Can You Answer These Twelve Internet Security Questions?

[David_B]

"Many dangers abound in the online world. You've probably heard about
computer viruses, spam and spyware. Maybe you have Norton or McAfee, and
you feel safe. But do me a favor... take a minute to read over the
twelve questions below. If you can't answer ALL of them confidently,
your privacy and the security of the files on your computer may be at
risk in ways you never imagined."

http://askbobrankin.com/ABR-security-offer-ABR.html?awt_l=IHEtl&awt_m=IzInNXqQA8P6SL

Views welcomed on Bob Rankin's newest product!

Quite thought-provoking, IMO! :-)

[Aardvark]

If this Rankin guy is such a fucking expert, why doesn't he have a web-
page that loads, cunt?

Definitely not a recommendation.



--
"Tell me, truthfully, do *you* download music from The Pirate Bay for
your personal use and listening pleasure?"
Clever guy BD in post <gLidnTjP2tgGPy7S...@bt.com>

[FromTheRafters]

Aardvark wrote:
> On Fri, 25 May 2012 13:11:57 +0100, David_B wrote:
>
>> "Many dangers abound in the online world. You've probably heard about
>> computer viruses, spam and spyware. Maybe you have Norton or McAfee, and
>> you feel safe. But do me a favor... take a minute to read over the
>> twelve questions below. If you can't answer ALL of them confidently,
>> your privacy and the security of the files on your computer may be at
>> risk in ways you never imagined."
>>
>> http://askbobrankin.com/ABR-security-offer-ABR.html?
>> awt_l=IHEtl&awt_m=IzInNXqQA8P6SL
>>
>> Views welcomed on Bob Rankin's newest product!
>>
>> Quite thought-provoking, IMO! :-)
>
> If this Rankin guy is such a fucking expert, why doesn't he have a web-
> page that loads, cunt?
>
> Definitely not a recommendation.
>

I tried earlier and was too impatient to wait for it to load in IE. I
just figured it was him answering questions posted to him in a forum or
in blog comments - he's actually pretty good, but I figured I'm not
missing much.

Just tried it again in SM and it snapped right on like it was waiting
for me. Perhaps SM does pre-rendering in newsgroups?

Anyway, it's a link to a spiel about his book on online privacy and
security.

[Aardvark]

On Fri, 25 May 2012 10:05:08 -0400, FromTheRafters wrote:

> Aardvark wrote:
>> On Fri, 25 May 2012 13:11:57 +0100, David_B wrote:
>>
>>> "Many dangers abound in the online world. You've probably heard about
>>> computer viruses, spam and spyware. Maybe you have Norton or McAfee,
>>> and you feel safe. But do me a favor... take a minute to read over the
>>> twelve questions below. If you can't answer ALL of them confidently,
>>> your privacy and the security of the files on your computer may be at
>>> risk in ways you never imagined."
>>>
>>> http://askbobrankin.com/ABR-security-offer-ABR.html?
>>> awt_l=IHEtl&awt_m=IzInNXqQA8P6SL
>>>
>>> Views welcomed on Bob Rankin's newest product!
>>>
>>> Quite thought-provoking, IMO! :-)
>>
>> If this Rankin guy is such a fucking expert, why doesn't he have a web-
>> page that loads, cunt?
>>
>> Definitely not a recommendation.
>>
> I tried earlier and was too impatient to wait for it to load in IE. I
> just figured it was him answering questions posted to him in a forum or
> in blog comments - he's actually pretty good, but I figured I'm not
> missing much.

I agree. My process of thought was much the same as yours.

>
> Just tried it again in SM and it snapped right on like it was waiting
> for me.

Just tried again. There's another thirty seconds of my life I'll never
get back.

> Perhaps SM does pre-rendering in newsgroups?
>

Possibly. I might try it in Konqueror and whatever other browsers I have
installed here.

> Anyway, it's a link to a spiel about his book on online privacy and
> security.

Sales patter and FUD. Got it.

[Aardvark]

On Fri, 25 May 2012 21:26:44 +0000, Aardvark wrote:

>> Perhaps SM does pre-rendering in newsgroups?
>>
>>
> Possibly. I might try it in Konqueror and whatever other browsers I have
> installed here.

Just tried it in both Konq and SM. Nothing.

If you can still open the page, could you check the source and see if you
can divine what might be amiss?

