I know this is off-topic but i really need some help on blocking on ads

Stop Trolling DUDE !

 

Poet is not trolling, he is giving you his advice. I would back him up 100% on this and many things. Poet is a respectful and polite forum user and I have never seen him be anything but a gentleman and an honest one at that. Chrome, IE, Firefox, Safari are all made to gather data from your browsing, throw in a visit to facebook and you have given away everything you do on the net. It does not matter what you do or don't do, but it is your right to be a private individual online, it's up to you if you want to share all that data.

edit: hands up those that are willing to do a DNA/health check via the new Google enterprise. Giving them even more personal data that can be used against you in the future when looking for health insurance, life insurance, driving licence etc etc. It's your data to look after, give it up at your own risk.

 

Both.

Do a little research for details on your own (Google), please, I have explained it so often in other forums over the years that I do not want to repeat it all anymore. The core message is that Google collects data beyond what is noticable to the user of Chrome: even has done - and still does - so when leaving the user the choice to switch this or that off via buttons - and said buttons having no function or not delivering what they promise (dummy swiotches in the past at least). Certain critical data collecting features cannot be switched off from Chrome's UI only, and Google hides that fact from the users.

The German governmental office for IT security officially had rated Chrome as a security risk and an intrusive malware in the past, at that time strongly recommending not to use it. They even considered a law initiative to ban Chrome being offered in Germany. It has become a bit better since then (especially the early first versions of Chrome were a serious pest), but not all has been resolved - doing so would damage Google's business interests. Chrome is not so much a problem regarding malware being spread by it, the high frequencies of updates with chrome helps to fight that, but the concerns lie in the field of personal data, profiling, and privacy.

Not all is good under the shine and speed of Chrome. You pay a price for it, you pay with your privacy, and becoming more transparent for marketing. For the same reaosn I will never maintain a Google+ account, or use any Google service known to collect data about myself. I do not even use Google search engine, if possible (Startpage is a good alternative to prevent storage of IP-related search data). All data Google grabs, disappear from myour control, influence and awareness and get stored for later use beyond your reach. And you do not know who it will be accessing that data files. That 75% "complete" profiles get traded for up two I think 230$, should tell you something. And that is just advertising and commercial interest - leaving o9ut the whole problem of the state within the state, NSA, business espionage, and your future chances to get an insurance,a job, a creditline, all that stuff that so far happened in single cases only, but could (and will!) become the rule sooner or later, but nobody thinks about that.

Paper is patient. Laws offer no protection. Governments conspire in the effort to make citizens more transparent, vulnerable and defenceless against the state. And who makes the laws? Right, governments and the lobbies running them. Its all organised crime. So be careful before putting your trust in new laws to defend your freedom and property. The events in the Eurozone and around the Euro should tell you an ear-wrecking lesson already.

I used Opera until version 13, because it worked fast, reliable, lacked many of the privacy-corrupting inbuilt "features" of other browsers, and most important: had a market sharer of only 2%, making it much less attractive for hackers to develop attack-software exploiting it. Firefox, Explorer and Chrome had market shares between 25 and 40% last time I checked maybe one year ago. This is why they are beign targetted much more often. Its just that Opera messed up completely with its freaking new interface after version 13, and so I left them. They are now a dead body floating in the water, having halfed their market shares (late 2013/early 2014) when users left the sinking ship in huge scores when Opera company thought they must redo the UI. And they deserved it, intentionally crippling a great and safe browser, for no reason. Fools.

There would be so much more to say. Namely that the overwhelming majority of people are totally naive, innocent and careless regarding their privacy protection. Anmd the young ones even got raised in a culture that taught them how to not see any need at all why they should even want to protect their privacy. That is really hopeless.

Me, I am 47 and refuse to have a smartphone. Not just because I do not need it, but also due to these ^ concerns. Even my emergency cellphone, a basic device only, is almost always switched off (increases your life quality tremendously, btw. ! )

 

That is true. Firefox has taken over some technology from Chrome. That they have kicked out Google as default search engine and now offer I think Yahoo by default, has commercial and license reasons only.

For the dedicated attacks by the NSA which wants to nist on every single platform worldwide, not even anonymization and virtual networks offer security anymore, even more so since malware and spyware now gets imp0lemnted into the OS, or into hardware-encrypted drivers for devices. You install the OS, and by that install a big single spyware against which TOR or VPNs will not help you, also no firewalls and virus scanners. Even the TOR network, which many still think is "safe", has been cracked by the NSA, it seems. Scan media for reports, just some weeks ago.

