Hello all,

I was reading this post
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic78479.html

and inside the post there is this link to the video, which is driven by Windows Media Player
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...obot_video.html

The problem started when I clicked on the link to open in another tab (I'm a Firefox user), and then I noticed that for 1 nationalgeographic.com is on PeerGuardians blocked list.... and 2 ..... the video wouldn't load.

So I turn off my PeerGuardian,,, still no luck,,,, so then I turned off my TOR/Privoxy......... no luck.......... So then I decided to use my Internet Explorer (this is where I discovered more of M$'s trouble with me, and probably others)......

I loaded up my IE7, then it warned me that my automatic Updates were off. I told it to remind me later, which will probably in a few more months..... but anyhow,,,, I pasted the link
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...obot_video.html

into the address bar and it went to the site. This time a banner advertisement came up, but still, no video. I then noticed that at the top of the screen that it had a blocking message telling me that there is a file or such on the page that requires Windows Media Player. Do I want to click here now to install it?.... Yeah right... imagine that.

So, being pissed off, I closed out IE7, and I went back to Firefox....... I then noticed that I had the addon called IE Tab. "That's right!!!" what I said to myself......... so while still in my Firefox on the page
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...obot_video.html

I left-clicked on the icon at the bottom of my browser, and it switched to the IE engine... and then a few seconds later.... lo and behold, I saw the Windows Media Player GUI show up, then a few seconds more, it actually loaded and played the video.
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My point to all of this is that it is apparent that M$ is monitoring people, and they are doing things to peoples computers. Why do I say it?... Here's my reasons why.

1. My IE & my Windows Media Player are upto date... I guess. I'm using WMP 10 or 11 and I'm using IE7. Well, I'm not using them, I just have them installed, that's all.

2. Upon loading IE7, it told me about automatic updates NOT being on. It should have realized that when I set it in my Control Panel, and with the icon on my Taskbar. But nooooo. it want's to be persistent.

3. When I got to the nationalgeographic.com using IE7, it said I needed the updated WMP, when in fact I didn't.

4. After closing out my browsers, I've loaded and started my Spybot Search & Destroy, and it found many logs of what IE7 was logging while I was using it.

Tracking cookies, I eat them, but IE was making registry changes to my computer. I cleared out the crap. But the point is that it does alot more to people that use it than they think.

This is just a comment post, because I'm not in any need of assistance of my computer at all. I just wanted to share with people my personal experience I just had using IE7 and trying to load a page with WMP on it.

Stop falling for the ole' tricks that you need this, and you need that. M$ keeps proving to me that they are just product vendors, and not engineers or creators of their own works. Money talks. They have toooooo many flaws with their stuff to not have reliable solutions to at least half of them.

But let's talk about statistics.... and that is, most of you right now will just install anything on your computer, just because a message said that you needed to. There is no telling what I may have installed on my computer if I elected to download the WMP....... again?......... yeah.... imagine that.

How is it that Firefox can play IE and it's player (WMP) through it, but M$ tells you that you don't have what's needed to do so if you use IE? Another victory for Firefox!!!!!!!!, and I'm still proof of the pudding that IE is NOT a safe browser to be daily surfing on.

And since I've used IE, my Spybot S&D has found more stuff than it has ever found on my computer at one single time. Don't take my word for it.. just keep using IE, and you'll soon discover for yourself.

Good luck all, and be computer safe.

Oh dear! This causes you frustration and I can surely sympathise, Walkman - and am simply impressed at how you worked around the problem - yipee!

For those of us that are still struggling with the basics, IE has been nothing but one ongoing nightmare after another, at least for myself. And because of everything I read here, I simply and utterly stopped using it. (Rotate between Firefox and Netscape and with the latter, I never ever see a pop-up ad either for some odd reason).

Anyway, just wanted to say thank you as I took your advice and did not permit my computer to 'auto-download' the latest version of IE (Version 7, I think). Honestly hadn't realized I needn't let it auto download anything and everything - thanks so so much, Walkman!

We tend to agree to disagree sometimes Walkman,all in a friendly way,but I couldn't agree with you more on this one my friend!

Did you see my post Here?
Was I stuck between a rock and a hard place......!

validatedmy..coughcopyof..coughwindows.....

Still avoid using IE like the plague!

I thank you MaraM for at least deciding to take action of your security. I know what you've always read "Make sure you have your computer on automatic updates." That is 1 zillion percent false. That's the worst thing you can do. Like I said before,, if the computer updates are to protect you, how are you going to be protected if your computer goes south on you, because of the automatic updates? And most people don't even know what automatically gets updated on their computers anyway, when they allow it.

I know what I say can be debated. But that doesn't stop me from at least letting people know what I've experienced, and still do experience.

I also know help can be help, but I read posts, from here and there, and I notice that alot that some people post comes from what they read, what they heard, or what they think the majority of people want to hear.

I personally make 90%+ of my post from real life personal experiences. And yes, I read, I research, and I comment from other information, but I like to personalize what I talk about. I don't want to sound like a text book. Even if I comment or post about something I've read, heard or otherwise, I always like to add my own personal message to it. Because I'm a people person. I'm human. I want to learn from others, and I want to teach others.

While everyone has their own views and opinions on anything talked about.... if I took the time to use Wink (video presentation software) to show what I talk about, I'd have hundreds, if not thousands of actual videos of any and all of my claims.

I've gotten flack because I've talked down about a program, company, or such..... Oh Well..... but everyone is entitled to give their own versions of whatever. That's why we're who we are. Because we can make our own decisions on a matter. And when one person flames at me when I down any product or service, I know for sure I'm a threat to that person, and there are millions more out there that are right next to me to back me up.

But MaraM, I'm just so pleased that you can post to say "Heyyyy,,,, I've taken your advise, and thank you"... I feel good. I've learned alot from BleepingComputer, on my own, and I'm still learning. I still need to post some help topics on a few subjects myself, but they're not too important. I just love helping others when I can, and I love knowing that there are people out there that really feel like I do give good advise. Just like anyone and everyone else does. Sometimes my advise isn't good for that person, but it's normally good for someone.

Again... to all, this is just One Man's Opinion

Simple fix for IE7 - Use Mozilla Firefox

Or Opera.

Haven't tried Opera but did add Firefox after all the wonderful advice from members here - and love it, especially for our banking online!

Oddly enough, I seem to accumulate more 'cookies' using it than Netscape, though. Doesn't matter as I use SpyBot and C Cleaner every evening and have long ago go over the 'how did I get so many cookies' just going to our Bleeping?!" fears. Learned cookies aren't harmful at trustworthy sites - but ever since reading Walkman's postings, I'm far more careful than I ever was before after going to other sites.

I find cookies are a bit more controlled using the Firefox extension NoScript.

"Experts do agree: Firefox is really safer with NoScript"

Hi TMack,

I zipped right over to 'No Script's site, thanks to your kindness in adding the direct link - and I suspect I should have confessed right up front that I'm only a hiccup over the newbie level when coping with computers

I read the one comment, "I'm very fond of NoScript, but right now it is only usable by technically savvy people" and thought eep! But I love the suggestions others have made on the site, for example to (Quote) " add an additional blacklist for script-sites that aren't allowed even when "allow all scripts" is enabled (plus an additional menu-entry "put on blacklist" beside the "allow" and "allow temporarily" (Unquote).

Really do appreciate knowing about it, though - and have bookmarked the site though and will keep checking back as although it's a great program, I'll have to expand my computer skills a bit first.

Thanks again,
Mara