[FromTheRafters]

Aardvark wrote:
> On Fri, 25 May 2012 21:26:44 +0000, Aardvark wrote:
>
>>> Perhaps SM does pre-rendering in newsgroups?
>>>
>>>
>> Possibly. I might try it in Konqueror and whatever other browsers I have
>> installed here.
>
> Just tried it in both Konq and SM. Nothing.
>
> If you can still open the page, could you check the source and see if you
> can divine what might be amiss?
>

Maybe it's something in:

<script type="text/javascript" src="setcookie.js"></script>

or

<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://analytics.aweber.com/js/awt_analytics.js?id=6HSL"></script>

It uses style sheets too, but that's pretty common practice.

[Dustin]

David_B <Dav...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
news:jpnsuh$a5o$1...@dont-email.me:

> http://askbobrankin.com/ABR-security-offer-ABR.html?awt_l=IHEtl&awt_m=
> IzInNXqQA8P6SL

Fair questions. I had no trouble answering them. I especially enjoyed this
line: "Like it or not, you are ultimately responsible for the security of
your computer, and the safe-keeping of your personal information."

Sums your failures up pretty well, doesn't it? :)

> Views welcomed on Bob Rankin's newest product!

Are you jealous? :)



--
Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too
many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and
the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. - J.C. Watts

[Dustin]

FromTheRafters <err...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
news:jpp7lu$pgk$1...@dont-email.me:

firefox v12 opened it with no hassle. Noscript blocking by default.

It's a sales pitch. David is stalking the individual. Has been for
years. I think Bob Rankin was the author of the now dead tourbus email
list. Very useful for those in IT.

[David_B]

Dustin wrote:
> David_B<Dav...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
> news:jpnsuh$a5o$1...@dont-email.me:
>
>> http://askbobrankin.com/ABR-security-offer-ABR.html?awt_l=IHEtl&awt_m=
>> IzInNXqQA8P6SL
>
> Fair questions. I had no trouble answering them. I especially enjoyed this
> line: "Like it or not, you are ultimately responsible for the security of
> your computer, and the safe-keeping of your personal information."
>
> Sums your failures up pretty well, doesn't it? :)

Better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all, Dustin.

It is precisely *because* of my failure back in 2005 that I've dug so
deep. Few people know, nor care, about the many traps set for them
around the Internet. It's a very dangerous place!

>> Views welcomed on Bob Rankin's newest product!
>
> Are you jealous? :)

I was riding Bob's Internet Tourbus back in the 1990's and very good it
was too. http://internettourbus.com/ I believe he dropped it so that he
could concentrate on using his undoubted skills to make some money
whilst still helping folk.

How do *you* use *your* skills to *help* folk, Dustin Cook?

Perhaps you could make a follow-up post here?

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-performance/windows-support-center-could-it-be-resurected/20808bf7-6b91-4111-bbc7-0dec115243dd

[Dustin]

David_B <Dav...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
news:jppsgn$j01$1...@dont-email.me:

> It is precisely *because* of my failure back in 2005 that I've dug so
> deep. Few people know, nor care, about the many traps set for them
> around the Internet. It's a very dangerous place!

You aren't qualified to teach a turd, tho.

> How do *you* use *your* skills to *help* folk, Dustin Cook?

Need more for your dossier on me eh?

[David_B]

Dustin wrote:
> David_B<Dav...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
> news:jppsgn$j01$1...@dont-email.me:
>
>> It is precisely *because* of my failure back in 2005 that I've dug so
>> deep. Few people know, nor care, about the many traps set for them
>> around the Internet. It's a very dangerous place!
>
> You aren't qualified to teach a turd, tho.
>
>> How do *you* use *your* skills to *help* folk, Dustin Cook?
>
> Need more for your dossier on me eh?

You were *never* a target - I told you before! (You didn't listen)

Look here:

https://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=&as_oq=&as_epq=&as_eq=&as_ugroup=&as_usubject=&as_uauthors=Jim+Eshelman&as_umsgid=&lr=&sa=N&start=20

14000 posts by James Eshelman - can you find one in the past few years?

*Something* smells, Dustin!

[Aardvark]

On Sat, 26 May 2012 02:35:20 +0000, Dustin wrote:

> FromTheRafters <err...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
> news:jpp7lu$pgk$1...@dont-email.me:
>
>> Aardvark wrote:
>>> On Fri, 25 May 2012 21:26:44 +0000, Aardvark wrote:
>>>
>>>>> Perhaps SM does pre-rendering in newsgroups?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Possibly. I might try it in Konqueror and whatever other browsers I
>>>> have installed here.
>>>
>>> Just tried it in both Konq and SM. Nothing.
>>>
>>> If you can still open the page, could you check the source and see if
>>> you can divine what might be amiss?
>>>
>> Maybe it's something in:
>>
>> <script type="text/javascript" src="setcookie.js"></script>
>>
>> or
>>
>> <script type="text/javascript"
>> src="http://analytics.aweber.com/js/awt_analytics.js?id=6HSL"></script
>> >
>> >
>> It uses style sheets too, but that's pretty common practice.
>>
>>
>>
>>
> firefox v12 opened it with no hassle. Noscript blocking by default.
>

FF v12 with NoScript here on Mandriva 2011, Konqueror with the same
plugin, and SM all on the same OS, still no joy. Tried a few times
yesterday with all of them.

