I have had no such problems thus far.. I cross my fingers.. I visit here daily, so I rarely go beyond page #1...
Bill in SC

I've been way past page four and I haven't come across your problem.

*Keeps fingers crossed*

I have a great many problems with iVillage, but worms are viruses aren't part of the problem. A virus or worm that nobody else gets seems unlikely, but I don't know your setup so maybe its possible. My only problems are the constant instrusive advertising efforts, which I have managed to turn off for now using Firefix features, and the stupid new layout, which I have somewhat improved using a Firefox extension, but still everything gets crammed over to the left.

Spyware.Marketscore is a manually installed program, not caught from browsing the web. Often it claims to be an internet accelerator to get you to install it. It may actually improve your internet speed, but it also does other stuff.

Have you got kids? I find that they are by far the greatest source of viruses, on and off the computer :)

No problems here. Is anyone else using your computer?

Dawn

I, too, hate the new layout. The ads are just way too much! Especially in the gallery when I'm trying to view everyone's beautiful plants. I'd like to have the forum the way it used to be!
Amy

No problems here but I use a Mac! Switched 4 years ago, couldn't take working to keep all the viruses,spyware,worms,trojans out anymore.

Tom

i'm sorry, i guess i didnt explain myself well. Yes, marketscore was downloaded via some program/whatever...i discovered it because of problems i encountered while at GW (and only here, oddly enuff). it has been removed from my pc.
as for yesterday: i *updated and ran* Norton Antivirus, Lavasoft Adaware, SpyDetector - all three before arriving at my first stop: here. i read posts, visited many links contained in the posts on pages 1-4. by the time i got to page 5 my pc was off the hook. i stopped and re-ran SpyDetector...it showed that in the time i was surfing here, I had picked up 189 worms - of all types, way too many of the 'high threat' variety. I feel certain it must have been from one/some of the links i hit...obviously most of those would have been info sites (like the one MBT provided on kalanchoes, et al) and photo sharing sites -- i suspect this may be the culprit ('child exploit' is a red flag that says photos to my mind), but **i simply do not know**.
As for GW itself: first, i must say that it is this site alone that i run into the greatest problems; i am not a techie and cannot explain why. Generally speaking, I have had the same issues that shrubs described. diligent "clean, surf, clean" has taught me that there are LOTS of bugs on this site now...even with 'free' adaware program, i never picked up less than 6. i have a nice pc, use cable modem - i expect to run quickly; since Ivill took over I always have problems with pages loading slowly, etc - i must clean my pc when i leave or i carry the problem with me to other sites.
what spyware removal programs are you using?
have you "cleaned, surfed, cleaned" around a visit here? what is your program showing? i just bought SD, specifically to address 'the marketscore issue'; however if there is a better program out there i would sure be willing to give it a go.
i hate this. i used to spend hours whiling away my time here...now i can barely lurk...and i do not enjoy the experience at all.

As a side note: shrubs, i did not install it manually - it was embedded in some other program i installed (and i think i know who! any online poker players in this crowd? got interesting info on that too). i did alot of research on marketscore when i found out i had it. while it is true that they *claim* to be an accelerator - they certainly are not. in fact just the opposite is true. it hijacks your internet connection and runs every keystroke via their software - significantly slowing your connection down! it put email spies on my pc so they could read my mail for craps sake! big brother is alive and well inside our pc's! (and one of his minions is the VillageIdiot, or so i have come to believe) Sorry. Sorry for the rant, i am frustrated at this point.
now that i have said so much Ivill will probably delete this thread. i hope not. for me, the whole point is to learn what others are experiencing and how others are fixing the problem...i would like to continue visiting this site.

