If you have received some sort of alert or message on your
computer saying you have been infected with some sort of virus or spyware caused by this
website, please contact me
immediately so that we can research the problem.
There are claims that I am doing two of the following to every visitor to this website:
1. Capturing and then selling your IP Address.
2. Installing Spyware or Cookies on your computer.
Let me explain each of these to you and tell you what I do and do not do to your machine
plus what I have done to combat this problem, but still create a great user experience
using other web services.
Spyware
Generally, spyware takes the form of an internet browser toolbar to monitor your browsing
activities. It then compiles the information and sends it back to a central
location. To see and learn more about spyware programs, click here. To see a web
browser that has been loaded with multiple spyware type programs, click
here.
I use and recommend Spybot - Search and Destroy, you can find out more information about
it here.
It is a free product (they accept donations as a thank you) that does a very good
job at searching and destroying common spyware files and programs from your computer.
I DO NOT install spyware on your computer. I don't care where you
browse on the internet and I have not written any code on my website that installs or
tracks your browsing experience. I do recommend you install some sort of spyware
protection software so you know what may get installed on your computer without you
knowing. I also use and recommend WinPatrol. It is free, and you can find out more information
about it and download it
here. The program will inform you if any program or service is trying to run on your
computer without you knowing about it.
Cookies
Spyware is software installed and running on your computer without you knowing about it,
which is something entirely different than what a Cookie is. Do not confuse the two
as being the same as they are two entirely different things.
Just about every website in the world today uses Cookies to track who you are and where
you surf to, including other DuPont websites. Cookies are used by Amazon.com to
remember your shopping preferences, by internet email accounts to remember your login
information, and even by companies like eBay to remember for you the last few items you
searched for on their website. I use WinPatrol on my computers to catch anything
trying to install itself on my computer, including tracking Cookies.
I DO NOT install cookies on your computer, though the advertising service
added to my site may do that. Check your Cookies for more information. I ran a
few checks on my website and noticed that a Cookie was being placed by the folks at SiteMeter. They didn't do this at first, and now that I see they
are, I am removing SiteMeter from my homepage. So you will not be able to see where
visitors are coming from, but at least it will eliminate one Cookie and possible Adware.
read more about this news here. After removing SiteMeter, the homepage appears to load now with
no Cookies added to your computer. The only other outside service on the homepage is
the Weather block which comes from Accuweather.com.
Recently I cleared all the Cookies from my computer and tested a new website for the
community of DuPont I heard about and went right to their forum. Faster than a
nanosecond, a Cookie generated by their site appeared on my hard drive! Does this mean
they are intentionally placing Cookies on your computer? No. It just means something
either from the hosting company, the forum provider, or some other web service is
activating the Cookie to be added to your computer to track which messages you have
viewed, but also too if you login it will know which messages you have or have not viewed
since you logged in last. This is just one of the many functions of Cookies.
You can learn more about Cookies from the wondeful folks at "How Stuff Works" by
clicking here.
Here was the text captured from the Cookie added to my computer before any attempt to
login or browse the topics. The name of the website is "starred" out:
phpbb2mysql_data
a%3A2%3A%7Bs%3A11%3A%22autologinid%22%3Bs%3A0%3A%22%22%3Bs%3A6%3A%22userid%22%3Bi%3A-1%3B%7D
**********.com/
1536
3560493952
29985338
1546082752
29911913
*
What does all this mean? Can I really be anonymous on the internet?
Well for one thing I wouldn't trust a website that claims you can put a bag over your
head while on their website and no one will know who you are, because on the internet you
can be traced, even if you surf it from an anonymous website first or even with a fake
email account. If it also claims you can be anonymous after registering, be weary of
that too. After all, they will know how to find you though others may not. This
website knew who I was just from browsing their forum! If the website claims you can
"choose" to be anonymous, remember all any website needs on their page to know
who you are is the following line of code on any of their .asp or .aspx pages:
IPAddress = Request.ServerVariables("remote_addr")
If you want to know more about IP Addresses, including knowing what yours is right
now, click here. Oh,
and if that website has your IP Address, all they need to do to find out who you really
are is to send a court subpoena to your internet service provider with information about
when and what time you were accessing the site and they can then track you down.
How do you think they catch those people posting on message boards about plans
to shoot guns in schools or other terrorist plots?
There are a few things I ensure you know while using this website:
1. This website is wholly owned and maintained by Mike Culley, a resident of DuPont, WA.
2. I do not install spyware on your computer. I hate spyware, adware, and pop-up
ads.
3. Curse, vulgar language and personal attacks against people are not acceptable to appear
on this website and are removed promptly if found.
4. The opinions expressed by those posting to it or classified ads with items for sale do
not reflect the personal opinion or guarantee of the item by the website owner.
5. I only capture your IP Address if you post a Classified ad or a topic/comment on The
Rumor Mill. It is not captured if you are simply browsing the site.
6. Generally, your IP Address (or email address) is not shared with anyone, unless there
is a moral imperitive (i.e. legal or law-breaking). I do not sell or rent your IP Address
to anyone.
7. I do not require any personal information from you to post on this website, except
Classified ads if you want people to contact you.
8. I listen, respond and adopt suggestions to improve this website for the benefit of
everyone.
9. If like what you see on the website, you can donate to help defray the costs of keeping
it going. I volunteer my personal time to develop and maintain it for the current
and future residents of DuPont and above all do anything I can to help encourage tourism
to DuPont as well as support its local businesses any way that I can.
10. I believe that the best way to improve the community of DuPont is in open
communication, rational thinking and compromise. If you have a problem, talk to the
people you have the problem with and work it out if possible.
If you have received some sort of alert or message on your computer saying you have been
infected with some sort of virus or spyware caused by this website, please contact me immediately so
that we can research the problem.
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