Tools for Web
surfers sink pop-up ads, spyware
by Alan Zisman (c) 2003 First published in
Business in Vancouver ,
Issue #706 May 6-12, 2003 High Tech Office column
We all
want a bargain, and the best bargain is something for nothing. There
is a lot of useful stuff online available that is truly free,
including the free graphics software I looked at in BIV Issue
699 or the wide variety of open source programs. But computer
programmers must pay the rent so a lot of what appears to be free
really comes with a hidden price tag.
We tend to take
advertising for granted. Radio and television ads let us view
otherwise free broadcasting. Most Net surfers were happy enough to put
up with ads on the tops of Web pages. But they were too easily ignored
for many advertisers, who were disappointed by the low rate of
click-through, or people clicking on ads to view the advertisers' Web
pages.
Web ad
campaigns escalated, replacing subtle banner ads with larger ads
placed right in the body of text. And some advertisers turned to
pop-over and pop-under ads. Those ads automatically opened up in their
own windows, forcing readers to physically close them in order to get
to the Web page they really wanted to view. Reader Mark Greene
of Pacific Controls Ltd. complained: "Those annoying pop-up ads
all too common nowadays. And not just the pop-ups that occur when you
log onto a Web site. I seem to have pop-ups hidden on my hard drive,
or in my system tray or registry, that pop up regularly and very
annoyingly."
New-generation
Web browsers - including the latest versions of Netscape, the
open-source Mozilla, and Apple's new Safari - all
include options to control these pop-up windows. Overwhelming browser
favourite Internet Explorer (with an estimated 96-per-cent market
share) lacks this feature. However, it can be added to Explorer. Symantec's
Internet Security Suite 2003 (looked at in Issue 700) includes it as
one of its many features. There are also lots of free or shareware
pop-up stoppers. I like the free Popup Manager (www.endpopups.com).
Some free
programs, such as the popular Eudora Mail and Opera Web
browser, add ads that appear while the program is running. In many
cases, you can purchase an ad-free version. Some adware also adds
spyware. These hidden programs watch how you use your computer and
what Web sites you visit, reporting back so that you receive ads
targeted to your surfing habits.
In some cases,
installing free software also installs spyware even if no ads appear
in the program. The spyware lurks in the background, sending out
reports on your activities. In some cases, spyware may change your
browser's home page or, as Mr. Greene noticed, display unexpected ads
on your screen. Because it is running all the time, spyware saps
system resources and performance, and may contribute to browser or even
operating system instability and crashes.
You formally
gave permission for this when you clicked OK at the screen that
flashed the long software licence text while installing that free
program. But how many of us actually read those software licence
agreements? And in some cases, spyware is automatically downloaded and
installed simply by clicking on a Web ad, such as the ones that
pretend to be system error messages. Things you can do:
-Make sure your
Explorer security is set at least to medium level so that nothing will
be secretly downloaded and installed. (Click Tools, then Internet
Options, then the Security tab.)
-If you or your
teen use file sharing programs, replace spyware-laden KaZaa
with the spyware-free KaZaa Lite (www.kazaalite.com). Replace other adware with
the paid versions.
-Check your
system with Spybot Search and Destroy (http://security.kolla.de/).
Note that in many cases, removing spyware makes the "free" application
stop working. (Like Popup Manager, Spybot is free. If you use
them, consider a donation.)