Handy tool for Firefox users--stops tracking, speeds up web page loading

[54ny77]

Came across something called "Ghostery."

It's a tool that blocks all kinds of tracking things and, consequently, I've noticed a decent increase in computer speed (or rather, web pages load faster). Once you run it, it's amazing to see how many add-on programs that web pages have which slow things down. The CNN website, for example, has several tracking programs on it that get blocked.

Ghostery

[t-hoe]

but for something really fun, or to actually know what your up against in those wi-fi cafes, check out the firesheep plugin. dear god.

[gt6267a]

but for something really fun, or to actually know what your up against in those wi-fi cafes, check out the firesheep plugin. dear god.

A conservative view of this recommendation ...

People this is hacking. It might seem cute or fun or just amazing to realize what is possible, but with this kind of tool you are accessing someone else’s personal information and this is not legal.

Imagine you have been cruising the net at a coffee shop and decide to head to the bathroom. On the way, you look at someone else’s screen who happens to be browsing facebook, website xyz, or heaven forbid the vsalon as you. It will be real funny right up until they post about what you do with cucumbers, buy something that is charged to you and shipped to their PO Box or change your password.

That disdain, anger, frustration etc that you are feeling, that desire to call the police and have this person arrested, or simply the desire to beat their xyz … When people see / find out you are using this tool, people are going to be directing that at you. Remember, when a house burns down, the first suspects are the people with keys.

My recommendation, unless you are the network admin at a place where monitoring is expected, do not use this tool on strangers or with people who don’t know you are using it. Unless you have a reason to use it, uninstall this thing pronto.

[t-hoe]

gt6267a, you missed the sarcasm. By "fun" i meant scary, hence the sentence that followed. I was trying to show folks what they are up against. I, in fact have "blacksheep" installed to counter such attacks.
In addition, I'm very careful about unencrypted data at wi-fi hotspots, especially airports. always use https (but even that has crakcs)never buy anything, ever at such a site. Never use wep.
My cell phone is powerful enought to crack packets in minutes. use at least wpa or better yet, a personal vpn.

i could go on, but If people are savy enough to be on vsalon, i'll assume they can use google.

[54ny77]

t-hoe, do i (or should i) need some sort of anit-whatever on my cell phone? i don't use it for anything other than email and, of course, vsalon'ing.....

[t-hoe]

I haven't looked at the codedeck of firesheep, but my understanding is that it's just grabbing packets containing username and password, then spoofing and entering the hacker into the site as that user.

worst case scenerio is that someone comes into vsalon as you and list something for sale, and follows through with some bogus transaction.

i'd put the probablility of that happening at about .0000175.

[WadePatton]

gt6267a, you missed the sarcasm. ...
i could go on, but If people are savy enough to be on vsalon, i'll assume they can use google.

yo, don't be makin' your assumptions too big (stops to wipe drool). sure i'm here--and whilst here hope to trust my fellow salonistas to give gentle guidance in areas where their expertise obviously outshines mine. (today it's online security and mp3's) (more drools).

i love learning, but have trouble turning the curiosity factor off (add) and will spend all night learning about crap i don't need to know...

gracias

[WadePatton]

back to OP: good stuff. I'm now running that--plus a script blocker. OOOH how i love the script blocker. (noscript) takes a bit to get the permissions set, but cleans things up for sure.

there's a TON of shit going on behind the "face" of the web...

[billrick]

Love the ghostry plug in, thanks.

Happy to see that V-salon has ZERO tracking programs to block.

MTBR, whoah Nelly. That forum has up to six tracking programs in there. My page loads went from 9 seconds to 3 seconds when using ghostry.

Noscript is next.

[WadePatton]

hey, on that noscript. to speed things along: when the window/thingy doesn't open and you _want_ it to. right click and slide down to noscript and select options. i'll allow "whatever.com" if i use the site much. i'll do the "temporary" thing out there in the hinterlands. Or you can specify exactly whatever.

i don't think i need abp (ad blocker plus) anymore. but it's there and was my fave for a while. obnoxious banners/signatures/avatars BAM! just right click-block, gone! lovely. but it wouldn't kill the scripts...