Saturday, 24 March 2007 - 4:33 AM EDT

Hi,

I would suggest that you contact the company directly:

The following was excerpted from URL:
https://my.yieldmanager.com/spyware_form.php

Report adware/spyware problems

Right Media does not control or condone the creation or supply of these ads on your computer. Occasionally a website or software publisher will bundle our ads with spyware or adware without Right Media's knowledge or consent. In these cases we're doing everything we can to track down who's doing it and put an end to it.

Pop-up ads originate from two sources: websites that show pop-up ads to generate advertising revenue; or programs installed on your computer can show pop-up ads. Such ad-enabled programs are very often bundled with freeware/shareware and peer-to-peer sharing programs that you may have downloaded.

CONTACT: abuse@rightmedia.com

Saturday, 24 March 2007 - 7:18 AM EDT

Just wanted to add something:

You wrote:
"...most entries on Google seem to indicate that this ad.yieldmanager.com is some kind of Spyware."

Comment: I don't think we should always believe everything we find on Google, Wikipdeia etc.

In the first place, nobody is going to write glowing praises for aggressive, 'in-your-face-style' Internet advertising. So, we must expect to read negative comments about such operations.

I think that the other experienced contributors to this blog, would agree with me; that, although there may indeed be cookies, gathering surfing trends data etc. [which are common to most internet ads], they are certainly not anything which could be harmful to anyone's computer.

If the visitors to your site complain about the ads, advise them to click on Tools/Internet Options - clear their cache of all content [delete cookies] and [delete files] that are held in the temporay Internet Files folder. This should be done on a frequent basis, for those who are concerned about tracking.

There are also several useful programs on the internet, such as noadware.exe [just search on google] which is updateable and scans your machine [for free] for parasites, spyware etc. The only catch is, if it finds file[s] which you are unable to delete manually, you must sign up for the paid software, in order for the program to delete them automatically. However, with a little time and effort, we can always find out on the net, how to [safely] delete a corrupted file.

Please let us know if you get any response from yieldmanager.

Sunday, 25 March 2007 - 10:41 AM EDT

I understand your frustration but in the real world you need to think about why Angelfire shows all of those ads in the first place. Angelfire and Lycos are a business. A business has to make money, and if they are a publicly traded business they have a legal obligation to make that money.

Ads do two things. One is to annoy users into upgrading, and the second is to generate revenue through ad placement or ad clicks. This is what makes it possible for you to have a free hosting service.

If the ads bother you that much, just upgrade. I promise you it won't break the bank. I have been a paid Angelfire subscriber for over two years and haven't gone broke yet. In fact, if people like your site enough, you can make the money back that you pay for an upgraded hosting account very easily by placing some related small ads of your own on your website.

Just upgrade, you'll be glad you did :)

Monday, 26 March 2007 - 2:15 AM EDT

In the real world, people cannot be beaten into
submission by excessive, annoying and intrusive advertising.

Any company which uses this tactic, eventually discovers that the loss of a good reputation, outwieghs any perceived short-term advanatages.

On the other hand, a few creative, well-designed banner ads, which promote legitimate & useful resources, will encourage more surfers to 'click through'; thereby increasing advertising revenue and enhancing the
attractiveness of the website.

Just my humble opinion, of course.

Monday, 26 March 2007 - 3:00 AM EDT

al4,

Thanks for addressing my post. I'm going to assume you also made the other post on the main board about this topic that came right after my post. But if so, it means that comments such as these were referring to me:

"I have seen several postings throughout the years with people complaining about Angelfire Ads, one of which I just posted to today."

"...maybe it's time to stop complaining about the ads on a free hosting account, upgrade to paid, and try to make a few extra bucks in the process."

Two times I've asked a question on this board, and both times I got at least one response referring to my post as "complaining". I have to admit I just don't know how to ask the questions any more civilly than I have. And I don't know when outlining a situation, asking some questions, and seeking some information so that I can make informed decisions became equated with "complaining".