> It's a sales pitch. David is stalking the individual.

LOL. I'd guessed as much. Any URL he provides is one of his stalking
targets and he posts and 'recommends' them 'innocently' to entice people
to go there in the hope that they'll share his 'hinky' about the person/
site.

I wonder when (or even *if*) he's going to realise his sly attempts to
manipulate people are really feeble. :-)

> Has been for
> years. I think Bob Rankin was the author of the now dead tourbus email
> list. Very useful for those in IT.

And therefore most probably a 'good guy'.

[Aardvark]

On Sat, 26 May 2012 07:17:03 +0100, David_B wrote:

> Dustin wrote:
>> David_B<Dav...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
>> news:jpnsuh$a5o$1...@dont-email.me:
>>
>>> http://askbobrankin.com/ABR-security-offer-ABR.html?awt_l=IHEtl&awt_m=
>>> IzInNXqQA8P6SL
>>
>> Fair questions. I had no trouble answering them. I especially enjoyed
>> this line: "Like it or not, you are ultimately responsible for the
>> security of your computer, and the safe-keeping of your personal
>> information."
>>
>> Sums your failures up pretty well, doesn't it? :)
>
> Better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all, Dustin.
>

You keep telling yourself that if it gets you through the night, failure.

> It is precisely *because* of my failure back in 2005 that I've dug so
> deep.

If, by 'dug so deep' you mean 'accumulated reams of irrelevant,
disconnected and totally benign tiny details', then IAWTP, cunt.

> Few people know, nor care, about the many traps set for them
> around the Internet. It's a very dangerous place!
>

To which you like to add, cunt.

>>> Views welcomed on Bob Rankin's newest product!
>>
>> Are you jealous? :)
>
> I was riding Bob's Internet Tourbus back in the 1990's and very good it

> was too. http://<SNIP>.com/ I believe he dropped it so that he

> could concentrate on using his undoubted skills to make some money
> whilst still helping folk.
>

He told you this, did he?

> How do *you* use *your* skills to *help* folk, Dustin Cook?
>

How do *you* use *your* 'skills' to *help* folk, cunt?

BWAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

> Perhaps you could make a follow-up post here?
>

> http://<SNIP>

And perhaps he could tell you to fuck off, cunt. Why should anyone even
wish to click on a completely unexplained link?

[Aardvark]

On Sat, 26 May 2012 06:25:01 +0000, Dustin wrote:

> David_B <Dav...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
> news:jppsgn$j01$1...@dont-email.me:
>
>> It is precisely *because* of my failure back in 2005 that I've dug so
>> deep. Few people know, nor care, about the many traps set for them
>> around the Internet. It's a very dangerous place!
>
> You aren't qualified to teach a turd, tho.
>

Not even his peers? Shame. :-)

>> How do *you* use *your* skills to *help* folk, Dustin Cook?
>
> Need more for your dossier on me eh?

LOL.

[Aardvark]

On Sat, 26 May 2012 07:34:54 +0100, David_B wrote:

> Dustin wrote:
>> David_B<Dav...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
>> news:jppsgn$j01$1...@dont-email.me:
>>
>>> It is precisely *because* of my failure back in 2005 that I've dug so
>>> deep. Few people know, nor care, about the many traps set for them
>>> around the Internet. It's a very dangerous place!
>>
>> You aren't qualified to teach a turd, tho.
>>
>>> How do *you* use *your* skills to *help* folk, Dustin Cook?
>>
>> Need more for your dossier on me eh?
>
> You were *never* a target - I told you before! (You didn't listen)
>

And your actions have always proved just the opposite, cunt/

> Look here:
>
> https://<SNIP>

>
> 14000 posts by James Eshelman

Impressive.

> - can you find one in the past few years?
>

DYOFDW, cunt.

> *Something* smells, Dustin!

Your nose is too close to your ass, cunt.

