SDHelper - is it an ad blocker now??

[SirDracula]

Well, if you look at the attached file in post #1 in this thread, you will see that some URL's are mistakenly identified as trojans.

And being prompted all the time for the same URL is not a good solution. Even if you set SDHelper to remember the answer, it won't work because it's not domain based, it's URL based and these URL's are random most of the time. So the blocking is done by domain and then my allow list is by URL (with query params ignored) - hmm, something doesn't sound like it was thought out well ...

[PepiMK]

I see a lot of "blacklisted URLs" referenced, but not a single trojan?

Also, the blocking isn't done by domain, but by URL - as the log says?

Anyway, there's a small checkbox to ignore query parameters. And if I'm not mistaken, there's even a bug reported and a beta with a fix available in the project tools.

Sounds more like your post wasn't thought out well?

[SirDracula]

I see a lot of "blacklisted URLs" referenced, but not a single trojan?

/TagASaurus - this is listed as a Trojan in Spybot's lists that I can see via the UI.

Also, the blocking isn't done by domain, but by URL - as the log says?

So you're telling me that all those *random* URL's are explicitly listed in the Spybot blacklists? Wow!

Anyway, there's a small checkbox to ignore query parameters.

That doesn't work well because what's before the query params is fairly random. An option to use just the domain would be a lot more useful.

[SirDracula]

So what is the word on this? I still have problems with the Yahoo sites (mail in particular) with the option "Use Resident in IE" enabled in TeaTimer.

I attached a screenshot of an URL that's not justified to block as spyware and also the entry from the log file.

11/13/2007 9:31:02 AM  Blocked HTTP://VIEW.ATDMT.COM/CNT/IVIEW/YHXX...4317934/R=0/*: /Avenue A, Inc. (Blacklisted URL)

What's the fix for this?

[PepiMK]

Use the options (IE menu) to set SDHelper to ask instead of block with a warning, and when asked the first time for this cookie you might need, set it to "Always remember" (pulldown box), and make sure "Ignore parameters" is checked, then click Allow.

[SirDracula]

Use the options (IE menu) to set SDHelper to ask instead of block with a warning, and when asked the first time for this cookie you might need, set it to "Always remember" (pulldown box), and make sure "Ignore parameters" is checked, then click Allow.

As I said before, this does NOT work, because the URL has random strings BEFORE the query parameters, so even if you ignore the parameters the URL would still look different every time you visit the page, in effect ending up with a lot of useless exceptions that will never be used again.

Why don't you try it to see what is happening?

Here's such an URL (again):

http://view.atdmt.com/CNT/IVIEW/YHXX...4317934/R=0/*:

[md usa spybot fan]

SirDracula:

Avenue A:

From:

• Avenue A/Razorfish
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_A/Razorfish

Spyware Controversy

As part of their digital advertising service, Atlas, a sister company of Avenue A | Razorfish, writes cookies to users' machines that are used to track their non-personally identifiable data and behavior to allow delivery of targeted advertising. These cookies are or have been listed by several spyware removal programs including Spybot, [3] the Computer Associates Spyware Information Center[4] and the Scan Spyware online spyware removal tool. [5] The Avenue A | Razorfish privacy notice indicates that the company "may collect information about user interaction with client Web sites and provide that information and our analysis to the client" and the type of information that is collected is not specified. [6]. Avenue A | Razorfish directs users that are concerned about how Avenue A clients might use information they collect to the privacy policies of their clients' websites. [7]

[SirDracula]

The point is I cannot use Yahoo Mail with SDHelper enabled and I cannot add an exception for such an URL. The only solution so far was to disable SDHelper completely.

[SirDracula]

One more try ...

PepiMK - are you doing anything about this? Nobody else has the same problem with the new Yahoo Mail with SDHelper enabled??

[PepiMK]

Have you seen these?
[SDHelper] Better separation between cookies and domains/URLs
[SDHelper] Remember decisions for whole domains

I've been using the new Yahoo Mail myself recently (playing with the sync features), haven't noticed any problems, but can't remember whether I was actually using Internet Explorer, or Firefox or Safari.