I would send nothing via computer anymore that I would not mind to send on an open, non-enclosed tourist postcard. For anything you e-sent that is more relevant than just "Greetings from the Riviera"!" - well, do at your own risk, "you have been warned".

 

Google is the skynet. I'd stay away from their stuff unless you want to send all your data directly to nsa. Or have google go through your emails so they can use you as a resource to tailor more ads directly to you while collecting all your clicks... Just look at sony what happens when someone has too much data and doesn't care about security at all. First you think it is just your data. The service provider thinks it is their data too while in fact it is there for everybody just to take.

If you want to be sensible then just try to fragment your sites as much as possible. To call that tin foil hat stuff is just f*n crazy after all these snowden leaks that just keep coming and coming... Nobody cares about your data except you. Make the effort to protect it.

 

"... unless you want to send all your data directly to nsa".

That implies that there are ways to have your data not sniffed out by the NSA and GCHQ.

A premisse you should say farewell to. My advise on that tourist postcard is sound advise.

But lets keep things separate. Google's and the NSA's interests, are two different things. And last but not least Google is given its data voluntarily by a mindless, and often unknowing public. The NSA/GCHQ enforces to get its wanted data (which equals all data it can get) even against people wanting to resist them.

Dont communicate over internet what you would not like to write on and send via a tourist postcard. resist any laws by your governments that allow to force you to use e-communication, especially electronic currency.

 

life is too short to worry about mass population espionage.

 

The way I see the more cluttered and fragmented your online personality is the less interesting you are. In the end you can make decisions that will make you more protected against threats that the internet is full of. Or less.

Whose life is too short for "worrying about mass espionage"? I have only lived in this mass espionage world that is still developing maybe 10 years. Our kids will live their whole lives in it. What happens with that data in crisis? History doesn't need to repeat itself.

 

Sorry but I don't share your view. It really doesn't matter what you do, and or you don't. You as in everyone. Once human life advanced past survival mode thousands of years ago, it's been a game all along. Life is like a major scale reality show. That is to back up my statement "life is too short to worry about mass population espionage".

 

I'd guess everyone have their own way to deal (or not) with it.

 

The downside of obscure browsers is they're less likely to quickly patch major flaws (like heartbleed), upside is they encounter them less often.

 

A bit off topic here, the OP was looking at one thing and now we are talking about our personal DATA being used for profiteering and helping towards our own downfall. The funny thing is that we give our lives away and think it is nothing but searching the net and having a chat on a social network. If you think that using a browser is just that, browsing the internet, it ain't and has not been for many years. I was also a huge fan of Opera, well it nudged the regular browsers into innovation, the ones we use everyday would still look, work and feel the same. It made browsing easy, secure, quick and most of all intuitive. Without Opera we would have browsers that were clumsy, ugly, no tabs, paste and go, mail clients, quick dial, spell checkers, the list goes on and on and on. Then the Opera *****les went to Chrome. It took me over six months to find a browser that could do what I needed, Maxthon is the one for me now.

Anyhows, this is not about being naughty online, or being paranoid. This is about us being safe and secure online, keeping our identity. It matters little if you are fine with giving everything you do to a profit making company that could damage your future, or hike your bills for this that and the other because of searches on certain ailments/pages/people etc etc you have looked up via SafariChromIEfox. This is more about taking responsibility for your actions online as well as offline. Would you tell a complete stranger everything about yourself, then why do it online?

Edward Snowden, has opened up the truth about being spied on. If these intelligence agencies were any good at their job then they would have saved more people that they have killed. Do I worry about having a Google account, using Facebook or searching for porn online? NO! Do I think it is unjust that they keep DATA about me just because they can, yes I bloody well do. Is it right that the internet has sites closed down or inaccessible from certain places but not others, NO IT IS NOT! The internet was made for the free access and transport of information. Some of that information is repulsive to me, some I use daily or when necessary.

The only thing you can really do is not click on links, only accept plain text in emails, check every download (even better is you use a sandbox, or virtual OS), most of all never use product from people who offer you the world for less than a packet of Aldi's crisps. So to get back on topic (not the one with an Hazel nut in every bite), spend some time looking about and make sure you check urls and downloads. You may think that it is all a crock of **** and that you could not care a less about who looks and uses your data, who has access to your webcam, microphone. Take control and own your online life. Startpage and IXQuick are good ways to go for an easy way to remove some of that data from their harvesting, you will still need to find a secure email and many other things but a start is a start none the less.

 

already using it