Well I've never known any other site design, but as shrubs n bulbs said...firefox is good. Use it instead of internet expl. it has great extentions and the adds can be blocked in 90% of the cases...plus i am only ever at the forum pages, so have not come across other things...use avg virus protection, its free and it has regular updates for bugs...plus my wife works in I.T. so I have my own oncall help person!!!
But seriously, if no-one else has trouble, then you have to be getting them else where - asked the wife - so change your computer setup and monitor who else uses your machine!
Wazzimodo

Wazz -
thank you for your reply.
i live alone, no one else uses my pc. as to yesterday's problem: there can be no doubt that i picked up 189 worms while surfing here...it was the first and only place i'd been since cleaning my system. (and i have added no new programs)
i am curious...what would your wife suggest changing on my set up? specifically, so that it addresses the problem i am having. and please explain how a new monitor would aid in this. (i am a total pc dummy, so you will have to be plain spoken for me to understand it.) please ask your wife for me: is it possible to click on a link (like to a photo sharing site) and have that site load you with a bunch of spies/worms?
I am thinking of just completely scrubbing my pc and reloading the system. does she think this would help? and if i go thru this trouble, would i not just pick up the same problems, if i visit the same sites? i do not do "joke" sites, porn sites, or even shopping sites - except for garden-related of course.
as to me being the only one, i have "talked" with many other people on different GW forums who have had many of the same problems.
also, apparently i had marketscore on my system for weeks/months without knowing it. As I have learned in the past week, many spywares are designed to avoid detection. Norton did not pick it up for some time - i *assume* that is because it was not in their database at the time...Adaware and Spybot never picked it up. As i discovered (on the link provided in my original post) all spyware removal tools ARE NOT created equal. it is quite possible (even probably, i think) for one to have spyware on one's system and not be aware of it. Apparently i was catching part but (obviously) not all of it.
Not to be rude or anything, but i think it would be strange for any long time surfer here NOT to notice the slow down in pages loading, with all the new adv that has been added. (just one example: i cleaned my pc before arriving here now - when i first arrived, i had NO ads on the page, in the course of time it took me to write this, i have picked up cookies that allow the adv on the right to set and appear - low levels ones no doubt, still aggravating.)

please understand: i do not mean to sound snappish, tho i may sound pointed - i have been dealing with this "unawaredly" for months and "awaredly" for about a week. I am seeking answers....
any help is appreciated!
Jo

I think I can interpret the sentence "so change your computer setup and monitor who else uses your machine" for you. Read it as "change your computer setup" and a separate piece of advice "monitor who else uses your machine" :)

It is possible to click on a link and have a website load a worm onto your machine without you even seeing it. That could be from a mailicious website or it could be from a website that has itself been compromised by a worm. This is most likely to happen using Internet Explorer because of security flaws, and also when using a recent Windows operating system like XP, again because of security flaws. You can reduce your risk by loading all the available security updates. Personally I don't use Internet Explorer at all, partly because of the security risks. I would be very surprised if GW itself was loading anything other than cookies onto your computer, but maybe it is. The complexity of even some of the advertising means that a program can be embedded in a banner ad that comes from a third party.

Other steps you can take include turning on, or off, all the relevant networking features that you as a home user don't need. This includes your firewall which you might have builtin with XP, or can get as a separate program. Nobody should be surfing without a firewall. Many of these changes were made automatically within the large Windows XP SP2 release.

Other things to be aware of are any free program that you install may include at the very least some form of spyware which may not be treated as a virus. Some programs that you pay for may even install features that you wouldn't want and might be contacting remote sites for various reasons. Your firewall is your friend, be very cautious about which programs you allow through the firewall.

"change your computer setup and monitor who"...

yes, shrubs, your interpretation makes much more sense! LOL (dope slaps self!)

i do use IE now - first time i've ever used it, you're the first to mention security problems with it. used to use netscape...perhaps i should return? firefox is a browser?
I do use XP but keep all the security updates current, and I do have a firewall.

i am wondering now if one of the links i visited yesterday might have been "compromised" - this seems likely to me.

thank you so much for your input, shrubs! i do agree it seems unlikely GW would put 'bad' stuff on their site - would be conterproductive to cause problems with your clients; but i visit 3 forums and this is the only one i have 'real' problems with...i cannot explain why.

