Is IE bad for newbs?
 

I've been free of IE for over a year, prolly two. I also run Spybot. I scan about every two months if I remember too. When I do I find very little problems thanks to MozillaFirebird and the ability to stay away from programs that contain adware or spyware.

A friend came to me and told me to help her cause she has a bad pop up problem. I pointed her to Moz and Spybot and told her what to do. She later asked me to help cause she was intimidated by Spybot but used Mozilla.
I brought her computer home with me and ran Spybot and checked out her IE settings. To my horror Spybot found 396 entries. 396!! This computer is only 7 months old! Is IE that fucked up that so many sites can infiltrate someones computer so bad? Aside to installing Kaaza I saw no other problems. IE had to have been the root of all these problems. And the fact that the person using the computer is clueless. Can people get that fucked up by just browsing the internet with IE?

It makes me a little angy so sorry about the rant :mad:

...and perhaps bad grammar :P

It's not just IE, so don't blame that alone.

Spyware gets onto your system when you run strange apps you find on the internet, accept incoming exe's or "dialers", visit dodgy sites etc.

The blame here lies with the user, primarily, and not with IE.

Browse smarter, not harder...

Mr Mephisto

I partially agree with this. It *does* pay to be smart whilst browsing; However there are many sites you visit from searches for various reasons that running IE is like walking into a prison naked with a lipstick heart drawn on your ass. I do use IE for sites I can trust but anything I would worry about I switch to Firebird.if You MUST use IE all the time get the Proxomitron and set it up with it's various protections. Prox makes IE virtually indestructible.

Yep yep, been saying that for a long time now.

The only corollary to that is that if the user "just doesn't get it", and is going to go to sketchy sites and click "yes" on every Gator etc. installation popup with IE, then a well-set-up installation of Firebird and a few minutes of instruction is going to be a lot safer for them than IE. I agree -- if the user doesn't know how to practice "safe browsing", then they can get into tons of crap with IE.

Plus, after using Firebird for a while, and then switching back to IE -- and seeing how many popups and crap they get inundated with, they might very want to stick with Firebird!

I ran IE for years and never got a single bit of spyware - but I ran IE at custom security settings that were just about as restrictive as the "High" setting, if not more so - plus I was intelligent in "Oh look, Gator wants me to install it." situations.

You can get spyware with any browser. It's the user that needs to be educated, not the browser that needs to be changed.

I know that, we all know that. But the person that bought there first computer 7 months ago doesn't know that.
I'm of the opinion that these sites target these people. They're gulable and nieve and tend to belive a pop-up that tells them something is wrong with their computer or they have an app that they really need.

I preach to all those people that have pop-up problems that they should use Mozilla. I know I have at least one new convert.

My mother clicks on the "close" buttons in those images of windows that some popups have.

I have yet to get her to use Mozilla, so I feel absolutely no remorse when she complains about popups, etc.

Talking to my dad the other dya about a computer problem. I asked him what had appeard on the screen when he ran the install program - he said he wasn't sure, but "had clicked yes on everything". He wonders why I have to fix his computer every time I visit...

PS - I use opera. The "Open requested pop-ups only" option is wonderful!

I use IE. What are all the "POP-UPs" everyones talking about.

Heres my list of rules for safe exploring.

1.) It doesnt matter what browser you use as long as its not MSN or AOL

2.) Send a nasty email to anyone that ever sends you a "joke" or link to some suposedly funny website. Inform them that this is dangerous and only noobs partake in this ritual

3.) Dont surf porn sites.

4.) Dont try to get anyting for free on the web without first reading the "TERMS".... ALWAYS READ THE FREAKING TERMS. Spyware is rarely "snuck" onto a PC. 99.9% you accepted the terms.

5.) Always remeber, Nothing is free on the internet. Not 100% true, but damn near...

6.) Dont take advice from anyone using AOL. AOL is synonymous with NOOBIE.

7.) Run Spybot Search and Destroy Every week.

8.) Scan for virus's every week.

9.) Use the Google Toolbar. Good, free, utility. Blocks POPUPS.

10.) Dont fall for the "you have to have this to use this" scam. If a site says you need to install such and such software to use their stuff be very leary. Some OK things are Macromedia Flash and Shockwave player. Some common bad things are: Real Player, Gator, Offer Companion, Save Now, Xupiter, any kind of search assistant. (remember, Google is the only search you will ever need.

I've been using IE for years and years. I get about 15 cases of spyware per month, and I scan with Ad-Aware and Spybot. I also use Symantec Anti-Virus. If you're getting mad popups, your homepage changed, and ads, then it's most likely due to something you caused.

-Lasereth