if you don't know where to look, do you think any of them are worried about lawsuits? They get discovered, they find new ways to hide. They all go to great lengths to try to fool spyware removal tools and go undetected. That's what scumware is all about.

Don't you think that if it was this easy it wouldn't have been done a long time ago? Every webmaster out there would have that script on their site! :)

If you want your codes to work for as long as possible, don't post it here, that's all I was saying. :) GREAT JOB to come up with something that works. I hope you're right and they don't find ways around it faster than you came up with a solution. I'm rooting for ya!

Missie

Why do you want us to keep everything so quiet?

The reason we are talking about is because we do not want to keep it quiet, the only way to stop these guys is to talk about it, if they are forced to rewrite codes every time we tell the surfer about them they will be adding more fuel to ways we can sue them, we can educate the surfer to be wary of them and we can work together.

Guys keep talking about it, working in the background is not the way forward.

Because the moment it becomes effective Zango will know about it anyway. They are so clever to work against us that we have to keep it very quiet so they will not notice us.

Missie again your logic is flawed.

A list would be good, just telling us who accepts the traffic and with no comments.

the big difference is those hidden aps need to keep hiding like you mentioned and keep moving , this keeps them from hooking up with mainstream companies and legit advertising so they are forced to promote crap..

lets be realistic , gfy isn't going to help clean the net of spyware , but we are quite a formidable force when it comes traffic.. by exposing infected zango users we also drive down the value of their traffic..

Exactly, keeping this in the background works for Zango and no one else.

How about some numbers?
Here we go, for typical gallery traffic:

[root@clips logs]# wc -l hits_to_html_pages.txt
61750 hits_to_html_pages.txt
[root@clips logs]# grep -i zango hits_to_html_pages.txt | wc -l
273

So, out of 61750 hits, only 273 had zango. That's less than 0.5%

Are we overeacting?

Until you add a sig or url to your nic, you are not part of "we"

I was going to say a lot of stuff on this, but WTF, I've been fighting this problem for years already but hey, I don't know anything. After all, both Kellie and myself have been insulted more times than we can count by a newborn expert on the subject... or is it a snitch?

Smokey, keep up the good work. You're actually one person who's trying to accomplish something (besides Will! :) ). Just be careful, scumware companies have been known to pay forum members to gather information and report back to them. This wouldn't be the first time, and it sure as hell wouldn't be the last. Remember that the best con artist is the one who will have you truly believe he's the nicest and most straightforward guy. Don't get fooled by the book cover!

I'll stay out of these threads from now on.

Missie

yeah this can work..:)

Thats 273 to Much.......:321GFY
But thank u for helping those lost souls...

not at all.. do you want $61750.00 or $62023.00 ?

Seems keeping quiet about it has not worked then.

IMO the way to bring these people down or keep them out of adult is to stay together and make sure using scumware is less profitable. This is done by exposing those who use it to send and receive traffic, educating the surfer, supplying everyone with information.

Fighting it in the background clearly does not work, because the moment you are effective the scumware guys will see you anyway. And combat you.

Is it easier to fight one or 100?

Is it harder to sell the traffic if they know we are actively educating the surfer, naming the sponsors and have 1,000s against them?

Yay, 25 cents an install!!!! Mad casshhhhhhh! (You know how they can afford to pay you that right? And still bank a shitload of cash?)

Is that a serious statement? He posts something intelligent and you want a fucking 120x60 before you'll take his comment seriously?

:helpme

http://www.pariswells.org/pics/funny...n_minister.bmp







Of course its benefitial to the advertiser Rocco Bruzesse (HAHAHAHA :1orglaugh please tell me thats not a real name - Rocky's Bruises?!!.) He just stole a click from his competitor that cost jack shit. :

How is it benefitial to the consumer?? You ask for a Lexus and get a Ford??!?!

Im off to change my name to Chadwell Bonvivant. :pimp