[Aardvark]

On Fri, 25 May 2012 20:21:15 -0400, FromTheRafters wrote:

> Aardvark wrote:
>> On Fri, 25 May 2012 21:26:44 +0000, Aardvark wrote:
>>
>>>> Perhaps SM does pre-rendering in newsgroups?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Possibly. I might try it in Konqueror and whatever other browsers I
>>> have installed here.
>>
>> Just tried it in both Konq and SM. Nothing.
>>
>> If you can still open the page, could you check the source and see if
>> you can divine what might be amiss?
>>
> Maybe it's something in:
>
> <script type="text/javascript" src="setcookie.js"></script>
>

Possible but unlikely IMO, FTR. I enter sites with NoScript running, so
that shouldn't hold up loading.

> or
>
> <script type="text/javascript"
> src="http://analytics.aweber.com/js/awt_analytics.js?id=6HSL"></script>
>

NS would take care of that too, Shirley. I remember when aweber sold
autoresponders.

> It uses style sheets too, but that's pretty common practice.

Indeed. Somewhat of a mystery, thus far.

[FromTheRafters]

Dustin wrote:
> FromTheRafters<err...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
> news:jpp7lu$pgk$1...@dont-email.me:
>
>> Aardvark wrote:
>>> On Fri, 25 May 2012 21:26:44 +0000, Aardvark wrote:
>>>
>>>>> Perhaps SM does pre-rendering in newsgroups?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Possibly. I might try it in Konqueror and whatever other browsers I
>>>> have installed here.
>>>
>>> Just tried it in both Konq and SM. Nothing.
>>>
>>> If you can still open the page, could you check the source and see
>>> if you can divine what might be amiss?
>>>
>> Maybe it's something in:
>>
>> <script type="text/javascript" src="setcookie.js"></script>
>>
>> or
>>
>> <script type="text/javascript"
>> src="http://analytics.aweber.com/js/awt_analytics.js?id=6HSL"></script
>>>
>>
>> It uses style sheets too, but that's pretty common practice.
>>
>>
>>
>
> firefox v12 opened it with no hassle. Noscript blocking by default.

I'm not all that familiar with FF's capabilities. Do you know if, even
with Noscript blocking by default, any pre-fetching is still attempted?
After all - it still appears as a link in the HTML even though the
script itself won't be allowed to execute.

Most of the links (mostly graphics) are relative links, except the
analytics one.

[FromTheRafters]

Aardvark wrote:
> On Fri, 25 May 2012 20:21:15 -0400, FromTheRafters wrote:
>
>> Aardvark wrote:
>>> On Fri, 25 May 2012 21:26:44 +0000, Aardvark wrote:
>>>
>>>>> Perhaps SM does pre-rendering in newsgroups?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Possibly. I might try it in Konqueror and whatever other browsers I
>>>> have installed here.
>>>
>>> Just tried it in both Konq and SM. Nothing.
>>>
>>> If you can still open the page, could you check the source and see if
>>> you can divine what might be amiss?
>>>
>> Maybe it's something in:
>>
>> <script type="text/javascript" src="setcookie.js"></script>
>>
>
> Possible but unlikely IMO, FTR. I enter sites with NoScript running, so
> that shouldn't hold up loading.
>
>> or
>>
>> <script type="text/javascript"
>> src="http://analytics.aweber.com/js/awt_analytics.js?id=6HSL"></script>
>>
>
> NS would take care of that too, Shirley. I remember when aweber sold
> autoresponders.
>
>> It uses style sheets too, but that's pretty common practice.
>
> Indeed. Somewhat of a mystery, thus far.
>

I run with scripting enabled, and sometimes those larger scripts (Fake
AV come-ons) take a long time to load and execute - selectors take even
longer.

[Aardvark]

Wouldn't the simplest method of operation for something like NS be
running the source through NS first, then every time it encounters a pair
of <script> </script> tags either ignoring them or rewriting the source
without them, then sending the edited or reformed HTML to the rendering
engine? Either way, by the time the code actually gets to FF itself,
there are no script tags. Might that affect the source code subsequent to
the script introduction,causing some kind of lock-up in the loading?

> Most of the links (mostly graphics) are relative links, except the
> analytics one.

See above. If NS runs as I have described above, relativity or otherwise
of the script links is purely academic, isn't it? Unless, of course, some
of the script subsequent to one of the tags is dependent in some way on
the script?

[Aardvark]

The thirty or so seconds I allowed should be enough, don't you think? I
actually went off to the kitchen to make a cuppa tea after clicking the
link once. Still hadn't loaded when I got back.

[Dustin]

FromTheRafters <err...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
news:jpqlli$bei$1...@dont-email.me:

Firefox by default does attempt to prefetch. NoScript doesn't seem
hassled by it.

