Safe and Unsafe websites
Ben
people fail to realize that a site may be dangerous. I, however, think
I may have found a system that works quite well. Here's a summary of
the first lesson in my wehaveitall guide to the internet (coming
soon)
V=varying, you may change the score slightly because that is somewhat
an opinion not a fact about a website, therefore, you can adjust the
score by adding, subtracting, or leaving it the same.
Look at the list of potential ways to identify unsafe websites. These
many tactics each have a number by them. Choose the site, add the
numbers by each violation the site demonstrates in the list, and read
the instructions below the
heading:Step 2. There is also an example below:
OK, first off let's look at the primary ways you can identify unsafe
websites: (note these don't always mean that site is dangerous, I will
get into how to identify if it truely is or not in a moment)
1. flashing ads and popups all over receive a score of 6.5
2 The whole site is based on downloading an item or items 6 (if it is
mostly about downloading an item or items change 6 to 5. If it's only
about downloading an item or items leave it at 6) V
3 The website changes your cursor PERMENANTLY on your desktop, on
another website or any time your on the computer 6
4 The website fails to give all necessary information about a
product---for example , it claims to pay you but fails to tell you the
amount 6 V
5 the website asks for an address, credit card info, or other very
personal information but does not mention anything about either you
paying or them paying you 4 (asking for phone number=1) V
6 The website freezes and crashes a lot 2 V
7 The website wants you to download something involving a toolbar or
something enhancing your toolbar 1
8 the website seems unprofessional and is primarily asking you to
download a product or products and nothing else 5 V
9 The website contains ads linking to potentially dangerous websites 4
V
10 The website sends you multiple emails each day without your consent
4
11 the website is both unheard of and makes no references to any
reputable sites such as google, yahoo, bravenet, godaddy, etc in any
form including ads, links etc.1
12. The website either claims to have something but in reality it
would make them no money or it appears secretive. 4
13. The website automatically brings up a window saying it is
installing something. 4
12.
STEP 2
Now, looking at those, many sites which do have some similar aspeccts
are not dangerous, which is why you must look at it as a simple math
problem:
Let's look at flashvortex.com for example:
Let's see it isn't reputable and makes no references to reputable
sites 1
and
The whole site is based on downloading an item or items 4
Now looking at the numbers by them when you add them up it equals 5.
So for whatever website you were looking at, find any violations and
add the numbers by them altogether. Then you ask yourself this:
Is it a reputable company? If so subtract 5 Flashvortex however is not
Does it contain 3 or more possibly dangerous things? If so, add 2.
Flashvortex however does not
Is the website very unprofessional looking and is in two or more other
violations? If so, times the number by 1.5. Flashvortex, however, is
professional looking.
Now times your number by 2, and read on to find out if this site is
dangerous or not.
If the score is 32-39 You should be very suspicious of that site. If
the score is 40.5 or more, you can pretty much assume the site is
dangerous. Flashvortex's score is 10. Now let's try a real dangerous
website, and see if this REALLY works:
(please don't visit this link, it's dangerous) smileycentral.com has
all of the following:
flashing ads and popups all over 3
The whole site is based on downloading an item or items 4
The website changes your cursor PERMENANTLY on your desktop, on
another website or any time your on the computer 6
The website gives most of the neccecary info, but not all, so I'm
going to leave that as a 2
The website wants you to download something involving a toolbar or
something enhancing your toolbar 1
the website is both unheard of and makes no references to any
reputable sites such as google, yahoo, bravenet, godaddy, etc 1
3 +
4
6
2
1
1
____
17
The website also contains 3 or more possibly dangerous things, so
let's add 2
+2=19 and it's very unprofessional looking and is in two or more
violations already
x 1.5=28.5 Now to finish it, we will times the number by 2
x 2=57
And so, you can see this website is dangerous
aliencam
1. popups are in their own category, almost every site has ads of some
sort, but unnecessary popups should be a 10.
2. there are many sites solely for downloading things, see
download.com, cnet.com, gamespy.com, tucows.com, etc.
3. I have only been on two sites ever that change your cursor without
asking you, and that do not install some other sort of spyware. If
the website changes your cursor without asking you, then it is
installing unaproved software on your computer and should instantly be
classified as a dangerous site. there is no excuse for installing
software on my computer without asking me.
4. there is no such thing as a site that gives you all information
before you sign up. all information is in the privacy policy. sites
that have an insufficient privacy policy should go under this
category, or sites that make false claims, but not all.
6. websites don't crash, servers do. and if the server crashes it
means one of 2 things, they have a bad host (you don't know how often
your host crashes until you get it, unless you can find reviews
online. most people don't look.) and a bad host has nothing to do
with the site's safety or validity, or possibly the site is so popular
that their host cannot handle the load.this happens to every single
site that is mentioned on slashdot, thus the name "slashdot effect" or
now "digg effect" which brings down more sites than anything else.
but if the site slows down your computer there is a possibilty that
the site is installing spyware, this is bad.