I fully understand why the ads are placed on free accounts, and that if you opt for a free account you're agreeing to ads being placed on your site. It's a more than fair trade-off. But ads are not what I was concerned about. What might possibly be stowing away in those ads (i.e.Spyware) and not being disclosed is what I was concerned about.

I think one thing that's fairly safe to say is that many people (like me) who opt for a free account do so (at least at first) because they have little to no website building experience. A free account gives you a chance to try it out and see if you can do it at all.

And that also means not knowing all the ins and outs of web advertising, as well. So when I took a URL from an ad on my site, put it into Google, and got results that suggested a lot of negative things about possible Spyware, it raised a red flag. But like Tom said in his post (thanks very much for your information, Tom), you don't believe every result that comes up on Google. That's exactly why I brought the information here and asked about it.

As a very inexperienced website builder, I thought far more savvy website builders might be able to tell me if my alarm was misplaced. And that they might be able to tell me if the ads here contain anything newbie site builders might not be aware of, or tell me what the nature of that kind of thing is (like whether it only tracks surfing trends or whether it records credit card and bank account information). As a totally new site builder, I don't know about this stuff...exactly what it does, or if it's even there. So, far from "complaining", I'm trying to become informed. There's a lot about site building I've had to learn along the way so far; this is just one more thing.

I agree that an upgraded level account is certainly better, and that the prices are very reasonable, but jumping up to domain-name level (as you suggest in your other post) isn't practical for everyone. When you have an Angelfire sub-site, no one expects a web design genius. I don't have nearly enough HTML/web design knowledge to run a domain-name level site. It's very likely that I would go up one level to a paid account with no ads. But it makes sense to wait and see if the site can get into some directories and draw some traffic before doing that.

And now I understand yet one more thing about site building. Asking questions gets you labelled a "complainer". So I won't ask any more.

A.D.

Monday, 26 March 2007 - 3:00 AM EDT

al4,

Thanks for addressing my post. I'm going to assume you also made the other post on the main board about this topic that came right after my post. But if so, it means that comments such as these were referring to me:

"I have seen several postings throughout the years with people complaining about Angelfire Ads, one of which I just posted to today."

"...maybe it's time to stop complaining about the ads on a free hosting account, upgrade to paid, and try to make a few extra bucks in the process."

Two times I've asked a question on this board, and both times I got at least one response referring to my post as "complaining". I have to admit I just don't know how to ask the questions any more civilly than I have. And I don't know when outlining a situation, asking some questions, and seeking some information so that I can make informed decisions became equated with "complaining".

I fully understand why the ads are placed on free accounts, and that if you opt for a free account you're agreeing to ads being placed on your site. It's a more than fair trade-off. But ads are not what I was concerned about. What might possibly be stowing away in those ads (i.e.Spyware) and not being disclosed is what I was concerned about.

I think one thing that's fairly safe to say is that many people (like me) who opt for a free account do so (at least at first) because they have little to no website building experience. A free account gives you a chance to try it out and see if you can do it at all.

And that also means not knowing all the ins and outs of web advertising, as well. So when I took a URL from an ad on my site, put it into Google, and got results that suggested a lot of negative things about possible Spyware, it raised a red flag. But like Tom said in his post (thanks very much for your information, Tom), you don't believe every result that comes up on Google. That's exactly why I brought the information here and asked about it.

As a very inexperienced website builder, I thought far more savvy website builders might be able to tell me if my alarm was misplaced. And that they might be able to tell me if the ads here contain anything newbie site builders might not be aware of, or tell me what the nature of that kind of thing is (like whether it only tracks surfing trends or whether it records credit card and bank account information). As a totally new site builder, I don't know about this stuff...exactly what it does, or if it's even there. So, far from "complaining", I'm trying to become informed. There's a lot about site building I've had to learn along the way so far; this is just one more thing.

I agree that an upgraded level account is certainly better, and that the prices are very reasonable, but jumping up to domain-name level (as you suggest in your other post) isn't practical for everyone. When you have an Angelfire sub-site, no one expects a web design genius. I don't have nearly enough HTML/web design knowledge to run a domain-name level site. It's very likely that I would go up one level to a paid account with no ads. But it makes sense to wait and see if the site can get into some directories and draw some traffic before doing that.