I am an old fart, shrubs, and just dont do the kind of surfing that my kids did when at home. that is why this has been so frustrating and one reason it is easier to pinpoint when a change happens (like yesterday). I do spend a lot ALOT of time on my pc and it is important to me, i really want to resolve this problem - at least as far as it can be in this internet environment. and i really want to be able to lurk here safely.

i switched back to netscape...it's a new version. i notice it has firefox 'controls' now. wow! already i feel more, er...empowered!
thank you for bringing this to my attention.

Jo

(LOL! everything is scrunched to the left side - wierd)

sjv,
It sounds like you need a firewall to help prevent intrusion. Sometimes programs can be automatically installed without your knowledge. Using Windows XP, you can set up users that do not have access to download programs. You can use those users to surf the web, and then password protect your administrator account thereby preventing anyone from downloading anything onto your computer. Along with a firewall, and antivirus protection, you and your computer will be well protected.

The ads do seem a bit out of control. I wandered away for a few years, and seems to me they've completely sold out.

C'mon, a shampoo ad in a cactus forum? I'm sure we all went straight for that right?

As if that's not enticing enough, I can click on another-other AD and sign up for this righteous credit card! (If yall are as curious as I was, it's under the shampoo ad, just between the dvd AD and the yahoo AD, but you'll have to wait until the ivillage AD finishes floating to really appreciate it)

I did actually have a question, maybe it'll come back to me later.

What about those ads that flash from red to green to purple to yellow. "CLICK HERE TO CLAIM YOUR FREE PRIZE" or the XP bubble-circus themed pop-ups that ask "DO YOU GET ANNOYING POP-UPS? CLICK HERE TO SCAN" jimminy cricket man. thanks for letting me ramble

VvDO - i do have firewall and antivirus protection -- one reason why this whole experience has been so frustrating.

underdog -- yes the adv is very intrusive and aggravating! feel free to rant against the machine! btw - where in tx are you? austin here.

switching from IE to Netscape seems to be helping alot with the whole adv thing - now if i can get the worm thang under control!

i appreciate all your input folks!

I am not having any problems at all, I had a PC professional come in and set me up. I've stopped most everyting coming in. Block that worms, bug, virus, etc. I thin I using three different systems to keep my PC free of all of this, I also have a blocker to protect all of you, my mail is checked before it goes out. I use Norton Utilities as one, it is checked every few days to delete any problems. If you need some help I'll give you my pros email address and he may be able to walk you through and tell you what you need to have installed. Norma

way up here in the NE corner near greenville/canton/sulphur springs. i have family in your area. interesting place, Austin is.
RATM, haha awesome.

personally, i always found the bridge trick to be most gratifying. you simply carry the computer (keyboard and all) to an area elevated over a large body of water. carefully examine the desired point of impact. consider variable wind gusts as you may wish to avoid disasterous collisions with birds in flight, low-flying aircraft and perhaps the occaisional jetski at ground zero. it's an old programmer trick i picked up in class so i won't take credit. BAM. no more worms, no more animated "REFINANCE NOW! CLICK YOUR STATE" pop-ups, no more.. well you get the idea. =]

Seriously, in regard to your worm problem, check this one called "Hijack This". (scans your drive and generates a log of what it discovers) I haven't used it, but from my perspective it seems reputable in comparison to 'other'wares.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html

Okay, Mozilla, FireFox = NO ADS.

Internet Explorer= ads all over your face, your screen, your whatsomever.

I, myself, found my pc inundated with junk and very distressing diseases. Regularly. I first thought that the places my son was visiting was suppling all this destressing stuff, but he has been blocked from my computer for nearly a year now.

Adaware is NOT what you think it is. It does alerts, but it DOES NOT BLOCK in my experience.

I use a program, NoAdWare, a one time fee, and my computer is clean, clean, clean. I DO have to stay on top of upgrades, alerts, and paying attention to maintenance.

I don't find New GW much different than Old GW, which I have been a Fond and Frequent member of since 1997.

Think outside of the box. The IE, MS box, that is!

