Quote from: spacerace on August 05, 2013, 11:03:05 AM
Pick whatever search engine you want - your privacy is still out the window. In case anyone isn't aware - whatever site you end up at can see what search terms you used to get to that site. It shows up as referral link and they see exactly what keywords led you to their site in a list on their tracker. Anonymously, of course - but it is recorded in their logs. Also, if you are on another site and click a link to get a different page, that new page will see what link you clicked to get their site.

Also, good chance whatever site you end up at will throw you a google cookie that follows you at least until the end of your browser session.  It is pretty much necessary to use the Internet at all. Look at your cookie list right now - there will likely be a huge list there unless you fastidiously keep an eye on it.  Google owns doubleclick, which the ad server used by a large portion of the Internet, in addition to their own ad service.

You can turn off cookies completely but then you can't login in anywhere , and it makes doing anything at really cumbersome.  I use NoScript and Adblock, and I can't even remember the last time I saw an ad on the Internet when using Firefox. I also clear cookies when I close a browser window.

Even without seeing Google ads (the ad server can still be blocked with NoScript) the cookie ends up there when you use Youtube or end up on a site where you have to turn on some combination of scripts to load the page at all when their developers get tricky and try to display ads to people with blockers. I can't imagine what trying to use the Internet without Google is like. Oh wait - yes I can. 1995 and using Yahoo. 

Privacy is gone, folks - I don't mean it in a paranoid way, just an accepting one. I welcome my Google overloads. (just please stop sharing info with the NSA, ok? thanks)

Noscript is too much if you ask me.  It blacklists all javascript.  I don't even know how one can opperate online without enabling javascript.  Sure, you can whitelist the sites you trust, but that becomes a major hassle.  I think you should exercise caution about the sites you visit and most problems will be avoided. Nonethless, I use Linux (Ubuntu), so I am less likely to face typical security attacks (though, I admit it isn't flawless).

Quote from: vegie271 on August 05, 2013, 07:45:34 PM


oh, I have "do not track" and cookies off" and ad blocker and a few other things added to my computer, sure it slows me down and makes things harder,

and yes you can call me paranoid - but if they eally are ut to get me it does not count as paranoid -

BTW - in the past 3 years I have had 4 true scam attempts over the internet by people I have met through dating sites, I have had 6 fraud charges 6  my bank account and 3 frauds on my Credit card.

How hard do you review YOUR bills?

I have also been physically assaulted. I have had a "friend" steal from me AND a relative steal from me. overall in the past 3 years I have lost about $25,000 to other people and I live close to the federal poverty level.

this is why I live with a paranoid attitude.

Do not track usually is a farce.   It is seen as a request that you would prefer to not be tracked.  That doesn't mean that the site won't collect data on you.
From Wikipedia's "Do Not Track" page- "The Do Not Track system is completely voluntary, and there are no legal or technological requirements for its use. As such, websites and advertisers may either honour the request, or completely ignore it.[24] The Digital Advertising Alliance does not require companies to honor DNT signals. "The Council of Better Business Bureaus and the Direct Marketing Association will not sanction or penalize companies or otherwise enforce with respect to DNT signals set on IE10 or other browsers"

I understand how you feel about your security.  I was a victim of ID theft (someone stole and used my social when I was 18) and it hurt me bad.  I suggest you be very cautious about using your credit card on the internet and only provide it to sites you absolutely trust.  For other ones, you can use paypal or purchase a prepaid gift card to do your shopping. 

Oh, and have you looked into getting a VPN (Virtual Private Network)? It encrypts all outgoing and incoming traffic.

Quote from: learningtolive on August 05, 2013, 08:02:43 PM
Noscript is too much if you ask me.  It blacklists all javascript.  I don't even know how one can opperate online without enabling javascript.  Sure, you can whitelist the sites you trust, but that becomes a major hassle.  I think you should exercise caution about the sites you visit and most problems will be avoided. Nonethless, I use Linux (Ubuntu), so I am less likely to face typical security attacks (though, I admit it isn't flawless).

Do not track usually is a farce.   It is seen as a request that you would prefer to not be tracked.  That doesn't mean that the site won't collect data on you.
From Wikipedia's "Do Not Track" page- "The Do Not Track system is completely voluntary, and there are no legal or technological requirements for its use. As such, websites and advertisers may either honour the request, or completely ignore it.[24] The Digital Advertising Alliance does not require companies to honor DNT signals. "The Council of Better Business Bureaus and the Direct Marketing Association will not sanction or penalize companies or otherwise enforce with respect to DNT signals set on IE10 or other browsers"

I understand how you feel about your security.  I was a victim of ID theft (someone stole and used my social when I was 18) and it hurt me bad.  I suggest you be very cautious about using your credit card on the internet and only provide it to sites you absolutely trust.  For other ones, you can use paypal or purchase a prepaid gift card to do your shopping.

