Here's a neat way to stay safe online

[giza]

http://www.siteadvisor.com/

Siteadvisor is a free service that signs itself up on various websites and monitors how much email it gets sent from that site, the "spamminess" of the emails, and the amount of spyware found on the site. Here are some exmaples:

Report on newgrounds.com
Report on gator.com
Report on amazon.com
Report on slashdot.org

They also have a siteadvisor plugin for FireFox that automatically shows you the details on any site that you visit. I think that's rather helpful while doing regular web browsing.

Comments

BZZT! WARNING!

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

Look at the little words below their logo: "Trial Version"

One of three things will happen if/when they get a sufficient userbase:

1) You'll have to pay for the service.
2) They will track you and sell that data. They might be doing that now.
3) Sites will pay them off to overlook bad stuff. Same as above.

Re: BZZT! WARNING!

[giza.livejournal.com]

I'd pay money for something like this.

On the subject of tracking, their privacy policy (http://www.siteadvisor.com/privacypolicy.html) says they don't do that. At least for their plugin, which is what I use. I didn't even have to provide them with any personally identifiable information in order to use the plugin.

[nidonocu.livejournal.com]

I've got it installed, is pretty nifty. :D Of course I browse with care anyway, but at least I'll be able to submit my site and program for review when I'm ready. :)

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Nifty, thanks for the tip ^^

Re: BZZT! WARNING!

[kellic.livejournal.com]

Considering they don't know who I am and I have a dynamic IP address that changes prob once every couple weeks I personally don't care. I think someone's been a little over paranoid consider the service this thing is providing. Simply put there is no way to do what they are doing without telling them the site you are going too. You are going to see more and more of this kind of behavior as sites try and customize the experience for you. (Look as Google as an example.)
As long as a company doesn't have a known history of handing out your personal information I'm willing to give them a shot. Also when you consider that patrons of such a site as this are into keeping spam out of their inbox such a service would have a very short life if they started handing out people's personal data. This site is a luxury not a requirement. Most people would drop them in a nanosecond if it were found that they are selling your info.

Re: BZZT! WARNING!

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

It's a trial version. If and when it goes subscription, and you do have an account, expect the ToS to change ever so slightly.

Re: BZZT! WARNING!

[furahi.livejournal.com]

You say those things /will/ happen. If you replaced will with may, or even with "very likely will" you'd have a better point =P

Re: BZZT! WARNING!

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

Give me a case of where one of the above hasn't happened!
(open source excluded, of course)

Re: BZZT! WARNING!

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Well, good point. I'm not familiar with Windows software, I use Linux myself, but... umm.. Adaware and spybot?
I don't know of those are stiull good, but if they are I think they'd be examples =P

Re: BZZT! WARNING!

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

Both have faced legal pressure from Claria, etc... to de-list their products.

I realize FOSS is subject to the same threats, but it's hard to sue someone and make a case when they aren't making a profit off it.