?? Newsdgroup Cookie Dropper ??

This applies to rec.aviation.piloting because this is where I seem to
be picking up a "cookie" from time to time. My, albeit limited, knowledge is
that cookies come from websites, not newsgroups.
I have a software package called SpyBot that seeks out adware, cookies,
spyware and that sort of stuff. I ran SpyBot a couple days ago and it picked
up a cookie from =Avenue A, Inc.= I dutifully commanded it to disappear,
then it occurred to me that I had not been on the internet to visit any
websites that morning. Now, yesterday, before I went on-ine, I ran SpyBot
and got a 'clean' report. Right after I skimmed through and read a few
posts, I went off-line and immediately ran SpyBot.
Well, up popped Avenue A, Inc., again. Same thing this morning, same
sequence, same cookie.
I has to be coming from here, since the other two newsgroups I subscribe
to were empty on both days and in both cases, I did not connect to any
website.
Has anybody else noticed this? Am I going bonkers?

Casey Wilson
Freelance Writer and Photographer

Casey Wilson wrote:

This applies to rec.aviation.piloting because this is where I seem to
be picking up a "cookie" from time to time. My, albeit limited, knowledge is
that cookies come from websites, not newsgroups.
I have a software package called SpyBot that seeks out adware, cookies,
spyware and that sort of stuff. I ran SpyBot a couple days ago and it picked
up a cookie from =Avenue A, Inc.=

Google "Avenue A, Inc." cookie
Many ways you can get it

Casey Wilson
Freelance Writer and Photographer

I have a software package called SpyBot that seeks out adware, cookies,
spyware and that sort of stuff. I ran SpyBot a couple days ago and it picked
up a cookie from =Avenue A, Inc.= I dutifully commanded it to disappear,
then it occurred to me that I had not been on the internet to visit any
websites that morning. Now, yesterday, before I went on-ine, I ran SpyBot
and got a 'clean' report. Right after I skimmed through and read a few
posts, I went off-line and immediately ran SpyBot.
Well, up popped Avenue A, Inc., again. Same thing this morning, same
sequence, same cookie.
I has to be coming from here, since the other two newsgroups I subscribe
to were empty on both days and in both cases, I did not connect to any
website.

To my knowledge, cookies do not come from newsgroups, however depending
on the newsreader you use, you could get cookies from that program. For
example, if you use google, you would be using a web browser to access
the groups, and that browser is what is accepting the cookie requests
(which probably come from advertising sites attached to the web site).

If you are connected to the internet in =any= form, it is possible for
rogue programs to communicate with the outside world. You may have such
a program residing undetected on your machine.

Google
"Avenue A, Inc." cookie
and the first two links will give you some info. It comes from a Vonage
ad and generates popunders.

You can opt-out of it by getting an "opt out" cookie which is available
on their site. (atlasdmt.com) It's basically a cookie that says "keep
out". It is possible that the opt-out cookie will be detected by your
spy program as an intrusion because it doesn't know the difference - if
this is true, ignore the warning.

Jose
--
Math is a game. The object of the game is to figure out the rules.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Casey Wilson wrote:

I has to be coming from here, since the other two newsgroups I
subscribe to were empty on both days and in both cases, I did not
connect to any website.

Avenue A appears to be an online ad delivery mechanism.
http://www.avenuea-razorfish.com/

I seriously doubt Outlook Express is putting this cookie on your machine.
Are you *certain* that no browser was opened during your test?

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/TknoFlyer
http://www.pocketgear.com/products_s...veloperid=4415
____________________

Spybot is great, but you need to use it in conjunction with Ad-Aware
(www.ad-aware.com).

They each pick up many things that the other misses.

(note: it's www.ad-aware.com - not www.adaware.com)

(note: it's www.ad-aware.com - not www.adaware.com)

Actually the company that makes it is lavasoft. The second link sends
me to lavasoft.com, the first one sends me to snapfiles.com. I got mine
from lavasoftusa.com, referred by a link in PCWorld.

Jose
--
Math is a game. The object of the game is to figure out the rules.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Casey Wilson wrote:

Has anybody else noticed this? Am I going bonkers?

I also have Spybot, which I run every two or three weeks. The last two times I
ran it, my computer came up clean. Since I am also under the distinct impression
that you don't pick up cookies from usenet, I firmly believe you're getting
yours from somewhere else.

I think you have a "Trojan Horse" running on your box. I would suggest you
download a virus checker called "AVG." They have a free version that Jim Fisher
told me about, and I think it's great. Download that and run it, and I'll bet
it'll find you have equine problems. It will automatically fix them.

George Patterson
I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.

"George Patterson" wrote in message
...


Casey Wilson wrote:

Has anybody else noticed this? Am I going bonkers?

I also have Spybot, which I run every two or three weeks. The last two
times I
ran it, my computer came up clean. Since I am also under the distinct
impression
that you don't pick up cookies from usenet, I firmly believe you're
getting
yours from somewhere else.

And use Spyware Blaster to keep them off your system between Spybot scans.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/index.html

According to the latest issue of PC WORLD, Spybot and Ad-Aware are only 54%
and 65% efficient respectively at eliminating adware and spyware.


"George Patterson" wrote in message
...


Casey Wilson wrote:

Has anybody else noticed this? Am I going bonkers?

I also have Spybot, which I run every two or three weeks. The last two
times I
ran it, my computer came up clean.

Matt Barrow wrote:

And use Spyware Blaster to keep them off your system between Spybot scans.

If that keeps the system clean, would there be any need to use Spybot?

George Patterson
I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.