Anyone else getting tracking cookies?

Every time I get on Dave's now I am getting at least 4 or 5 tracking cookies. It's very annoying because I have to stop and run spyware scans all the time. It really bogs down your computer.

Since I trust DG, I have allowed cookies from this site. Which browser are you using? You should be able to go to your cookie manager and just "allow" DG. Then the cookies will be transparent. All cookies are not bad and I trust Dave.

Are you positive they're coming from here and not from somewhere else? DG has cookies to remember that you're logged in and things, but that's not the same as a tracking cookie, so if you're sure they're tracking cookies and you're sure you picked them up here rather than somewhere else, it's most likely from one of the advertisers and I'm sure Dave would want to know which one so he can get rid of them (when you run your spyware program, try writing down the names/websites that it lists on the tracking cookies and post those here). In the meantime you might also try turning off the ads in your preferences (and if you already have the ads turned off, then I don't think there's any way you're picking up tracking cookies here)

Liz, you are always so thorough in your answers. I should have thought about advertisers! I double-checked mine, and I have things like session cookies, password, poll voting, etc. from Dave's. The only one I don't recognize the purpose of is something called 'utma.'

I have been getting tracking cookies for a while now, wasn't sure if it was because I loaded a newer version of AOL (Desktop), or because AOL was and still is in the process of moving all their UK customers to a server here, where the computer is dialled out to another location and the US AOL is the main Home Page until completion. Or something else!

AOL does block tracking cookies, I get a little box at the bottom which I can enlarge to view them and choose to restore or delete, I delete but it can be bothersome and I never used to get these showing. They can pop up when I'm on DG, other times when I'm fixing pics I've downloaded but I'm not sure if I have DG loaded at the time, I will have to take note next time. I don't recall them popping up any other place, but I rarely visit any other site.

The main one I get is 207.net, it often comes on it's own or I get another with it. Sometimes I have a few more, but when I do I think I have been on a foreign site such as Russian or in that area looking for bugs, beetles etc.

I'm using Internet Explorer. I run an adware scane before I get on DG to get rid of all the spyware. After I get on DG, within a half hour of being on DG my computer starts running extremely slow. I do another scan and there are 5 spyware. This has been happening on a daily basis. The only thing I can determine is that the advertisers that DG are using, are putting tracking cookies (spyware) on DG members. I frequent the Lily Auction and have never got any there.

hemlady, I checked and you have ads turned off. When did you turn them off?

Dave, I am not sure what you mean by ads turned off. Could you explain please.

Thanks

This site has ads that are visible to people who aren't subscribers (banners at the top of pages, things like that) As a subscriber, you can go into your preferences and turn them off if you don't want to see them, and apparently at some point in the past you went in and turned them off. But since this doesn't sound familiar to you at all, I suspect you turned them off ages ago. But since you haven't had the ads here enabled, it makes it a lot less likely that the tracking cookies are coming from DG. Either what you're picking up on are the regular cookies that DG uses to keep you logged in until you log out and things like that (which are perfectly benign), or if they're the "bad" sort of cookies they came from somewhere else.

ok, thanks

I just checked out 207.net on google, it is of course a tracker provided to some sites who obviously allow it. It states you can opt out as a visitor to some sites so you don't get it, but to do that they want to place a cookie on the browser! My question is how do we know if they are genuine and not scammers. As mine is getting blocked I won't be doing that unless I am certain they are genuine.

http://www.omniture.com/en/privacy/2o7#optout

hemlady, you could do the same, note the names of the trackers then google to see what you can find out.

This forum mentions adding the adware to the 'restricted sites zone' to stop cookies, with 207.net they put an " *. " in front.

http://forums.speedguide.net/showthread.php?t=155844

Now to find the restricted sites zone!

Another suggestion here which might work for you hemlady,

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic68174.html

OK, did a little experiment.

Removed ALL cookies from my computer. Came directly to DG and of course had to log in. As soon as I logged in I had the following cookies:
ad.yieldmanager
castlemedia
davesgarden
doubleclick. net
tribalfusion
eyereturn
optimized-by rubiconproject
rubiconproject
timespent.eyereturn

I left of the dot com parts. As far as I can tell they are all harmless.

Good work 3g, but as far as I am aware cookies can come through your browser (which soem allow) so they may have been instantly restored after deletion.

I'm using firefox. I don't allow cookies except to DG. I checked cookies before I signed in and there were still none. These appeared after i signed in.

I checked closer, someone had added a few other sites to my allow list...grrr. I removed them and kept only DG, then cleared all cookies again and logged back on, the only cookie present is davesgarden ^_^

I also put a password on my computer.

I read somewhere once that browsers do allow some cookies through on the quiet, so you might get them again.

3G - how do you know what cookies you had as soon as you logged in. I am not very computer literate and I am not sure where you go to find out what cookies you have. I certainly do understand that there are definitely cookies you need but then again some ad agencies install ones you definitely do not want. That's what the ad-aware program is for to remove the unwanted ones.

This message was edited Jul 5, 2008 3:03 PM

In Firefox, click on tools, options, and it is under the privacy tab.

In Internet Explorer, click on tools, internet options and the general tab.

Yes 3G, I already did that and I see nothing listed under cookies except aol.com.

Then you're ok. No worries.

Ok, thanks again.

What I do is make sure there is no check mark beside the "allow cookies" box. Then I add the websites under "exceptions" that I trust. Daves garden, the bank(when I need to), etc.

If you have AOL it will be under Settings, mine is different with the Desktop version but it will be something like 'web pop-up controls' where you can choose to allow or block all pop-ups, check the box to block.

An added note here: if you have ads turned off, then I can give you my guarantee that you will get neither tracking cookies or spyware from DG.

The ads, though, I can't offer that guarantee only because I don't control the server that is sending the ads. Therefore, I recommend anyone concerned about that issue, should disable the ads.

For me, I use AdBlock for Firefox and therefore I don't see any ads ANYWHERE on the web.

Dave

Thanks Dave.

Wallaby1, I don't get the pop ups you are referring to because I have used the pop up block on AOL.

Thanks all.

I'm using Adblock, NoScript (blocks Java script), and the pop-up blocker in SeaMonkey (Mozilla). In addition, I use SpyBot and Avast! virus checker. These seem to do the job for me with no software conflicts and they're easy to use. With all the browsers and program combinations, it sometimes takes a while to find the right mix of tools.

Adblock is amazing! Thanks for that tip, I can now visit the weather channel without having to minimize my screen to block their horrible twisty people ads.