11. my website (and yours) are unheard of. we make no references to
repuitable companies or anyone that anybody has heard of. this does
not make us "dangerous" . in fact it should be the opposite. ebaums
world, myspace, newgrounds, flash games, are all in the top 10 worst
sites to visit. and millions of virus-ridden sites reference myspace
(myspace pimper, myspace profile stuff, blah)
really, the best advice i can think of is this:
don't be stupid. the internet is not a toy, it's a tool for moving
around information. most of the internet is bad and will destroy your
computer, do not visit most of the internet. you also need to be
mature; those jokes/pictures are not funny, pimping your myspace is
not cool, and downloading things for free that are not opensource/
shareware is a scam (unless you really know what you're doing.) read
what it says before clicking on it, "yes" is not always the correct
option, and again look before you click.
sorry ben, i didn't mean to insult your scale, it's really good
actually.
Ben
site has ads of some
> sort, but unnecessary popups should be a 10."
section of the guide, I'll include a V for varying by popups because
it depends what you consider unneccessary. Obviously big flashing ads
with smiley faces saying change your cursor for free click here are
VERY unnecessary, and with varying refering to that violation as an
opinion, viewers using this system can decide for themselves if they
should up the score somewhat."
2. Downloading sites: You said, "there are many sites solely for
downloading things, see
> download.com, cnet.com, gamespy.com, tucows.com, etc."
My response is, "You have a valid point. Many sites are strictly for
downloading things, but the liklihood of a site all about downloading
being dangerous is much more likely than a site with little to offer.
Clicking download on something especially can affect your computer
much more than a site that you just view, because in that case, they
can install spyware and viruses without having to keep that all a
secret to you. basically, a site all about downloading, ups the
chances of it being dangerous and so it adds somewhat to the score,
but if that's the only violation, your score would only result in a
12, which isn't dangerous.
3. Cursors: You said, " I have only been on two sites ever that change
your cursor without
> asking you, and that do not install some other sort of spyware. If
> the website changes your cursor without asking you, then it is
> installing unaproved software on your computer and should instantly be
> classified as a dangerous site. there is no excuse for installing
> software on my computer without asking me."
My response is, "That is true, but I wasn't just reffering to sites
that do it without asking. Even sites that keep trying to get you to
change your cursor can be dangerous as well, and sometimes sites that
change your cursor only when your on that specific site can be
dangerous, but thats not as likely. "
4. Information: You said, "there is no such thing as a site that gives
you all information
> before you sign up. all information is in the privacy policy. sites
> that have an insufficient privacy policy should go under this
> category, or sites that make false claims, but not all."
My response is, "That is true, but I specifically said that a site
that fails to give all the NESSECARRY information is dangerous. Both
the privacy policy and information given ahead of time apply to this."
6. Crashing: You said, "websites don't crash, servers do. and if the
server crashes it
> means one of 2 things, they have a bad host (you don't know how often
> your host crashes until you get it, unless you can find reviews
> online. most people don't look.) and a bad host has nothing to do
> with the site's safety or validity, or possibly the site is so popular
> that their host cannot handle the load.this happens to every single
> site that is mentioned on slashdot, thus the name "slashdot effect" or
> now "digg effect" which brings down more sites than anything else.
> but if the site slows down your computer there is a possibilty that
> the site is installing spyware, this is bad."
My response is, "That is true, but first off, as you mentioned that
could mean it is installing spyware on your computer. Second, programs
and websites that freeze and crash your whole computer or just that
window often are a sign of that website/program is doing something bad
to affect your computer. Also, a site crashing a lot shows
unprofessionalism"
11. You said, "my website (and yours) are unheard of. we make no
references to
> repuitable companies or anyone that anybody has heard of. this does
> not make us "dangerous" . in fact it should be the opposite. ebaums
> world, myspace, newgrounds, flash games, are all in the top 10 worst
> sites to visit. and millions of virus-ridden sites reference myspace
> (myspace pimper, myspace profile stuff, blah)"
My response is, "Ok, well actually both our websites do make
references to sites such as google with ads. And why i say this is for
the following two reasons:
1. If all the ads on a site are unfamiliar, it often means that site
is dangerous and the ads are dangerous. If most of the ads are
familiar, then the few that arent are more likely to be safe, and if
the ads on a site are safe, then that site is more likely to be safe.
2. If they have no ads reffering to google or another reputable site
AND make no references what so ever on their site to a reputable site
such as google, it often means (what i said above) AND it can mean the
site is abotu something stupid like changing your cursor which usually
has viruses. On my site, I do have ads to google and I am working on
the wehaveitall guide to the internet, which will contain both
references to google and godaddy.