FLIGHTSIM HAS SPYWARE!!!!!

[Guest TimD]

Cookies are an every day fact of life in Internet browsing, and really are a necessity to bring all of the features of your web browser forward. For the most part they are not only harmless, but a great time saver for you. The one used by Avsim is a classic example of this kind of cookie. To just automatically erase them, or consider all cookies universally evil is, quite frankly, a bit paranoid IMHO. :-spacecraftThere are unscrupulous people out there lurking about the Internet. The most insidious spyware programs are much more powerful than what you mention here, and could never accomplish their task by using the cookie feature of your web browser.I detest spyware too, and my best suggestion is to run scheduled scans with the Lavasoft AdAware program, or comparable spyware removal utility. That is really the best and only way to keep your system free of spyware. [link:www.fsheartland.net]http://www.fsheartland.net/images/Heartland_sig.gif

[Guest]

Basicly, Usually your Browser is set as security to Accept cookies from the site you are visiting and give a warning when they are from a third party site within the site you are visiting. Cookies usually just keep track of who you are when you register for a site, and also with some ad programs are used to track the referal, like what page you were on when you clicked the advert. Third party cookies are on Flight sim because they utilize a Advert Network! They pretty much collect your Browser History. Any site you go on that has that third paty advert will keep a collection of your Browsing history. Its really not a drastic thing but has put alloot of issues about PRIVACY. I believe the Government has came to a conclusion and the entity (forgot which one it is) had made a deal from lawsuits that came about that a person could opt out from ever being able to be tracked.I'm sure there are still people that are not going about this the legal way, but as people have said, it takes a minute to clear your cookies, and with the cookies cleared each hour or day, makes it hard for the advertising company to use your browser history for their marketing purposes.Anyway! If you do searches about cookies and issues reagarding Privacy, I think you would get a better understanding.Spyware really comes from software you download for free, there are some that have it and most that don't. Heck.... Netscape is the worst for spyware, they install Net2Phone on your computer and it is one heck of a spyware program. Morpheus is another and much much more. Thats what you really have to worry about, not the simple advert cookie but the programs you install.See ya, have a good day everyone.Mitch HendricksonFSGateway Chief IT

[Guest]

>Ive recently come over from Flightsim.com where Ive spent >the past 6-7 years surfing and in all that time have never >had spyware on my system. Until the last 2 weeks. >>In trying to get onto AVSIM to initiate the RTW challenge, I >had immense difficulties in getting DC forum to work, even >though it works fine at FS.com. To overcome my problems I >had to enable cookies. Just after seeing this thread I iust >ran Adaware one more time and to my utter surprise found 6 >spyware files sitting on my C drive. >>I wonder if there is a way around having to initiate cookies >and still use this forum? If so, it may help solve many >peoples spyware problems. Actually, Your signature is giving me a cookie warning. hehe. Which really is harmless and hardly considered spyware.

[Guest DreamFleet]

Welcome to the Internet. I guess someone just discovered cookies.Otherwise, I'll just copy this thread to Nels Anderson at FlightSim.com, so he can see the latest that is being reported here:"FLIGHTSIM.COM HAS SPYWARE" (As stated in the originating post)Yeah, and there is a bridge I would like to sell you, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn! ;-)The thought of Nels Anderson, FlightSim.com and spyware is perhaps the most offensive thing I have ever heard concerning a good friend, real pilot, and a VERY reputable web site.I won't even waste my time defending FlightSim.com, I'll just pass this thread on to Nels, and perhaps he will get a good :-lol out of the original post. I guess in the end, Nels might love all the publicity he is getting here.Or as the saying goes: "I don't care what you say about me, just spell my name right!""FLIGHTSIM.COM"Yup, he spelled it right! ;-)Hmmmmmm.... let's give Nels a little more publicity, eh?http://www.flightsim.com/headline/welc-to.gifhttp://www.flightsim.com/wbicons/title2.gifTop 100 Downloads For Jul 20Total Downloads: 30552 filesTotal Download Size: 63361241462 bytesTotal Different Files: 10749 filesRegards,http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F..._FORUM_LOU4.jpg

[Guest]

n/t

[Guest SoarPics]

Wow, Lou, if I ever find myself in a gunfight I want you on my side :-beerchug .The original post was, if nothing else, humorous in a simple sort of way. At any rate, have a virtual one... shaken, not stirred. :-) Regards,

[Guest]

Well i for one didnt know much about spyware other than it exsisted. All this chatter made me go and download ADAWARE and i found 37 suspicious files most of them cookies and most of them related to GATOR which i thought i had uninstalled a long time ago. Just goes to show that what you dont know can hurt you!

[Guest Matt Johnson]

>Welcome to the Internet. I guess someone just discovered >cookies. >>The thought of Nels Anderson, FlightSim.com and spyware is >perhaps the most offensive thing I have ever heard >concerning a good friend, real pilot, and a VERY reputable >web site. For what it's worth, Lou, we agree. You may (or may not, I don't know how diligent you are at reading these threads) notice that we aren't exactly pleased either, since AVSIM (and any site which uses cookies) is tarred with the same brush.As I've said many times before, and I'll no doubt say many times again, while AVSIM and FS.Com might disagree on how we operate, we do want each other to operate, and I agree in saying any slight to FS.Com in this sense is, well, offensive.>Hmmmmmm.... let's give Nels a little more publicity, eh? You know I could ticket you for advertising your site here, since you just breached our terms of use?>Top 100 Downloads For Jul 20 >Total Downloads: 30552 files >Total Download Size: 63361241462 bytes >Total Different Files: 10749 files Oh, so we're playing that game are we?July 20thTotal Downloads: 27400 filesTotal Download Size: 69125275648 bytesPlease feel free to verify this by visiting our Library Statistics page.Time to stop kidding yourself maybe, Lou? --M