> Most of the links (mostly graphics) are relative links, except the
> analytics one.

Yep.
I get the NoScript signature where an advertisement or graphic or
something should be. [g]

[FromTheRafters]

That's more time than I gave it. :oD

I don't have a clue as to what might be causing you to not get that
page. I only tried it in IE that once - maybe I'll try again and go for
a cuppa coffee.

[Dustin]

FromTheRafters <err...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
news:jpqt74$m5e$1...@dont-email.me:

I just clicked the link again. It came up in under 10 seconds; whole
page. And this was done on a dual p3/800mhz (coppermine mated
processors). It's the slowest machine that's still online here.

I'm not a gamer tho, so it still meets my needs.. Albeit a bit slow
these days. [g]

[FromTheRafters]

I suppose, but the simplest way isn't always the way things are actually
done. :o)

Browsers want to do stuff in the background while the user is reading
what is already displayed so that it can appear to be faster at loading
the next page the user might navigate to. If NS runs as you say, like a
proxy (the old proxomitron comes to mind) then FF would never know that
those links existed - but as a plug-in I'm not sure what parses the page
first.

BTW, that page loads in a snap now in IE - even a refresh. It might be
cached by my ISP though.

> Either way, by the time the code actually gets to FF itself,
> there are no script tags. Might that affect the source code subsequent to
> the script introduction,causing some kind of lock-up in the loading?

I don't think so, it's a mystery.

>> Most of the links (mostly graphics) are relative links, except the
>> analytics one.
>
> See above. If NS runs as I have described above, relativity or otherwise
> of the script links is purely academic, isn't it?

Yes, it would never be fetched if all of the script containers and their
contents were removed before the browser got the page.

> Unless, of course, some
> of the script subsequent to one of the tags is dependent in some way on
> the script?

Then we're back to lousy web design, IMO there should be any reliance on
JS being enabled. I didn't see anything like that on that page, and I
didn't download and look at the scripts themselves when I read the HTML
page, just noticed that they were there.

[FromTheRafters]

I tried it again with IE - in less than a second it was loaded.

[Aardvark]

Just clicked the link again. Rolled a ciggie, sparked it up. Looked at my
browser. Nothing.

[David_B]

Someting wrong with your computer, eh?

Yet you purport to be a guru. <shakes head>

Nope! :-)

[Dustin]

David_B <Dav...@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in
news:jpr1h9$dou$2...@dont-email.me:

Nope. It has something to do with routing. I provided you many details
about how the internet works. Obviously, I wasted my time. You clearly
didn't read the material. If you had, you wouldn't be making assinine
comments such as that.

Your troubleshooting skills seem to be on par with your bad guy hunting
abilities. As in, zero. Zilch. Nada. Zip. Nothing.

> Nope! :-)

Ignorance is indeed bliss Right? That's why your smiling. yes?

[Aardvark]

LOL, you sto0pid cunt. There's something wrong with that sto0pid site.
That's why we're discussing it.

> Yet you purport to be a guru.

When was this, cunt? When did I ever say anything of the sort?

Then again, compared to you a fucking five-year-old would be a computer
'guru'.

> Nope!

MID of the post where I purported to be a fucking 'guru', you lying cunt.

[Aardvark]

On Sun, 27 May 2012 00:34:31 +0000, Dustin wrote:

> It has something to do with routing.

Could you expand on that, Dustin? FTR and I would seem to have been
fixated on HTML and javascript calls within it.

[FromTheRafters]

Aardvark wrote:
> On Sun, 27 May 2012 00:34:31 +0000, Dustin wrote:
>
>> It has something to do with routing.
>
> Could you expand on that, Dustin? FTR and I would seem to have been
> fixated on HTML and javascript calls within it.
>

Specifically URLs that need to be accessed to fully display that page. I
was thinking that some resource wasn't being accessed or was taking an
inordinate amount of time to locate.

[Dustin]

Aardvark <aard...@aardvark.uk.tc> wrote in news:jpug2a$tjp$2@dont-
email.me:

> On Sun, 27 May 2012 00:34:31 +0000, Dustin wrote:
>
>> It has something to do with routing.
>
> Could you expand on that, Dustin? FTR and I would seem to have been
> fixated on HTML and javascript calls within it.

I did a traceroute on the site when you mentioned you couldn't access it.
From my ISP the connection is solid. From one of my shell accounts, the
hop fails after 3 jumps. So, it seemed to be a routing issue. Today the
shell account has no problem bringing the site up.