Tech: Facebook virus

Subject: Tech: Facebook virus
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 04:58 PM

Every time I try to view a thread my computer sticks. Down the bottom is a line of writing which says facebook and some other words. Is this the Facebook virus? It only happens with Mudcat. I'm not even on Facebook! Even using the computer down at the public library this happened. Anyone else got this?

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Bernard
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 05:18 PM

Yes, I'm getting it, too. I was going to investigate this weekend... I'm fairly sure it's neither a virus nor atrojan, just something odd about the way Internet Explorer 8 deals with 'add-ins'. There's a Facebook 'like' button at the bottom of threads, and I think it's linked to that.

It doesn't happen with Safari... and it doesn't seem to be causing a problem with IE8 at the moment.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 06:33 PM

Don't have any problems with IE9

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: GUEST,999
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 07:38 PM

Don't click it, it's no problem.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 07:39 PM

Doesn't show up with Firefox

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: frogprince
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 07:43 PM

Yer not right this time, 999. I've had the stickums too, and I hadn't even seen the facebook thing down there.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 07:45 PM

Glad to hear it's not just me. Says something about plugins, but of course I can't do anything while it's happening!

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: EBarnacle
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 11:13 PM

Max, what's going on? I've been getting a lot of brain freezes, also.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 11:24 PM

One of the fairly common causes of "hanging" when opening threads here has apparently been due to the ads. Often the ad that displays is "called" by a JScript in a way that requires connection to an external site where the external site must fetch up an an actual ad, sometimes from a third site. This allows the "tailoring" of the ads to reflect what you've looked at here, or if your browser has allowed some tracking, what you've looked at anywhere else.

If any of the external sites fails to answer promptly, the loading of the link you asked for can be "paused" to wait until all the "inserted link" connections are completed, before it can continue with the script that actually loads what you clicked to see.

I'm not familiar with the details of the "like" and similar buttons that are common now, but general information implies that for some of them once you "like" something on one site, other things relating to the object you "liked" will also be forwarded to your page on the other site where your "like" is indicated - i.e. possibly to your FB page - so that your "like" can stay updated if something you liked is changed.

When links to things are linked to links to links to linked things with links, a delay could in priniciple be due to a delay in any of the links or the links to links to a link from a link to another link if there's any link that doesn't link.

It's all much to complicated for me, so I just decline to participate.

Coincidentally, I don't currently seem to have any problem here, but of course that may just be SBL (stupid blind luck - a common method of solving promlems, especially for other people's problems) so it may be absolutely irrelevant to the problem under discussion.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 05:57 AM

Thank you for all your responses. It's still doing it, but not when I access other sites. I don't believe it's a virus, because our computer is well-protected, and it's only Mudcat that's affected. It's totally maddening, as I love Mudcat and enjoy reading everything here and posting. We do have problems with a very feeble Broadband signal, only 0.5 megathingies, but this is different, the screen freezes and never moves, even if you leave it for 30mins. If it's connected to the Mudcat page, I wonder if something could be done from your end? Sorry to whinge, but I'm totally ignorant techno-wise!

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Snuffy
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 06:07 AM

I'm having a similar experience here on my machine at home (Win XP, IE8)- no problem with other websites, but Mudcat threads often lock up the browser when loading, and it is very difficult to close IE.

I don't have any problem if I view Mudcat through a remote desktop connection onto my machine at work (Vista, IE8). Weird.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Snuffy
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 06:26 AM

I posted the previous message from home, but then the 'cat froze when I tried to open the thread. Now I'm still at home, but posting from the machine at workand having no problems at all.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 07:03 AM

Mudcat has had some periods of rather slow response recently. I've attributed it (based on total ignorance) to problems Max has had with the need to dig into his junk box to keep things running due to a "surge" during some bad weather a while back.

As always, we are assured that the problem is being worked.

I've also seen a couple of brief periods when mudcat downloaded a page (front page or a thread) but didn't "finish" the last few bits. This leaves you hanging with everything saying the download is finished, but the page won't scroll or do anything else. Usually in this case just hitting a "refresh" will reload the page, and nearly always the second load will go all the way (kind of like the girl who waited for the second date when we were younger?).

Browser settings can also produce unexpected results, but there are so many variations on settings, with different browsers and versions of each, that it's almost impossible for to offer advice without specific info on "everything" or hands-on with the affected machine. (With all the options available, it's sort of a miracle any of us stumble into getting anything to work consistently.)

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 09:27 AM

Try a different browser. This means a new variety, not a new window in the same one. IE is robust as far as security issues are concerned (moreso than the rest of them) but it has some issues with script on some sites. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, even puny little SeaMonkey, they're all available for free download.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: GUEST,999
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 02:48 PM

I don't understand what virus is being mentioned.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: GUEST,Lizzie Cornish
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 03:40 PM

It's not a 'virus', merely several buttons, which, if you press them will transfer the thread you're reading/contributing to, to Facebook/Twitter/email/Google...

You see it everywhere these days, on many different sites and pages...

It's a good idea.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Jack Campin
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 04:14 PM

If I enabled everything Max has added to Mudcat, the forum would be unusable. I don't even know exactly what blockers I've got any more - I add one to Firefox every time a new category of interference crops up.

Anyway, I'm not seeing any of this trouble.

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Bernard
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 08:04 PM

It seems to have gone of its own accord... ;o)

It will probably return in a similar manner...!

Subject: RE: Tech: Facebook virus
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 11 Mar 12 - 06:44 AM

It happened again this morning, but this time through it's ok so far.