And now I understand yet one more thing about site building. Asking questions gets you labelled a "complainer". So I won't ask any more.

A.D.

Monday, 26 March 2007 - 4:36 AM EDT

Dear Anne,

You wrote: "Asking questions gets you labelled a "complainer". So I won't ask any more"

Comment: Please don't be scared away from asking questions about Angelfire ads policy, just because
another Blog member happens to categorize these questions as complaints.

On Monday, 1 January 2007, I posted a comment,
entitled: "Banner & Pop-up Saturation" to which Daymon responded
in the exact same vein:

Wednesday, 3 January 2007 - 1:36 PM EST
Name: al4/cheapest-service

Ya know, Ive heard this kind of complaint dozens of times. Honestly, just cough up the 5 bucks if you don't want ads on your pages. Five dollars isn't going to break the bank.....trust me.

My response to Daymon:

Thursday, 4 January 2007 - 1:48 AM EST
Name: co/begumnoor

Methinks that you have missed the point.

In my initial posting, I wrote the following, about the saturation of pop-ups and banner ads: "Do the people at Lycos honestly believe that they will entice folks into signing up for paid websites, by subjecting visitors to this onslaught?"

Let me further clarify my point, with the following scenario:

A young person creates a website at Angelfire, only to
find that visitors to his/her site are subjected to
a barrage of intrusive advertising.

Is this same person going to be keen on upgrading to a paid site, hosted by Angelfire, when he/she eventually has the five bucks a month to spend?

As mentioned, I understand fully the concept of ad-supported websites, however there is also the case of over-doing a good thing with too many banner ads & pop-up windows. It is like killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

====end of posting=====

So, please don't stop asking quesions...after all, that is why the blog was created. Daymon means well, and essentially his point is well taken. If we wish to get rid of the ads, then we should simply pay the five bucks a month and be done with it.

Tom
=======

Monday, 26 March 2007 - 7:00 AM EDT

In the previous posting, I wrote:
"Daymon means well, and essentially his point is well taken. If we wish to get rid of the ads, then we should simply pay the five bucks a month and be done with it."

Personally, I wouldn't like to 'get rid' of the ads,
because, for the most part, I find them informative and
entertaining.

Informative, in the sense that the Google Ads let you see how your page is categorized by the robots.

Entertaining, in the sense of admiring the work of the designers of strikingly impressive ads. I think the ads are ok.

Pop-ups are an intrusion, because, if they escape the browser pop-up controls, require a person to close them
manually.

Therein lies the intrusion into a surfer's precious time.

My only concern is with 'saturation'.

I have been a member of Angelfire.com for about
nine years, and I wouldn't like to see this great resource
go downhill for any reason.

Tom
===

Tuesday, 27 March 2007 - 1:52 PM EDT

I really wasn't trying to "label" anyone as a "complainer", and my post wasn't directed at any one person. It was honestly meant to be helpful to anyone who comes across it. As far as spyware goes, many spyware programs label tracking cookies as spyware which can be easily removed with programs like SpyBot Search and Destroy (my favorite).

As far as Angelfire turning to less intrusive ads I just don't see it happening since some advertisers pay them just to place the ads regardless of whether people click them or not, so they are always going to stick with what has proven to work for them.

My whole point about upgrading was that you can make your money back even if you are inexperienced. If you can cut copy and paster, and use Angelfires basic editor, you can do this.

I would like to apologize if my reply seemed offensive. It really wasn't meant to be.

Wednesday, 28 March 2007 - 4:23 AM EDT

Hi Daymon,

Of course you were trying to be helpful, by letting
people know that they can generate revenue from their
wesbites. Many folks are unawre of that.

You also wrote: "As far as Angelfire turning to less intrusive ads I just don't see it happening"

Comment: I agree wholeheartedly with you on that point.
You may remember the last line on my January 1st, 2007
posting on this subject:

"Why do I feel like I am beating a dead horse?"

