Windows Washer (computer stuff)

Frank Fusco

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I have long used the WebRoot software, Windows Washer, as a protection utility. I got my first copy when I was writing software reviews and fell in love with it. Using WW, I don't get spam. Repeat, a bit louder: I DON'T GET SPAM. But, recently, it, somehow, got corrupted. I tried installing from the original floppy disk, but that, also, somehow, got corrupted. In the few days I was without WW in my computer, the spam started coming at the rate of several an hour. What an annoyance :( , I had forgotten how vicious those spammers can be. :mad: Well, joy of joys, on a chance, I looked through my piles of non-organized CDs and found I had made a back-up copy. :thumb: Installed and cleaned. Bye-by spammers. :wave: :)
 
Believe it or not guys, that is why I use AOL. It is free now since I have a high-speed hookup. They have done a great job with their spam filters -- too good in fact, I have to check the spam folder every once in awhile to make sure that they aren't blocking something I actually want to see from a new person that may not have gotten into my address book

Jay
 
Its always been my understanding that AOL tends to invade many areas of you computer & when it starts to give you problems they are real bad problems.

I may be wrong it wouldn't be the first time.

I was at a friend's house recently cleaning up some things on his computer. He uses AOL because his son told him to. Wadda mess. :eek: Gotta wade through a mine field of 'stuff' AOL wants you so see and advertising, and more advertising. Usable screen is about 1/4 monitor size. Wadda mess. Did I say that already? Wadda mess. AOL used to be called the Internet with training wheels. What I would call it today isn't fit for a family forum.
 
I was at a friend's house recently cleaning up some things on his computer. He uses AOL because his son told him to. Wadda mess. :eek: Gotta wade through a mine field of 'stuff' AOL wants you so see and advertising, and more advertising. Usable screen is about 1/4 monitor size. Wadda mess. Did I say that already? Wadda mess. AOL used to be called the Internet with training wheels. What I would call it today isn't fit for a family forum.
I'm by no means an AOL supporter, but it is not necessary to use AOL's munged-up browser to surf the Internet. Your friend could connect to AOL (however he usually does it), then minimize that window, open up Internet Explorer (or Firefox), and surf just like a normal person. ;)
 
Believe it or not guys, that is why I use AOL. It is free now since I have a high-speed hookup. They have done a great job with their spam filters -- too good in fact, I have to check the spam folder every once in awhile to make sure that they aren't blocking something I actually want to see from a new person that may not have gotten into my address book

Jay

I should have mentioned that WW isn't a conventional filter/blocker. The geeks here might correct me, but, I believe it's effectiveness comes from the fact that it erases ('deletes' in Geek speek) your browsing history, temp. files, cookies and passwords. It also effectively deletes and overwrites deleted e-mail and junk in the recycle bin. That leaves the spammer with no avenue into your computer in the first place. For those paranoid of the Gub'mnt coming in and looking around where you have been on the INTERNET, that's gone and overwritten (I think seven times) making impossible for even the TV sleuths to read it.
 
The problem with spam filtering is all about balance. Last year I nearly lost enquiries that ended up in $,000s of orders because I had spam filtering dialled right up tight. If you run a web based business and have to receive email from "strangers" then white-lists don't work and all the other checking mechanisms are less than perfect and therefore the choice is between losing money and having to deal with the scum. Ho Hum!!
 
...It also effectively deletes and overwrites deleted e-mail and junk in the recycle bin. That leaves the spammer with no avenue into your computer in the first place...
Um...not necessarily true. The spammer's avenue into your computer has no real connection to your deleted e-mail and other junk in the Recycle Bin. Spammers typically get their addresses from outside sources, who collect them in other ways (like buying mailing lists from legit companies). Some viruses and trojans do look at the stuff on your computer, but in those cases they don't look at the deleted stuff. They typically look at your address book.

Windows Washer is good at removing your tracks (surfing history), but it really has no bearing on the amount of spam you receive. You mentioned that you got no spam when it was running, but unless it does something I'm not aware of (and that they don't mention on their website), I don't see any way it reduced your spam. My guess is that something else is (or was) running to keep your spam in check.

(I do system utilities for a living, so I'm pretty well-versed on the subject.) ;)
 
Um...not necessarily true. The spammer's avenue into your computer has no real connection to your deleted e-mail and other junk in the Recycle Bin. Spammers typically get their addresses from outside sources, who collect them in other ways (like buying mailing lists from legit companies). Some viruses and trojans do look at the stuff on your computer, but in those cases they don't look at the deleted stuff. They typically look at your address book.