Do some research, and Find Out For YOURSELF what will work for you! Many suggestions have been made here. Ones that work. My biggest suggestion to you is to install Mozilla/FireFox as your browser. Say bye-bye to irritating ads, and popup blitzes.

I just downloaded a copy myself, and while it seems to consume more resources, FireFox seems to be a slick web browser. Animations seem to render much smoother, built-in popup blocker, document formating seems to vary only slightly from msie and supports popular plugins so all around good stuff! Thanks.

We shouldn't have to lock our computers up to surf the Web. Firefox sounds like a great start but it's likely your system may still be vulnerable as these intrusions may have affected registry keys outside of msie to initiate malware at start-up. Years ago on the IBM, I ran with a firewall called 'black ice'. I recommend doing some diligent research on both 'hijack this' and 'black ice' if you're still kicking air after you give firefox a good run, so thanks Cena for bringing that back to attention.

dufflebag - i also use Norton and had always had great confidence in it. disappointed it didnt pick up marketscore. and even expensive calls with their support staff didnt get it resolved. i have always been told that one needs at least 2-3 removal tools to get *everything*. thought i was protected w/firewall and norton, then adaware and spybot to remove what they didnt catch. spybot is now bye-bye, i've come to believe it is worthless, despite PCWorld/RoadRunner recommendations. adaware will probably be upgraded to paid version or traded, maybe 'hijack this'?

underdog - my aunt and uncle used to live in greenville - my maternal family from the stephenville area.
this worm biz has made me want to use that bridge trick several times LOL! i will check out the site - thanks. so far i am fairly pleased w/SpyDetector, but havent had it long. i like the design of the program - lots of detail on everything. it found/removed tons of junk attached to my registry keys! i am thinking i will scrub and reload os just to make sure. what a pain this has been!

am quite pleased so far with the change back to Netscape - *much* better at blocking 'the obnoxious' than IE was. I see their new version uses firefox controls for security. If I continue having issues i may try the FireFox.

Cena -
"Think outside of the box. The IE, MS box, that is!
Do some research, and Find Out For YOURSELF what will work for you!"

geesh! feel better now?
did you go to the link i provided in my first post? does "do research" and "find out for yourself" include asking questions of others you think might be able to help?

as a matter of record: my bro (a pro) gave me my first pc and had netscape as the browser - No problems. last x-mas my son upgraded lots of the hardware and the os to xp and set me up on IE, which i had never used, never heard was less secure than netscape/others - guess i just learned the hard way tho. since my brother recently had a heart attack i chose not to consult with him about this problem and try to handle it myself.

I Appreciate The Help I Have Received Here!
Jo

dufflebag - i also use Norton and had always had great confidence in it. disappointed it didnt pick up marketscore. and even expensive calls with their support staff didnt get it resolved. i have always been told that one needs at least 2-3 removal tools to get *everything*. thought i was protected w/firewall and norton, then adaware and spybot to remove what they didnt catch. spybot is now bye-bye, i've come to believe it is worthless, despite PCWorld/RoadRunner recommendations. adaware will probably be upgraded to paid version or traded, maybe 'hijack this'?

underdog - my aunt and uncle used to live in greenville - my maternal family from the stephenville area.
this worm biz has made me want to use that bridge trick several times LOL! i will check out the site - thanks. so far i am fairly pleased w/SpyDetector, but havent had it long. i like the design of the program - lots of detail on everything. it found/removed tons of junk attached to my registry keys! i am thinking i will scrub and reload os just to make sure. what a pain this has been!

am quite pleased so far with the change back to Netscape - *much* better at blocking 'the obnoxious' than IE was. I see their new version uses firefox controls for security. If I continue having issues i may try the FireFox.