Unfortunately my computer is only 1 month old and if I change the operating system it will void the warranty

prepaid card - my last experience at buying one was shall we say horrific - plus there are all the fees - remember - I am at the poverty level

Quote from: vegie271 on August 05, 2013, 11:44:38 PM


Unfortunately my computer is only 1 month old and if I change the operating system it will void the warranty

prepaid card - my last experience at buying one was shall we say horrific - plus there are all the fees - remember - I am at the poverty level

Buy from amazon. If the seller passes through amazon instead of just posting on amazon, then you can use a gift card-- no extra fees.

You should also bare in mind that unless you're Amish and living in an Amish community, pretty much everything you do is being monitored, especially online. The thing is, the people watching don't really care. I can guarantee that you aren't the weirdest thing they've seen.

Quote from: Si on August 05, 2013, 09:20:07 PM
Oh, and have you looked into getting a VPN (Virtual Private Network)? It encrypts all outgoing and incoming traffic.

is that something I add to my router? and how expensive - how tough is it - I am technophobic plus everything with a computer chip breaks when I touch it. Things like TV's only last 1 year for me, I have gone through 5 smartphones in a year, my laptop only lasted a year and a half

I am the type of person who can break a timex - pretty much as I have said before - if I did not have this medical condition - I would live in a primitive cabin in the woods or n island

Quote from: Soren on August 05, 2013, 11:49:26 PM
Buy from amazon. If the seller passes through amazon instead of just posting on amazon, then you can use a gift card-- no extra fees.

You should also bare in mind that unless you're Amish and living in an Amish community, pretty much everything you do is being monitored, especially online. The thing is, the people watching don't really care. I can guarantee that you aren't the weirdest thing they've seen.

gift card - this presumes I buy it - there is a $20 fee for buying a prepaid visa - not to mention the nasty experienc eI had last time

Quote from: vegie271 on August 05, 2013, 11:51:32 PM


gift card - this presumes I buy it - there is a $20 fee for buying a prepaid visa - not to mention the nasty experienc eI had last time

No, I mean an actual amazon gift card. they have 25, 50, 100, and choose your own. No fees. Well, the choose your own might. But the predetermined ones don't. Then you just buy the product from amazon.

Quote from: Soren on August 05, 2013, 11:55:38 PM
No, I mean an actual amazon gift card. they have 25, 50, 100, and choose your own. No fees. Well, the choose your own might. But the predetermined ones don't. Then you just buy the product from amazon.

This presumes everything I buy comes from Amazon - my last 2 credit card purchased were Antivirus that came from the manufacturer and something from ebay (and I know you will say use paypal but I did not have the money at the time to use paypal I was too busy using the money for such unneeded things like oh my last morsel of food that month trust me it was and emergency) and no the fraud was not caused by either of these purchases it actually came the day prior to these two purchases, I only found it at the end of the month when my Bill Scan service was run.

Quote from: vegie271 on August 06, 2013, 12:12:04 AM


This presumes everything I buy comes from Amazon - my last 2 credit card purchased were Antivirus that came from the manufacturer and something from ebay (and I know you will say use paypal but I did not have the money at the time to use paypal I was too busy using the money for such unneeded things like oh my last morsel of food that month trust me it was and emergency) and no the fraud was not caused by either of these purchases it actually came the day prior to these two purchases, I only found it at the end of the month when my Bill Scan service was run.

I don't know much about credit cards, I don't have one, since I don't have money either. I only suggested amazon since my family, friends, and I use it and haven't had fraud problems.
I don't know much other advice besides "look at the address bar, if it says https, then it is secure, if it says http, then it's not guaranteed secure"

Quote from: vegie271 on August 06, 2013, 12:12:04 AM


This presumes everything I buy comes from Amazon - my last 2 credit card purchased were Antivirus that came from the manufacturer and something from ebay (and I know you will say use paypal but I did not have the money at the time to use paypal I was too busy using the money for such unneeded things like oh my last morsel of food that month trust me it was and emergency) and no the fraud was not caused by either of these purchases it actually came the day prior to these two purchases, I only found it at the end of the month when my Bill Scan service was run.

It shouldn't cost you to use paypal, or at least it doesn't in the UK.  I wouldn't even know how to go about buying something from eBay without paypal, I tried once and it was impossible to work out a way to pay.

Quote from: AlexanderC on August 06, 2013, 05:24:59 AM
It shouldn't cost you to use paypal, or at least it doesn't in the UK.  I wouldn't even know how to go about buying something from eBay without paypal, I tried once and it was impossible to work out a way to pay.

There is no cost to use paypal - but what I needed that month was immediate - I needed 2 things and I was out of money and I had no food,

really people I use my credit card for EMERGENCIES my mother raised me correctly I don't use it irresponsibly it is not like I have 20 of them and I am $50,000 in debt I am not like my deceased wife and a shopaholic ONE credit card used for EMERGENCIES there were 2 things

my computer is brand new I needed antivirus the one that came with it expired and I needed to purchase one to make my computer safe $40 online

I also needed a replacement battery for my cellphone as the one in it exploded $9 ebay