Windows Washer is good at removing your tracks (surfing history), but it really has no bearing on the amount of spam you receive. You mentioned that you got no spam when it was running, but unless it does something I'm not aware of (and that they don't mention on their website), I don't see any way it reduced your spam. My guess is that something else is (or was) running to keep your spam in check.

(I do system utilities for a living, so I'm pretty well-versed on the subject.) ;)


I won't/can't debate with a true Geek. I'll just report experiences. On another occasion I was without WW for a short period of time. Spam started. Installed WW, spam stopped. Again, I haven't received spam for so long I can't (happily) remember when. Now, I was without for about a week. Spam started. Reinstalled WW yesterday, no spam since. Go figger. :huh: Fact is, I don't care why. I just don't have spam. :clap:
 
Believe it or not guys, that is why I use AOL. It is free now since I have a high-speed hookup. They have done a great job with their spam filters -- too good in fact, I have to check the spam folder every once in awhile to make sure that they aren't blocking something I actually want to see from a new person that may not have gotten into my address book

Jay

Hi Jay,

AOL sure does do a good job on filtering. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Try sending an email asking Grandma what ever happened to Grandpa's hunting "GUN." Chances are she won't get the email at all. If she does, you may get a warning. There won't be a second warning you will be dumped like a hot rock.

I can't personally back any of those statements up but when AOL fired those fellows for target practice weapons on company property a while back, I read quite a bit about the subject online.

I will not tolerate anyone "Reading" (By any method) my email and making decisions whether or not to let it go through.

Sorry if I stole a minute there. Just MHO.

DT
 
AOL! :eek:
I went AOL years ago when first started on the net. It took me literally months and many $$ to purge them from my computer.
AOL is as close to Big Brother as you can get.
 
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The problem with spam filtering is all about balance. Last year I nearly lost enquiries that ended up in $,000s of orders because I had spam filtering dialled right up tight. If you run a web based business and have to receive email from "strangers" then white-lists don't work and all the other checking mechanisms are less than perfect and therefore the choice is between losing money and having to deal with the scum. Ho Hum!!

I'll dispute that. I get email all the time from strangers. Use the right mail program( Thunderbird) set up correctly and very seldom will a good email go in the junk folder. I get emails all the time from strangers and I can't remember the last time a good email went in the junk
 
I'll dispute that. I get email all the time from strangers. Use the right mail program( Thunderbird) set up correctly and very seldom will a good email go in the junk folder. I get emails all the time from strangers and I can't remember the last time a good email went in the junk

Robert - the way I read your post, it doesn't dispute it - it confirms my statement. The right emails "very seldom" went to the wrong place. When I become aware of one of the "very seldom" was an enquiry that led to a £5000 ($10,000 ish) order that only happened because the customer was motivated enough to telephone me a week later to chase up their email I have to reconsider. I do not say that spam filtering is ineffective or useless. Just that it has to be dealt with intelligently based on a bunch of factors affecting the whole situation. Do I hate reading spam? - Yes. Would I be willing to pay $10,000 to have it all go away? - No.

Therefore I repeat. The problem with Spam filtering is its all about balance.

In my book the junk folder is not spam filtering. Spam filtering is when I never see the message or know that it existed. If my email program thinks it is junk and throws it into the "probably" junk folder then I still have to be aware of the messages existence in order to review it and delete it. That is spam sorting, not spam filtering.
 
Ian and I are in the same spot, got to keep the spammer out, but I can't lock to door to all without a key, as most of my customers are new people coming in for the first time.

Oh well....:rolleyes:
 
Ian and I are in the same spot, got to keep the spammer out, but I can't lock to door to all without a key, as most of my customers are new people coming in for the first time.

Oh well....:rolleyes:

Stu, lately, I have seem some business sites that require typing on those wiggly, jumbled characters to enable the e-mail. Supposedly that stops the spammers who work with only automated sending systems. Downside could be that it dissuades legitmate customers.
 
I won't/can't dispute that. :thumb: It's a good thing. :D

I wrote a computer users advice column for over nine years. During that time, I referred to myself as "a perpetual beginner" and emphasized that I "don't know a bit from a byte [I really do] or a bat from a fat [I really don't]. The columns were written from my learning experiences and information on the latest 'stuff' fed to me by a couple, really nice and cooperative professional columnists. My columns, and advice, were written from the perspective of a computer 'user' not a techy type. I also wrote software reviews. At one point, I received a review copy of Windows Washer and wrote a glowing report based on my highly favorable experience with it. I'm sure I have helped sell many hundreds of copies of WW. As said, I don't know what it 'washes' that stops spam and I don't care. Not having spam is what I really care about.
 
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