Cena -
"Think outside of the box. The IE, MS box, that is!
Do some research, and Find Out For YOURSELF what will work for you!"
geesh! feel better now?
did you go to the link i provided in my first post? does "do research" and "find out for yourself" include asking questions of others you think might be able to help?

as a matter of record: my bro (a pro) gave me my first pc and had netscape as the browser - No problems. last x-mas my son upgraded lots of the hardware and the os to xp and set me up on IE, which i had never used, never heard was less secure than netscape/others - guess i just learned the hard way tho. since my brother recently had a heart attack i chose not to consult with him about this problem and try to handle it myself.

I Appreciate The Help I Have Received Here!
Jo

Well it seems that with all our help you should be able to sort out your machine! I know a huge fuss is made over hackers getting into computer systems, but now you see why they do it. The internet is dominated by a computer program/s and a company that has put out a flawed product and expects everyone to suck the big one themselves if something is wrong with it. I have always used programs that have nothing to do with the big corporate softeware giants and have never had spyware, virus or other problems (touch wood ;-)) that sound as bad as yours...as for my wifes advice 'format c' and use firefox!!! Get someone in who knows what they are doing to fix the problems by reformatting your hard drive, don't let them install any unecessary programs...like IE. Use firefox and get the same person to set it up so you don't pick up extra junk, use the firewall, adblock etc.
Finally, be very careful on which links you choose to look at, there are so many bogus ones out there.
As for people complaining about ads...what ads? I don't see them...Yay for firefox!!!
Wazzimodo

I don't know if the latest Netscape (Firefox in a Netscape wrapper) supports these extensions, but I find Adblock and RemoveItPermanently to be valuable ways of controlling unwanted content. In Firefox, you can get them by clicking Tools->Extensions, then click Get More Extensions and it will take you to the page where you can get them.

Adblock is good for blocking common ads such as doubleclick from any site that uses them. RemoveItPermanently is good for removing the annoying parts of a particular page. For example, it comes with a builtin filter for blocking the non-content parts of Yahoo pages. Firefox (and Netscape I think) also includes good methods for blocking popups and these should automatically kick in and ask you the first time a popup appears.

Chris Pederick's Firefox Toolbar Extension has become a very popular add-on facility. It is a quick and easy -- and free -- download and installation. I provide further information with a download link at http://jp29.org/

James

Of course, as annoying as the display ads and pop-ups may be be to us, they are the life blood of the Forum owners. If we all block them, the Forum will disappear.

James

The worst ones are the ads that march across the screen when your mouse so much as hovers near the ad!
And they have a 'click to close' thing on them, but if you click Im sure it sends your IP address, sems too dodgy to me.

I did a search on 'advertising rant' which turned up this thread! I had wondered if I was the only who stayed away from the forums due to tthe intrusive ad videos.
I've learned a lot on this thread, so one thing, I'll switch to Firefox and see how that works.
re James: many sites have ads -off to the side. This is the only place I've been that has ad videos which march across the screen every time one switches forums.
I've been wondering why people don't leave the forums in droves to protest.
Maybe there is some place we could send this whole thread to which is an administrator?

ellen

Hi Ellen,

The regular place for things like this thread is at Other Forums, Suggestions & Comments, which was just deluged w/ all this when IV first took over GW. They were/are read by a couple of IV people (not sure if they're considered administrators or not).

This seem to have calmed down a lot since then.

"This seem to have calmed down a lot since then."
well, that is true...but then, you'll have to admit, that the whole joint is, umm, dead-like these days. many have just moved on. i suspect alot are like me and just lurk now.
the village idiots ruined this place, i seriously doubt it will regain its former glory. a shame too.
jo

Maybe I should re-phrase, I meant things have calmed down a lot in terms of folks having these massive technical problems.

But yes, it's certainly not the hopping place it was before, lots of folks have left &/or moved on to TGF. I pop in there once in a while, but don't really care for it, esp. not how one navigates the site.

I think aside from the technical problems, what made so many leave in droves was the threat to their pictures.

I do still miss many of the folks who've left, their comraderie & their pix!

I was told not to down load all of the so called freebee offers. Most of those are traps, I call up my pro before I download anything, and it keeps me out of trouble.

I'm just not that savy as the rest of you, and don't try to be.