Of course, if there is the slightest chance, that
my postings may cause the 'powers that be' to perhaps
rethink the present saturation policy, and adopt a more
surfer-friendly program, then it is certainly worth the
effort, however remote the possibilities of success.

Have a great day :)

Wednesday, 28 March 2007 - 6:06 PM EDT

Hi Tom and Daymon,

I'd like to thank both of you very much for the help and information provided. There's definitely a lot of valuable
information there, some of which I can use immediately and some of which may well come in handy at a later date.

I'd say I pretty much found out what I was trying to find out. Tom, if long time Angelfire members such as yourself continue to use the free level account with the ads on the pages, then it's probably a pretty safe assumption that there's nothing too bad coded into those ads.

And Daymon, your comment about how many spyware programs regard tracking cookies as spyware also gave me information I was looking for. I guess not all things considered to be Spyware do the same thing. Anything I had heard about Spyware indicated it recorded personal information from your computer, like credit card numbers, and such. But I guess there are different kinds which record more innocuous information.

I did find this while surfing around the results about yieldmanager. It seems to indicate that the yieldmanager cookie is fairly low risk.
http://paretologic.com/resources/definitions.aspx?remove=yieldmanager%20cookie

As for ad saturation, I can't really speak to that since to date, I haven't been able to see the ads on my page at all
(except for in that one screen shot I had). That's a problem I'm hoping to have solved soon. My brother-in-law set up my computer, so I'm hoping when I see him around Easter he'll be able to tell me why there are things that don't show on the page, whether it's something to do with my security settings or something else. I'm sure I'll feel better about it once I can actually see the ads and how they affect the site (see the site the same way visitors do).

Overall, in regard to ads, I think a free website in exchange for ads on the page is a great deal. A lot of people might not even try out having a website without that opportunity. So sites like Angelfire offer a great service in making that available. All that's really at the heart of my questions about ads is that, if someone's good enough to visit my site, I don't want them to be left with something unwanted in their computer as a result. But it seems that that's not really a problem.

Thanks very much again!

-AD

Thursday, 29 March 2007 - 3:16 AM EDT

Hi Anne,

In the past few years, I have also learned a great deal from the experienced bloggers who frequent this site.

You wrote: "As for ad saturation, I can't really speak to that since to date, I haven't been able to see the ads on my page at all
(except for in that one screen shot I had). That's a problem I'm hoping to have solved soon".

Although I could very well be wrong, but I think that if you clear the cache on your computer, you will probably be able to see your ads.

If you are using Internet Explorer, go to TOOLS at the top of the browser window and select INTERNET OPTIONS. Then click on DELETE COOKIES and DELETE FILES and CLEAR HISTORY.

Then try loading your page.

Let me know if that works.

Tom
===

Friday, 30 March 2007 - 1:50 AM EDT

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the suggestion.

Yes, I'm using Internet Explorer.

I went through the steps you outlined, but it doesn't seem to have had any effect. I still can't see any ads. I tried re-loading the page right after following those steps, and I also tried following the steps, then restarting the computer, and loading the page. Unfortunately, neither one worked.

This, of course, is not just on my site. Any other free account Angelfire page I visit, I can't see the ads on those sites, either. I get almost no pop-ups on any kind of site I visit (although I do see the ads that are right on the page on most other sites). That's why I figured it probably has to do with my security settings, or something like that.

I'm not sure what it is causing it, but I'm sure I'll get it worked out eventually. At least it doesn't interfere with working on the site. :)

Anne

Friday, 30 March 2007 - 3:55 AM EDT

Hi Anne,

It seems like you have found the magic bullet.

If & when you do find out the reason for your
glorious exemption from the world of ads, please
let us know.

:)

Tom
====

Saturday, 31 March 2007 - 1:37 AM EDT

"Glorious exemption from the world of ads"...haha! Yes, under most circumstances, not seeing ads would be something to celebrate, wouldn't it? :-D

When the mystery is solved (it's probably something very simple that I just don't know about), I'll post back here with the solution.

-Anne