Do Roadrunner Customers Want Static IP? (2024)

Post by TwistyCreek
Secret Cinema does have a nice facade, but the soft
underbelly shows a user base that uses that facade to facilitate a pretty
decent volume of illicit traffic. Traffic that exists only because it's in
a jurisdiction that ignores it. You yourself in fact basically admitted
this in another post, saying something about certain laws not applying in
China.

I also stated several times that the great majority of our torrents
are in the public domain, but you've chosen to ignore that, which is
one reason that I think you're just a silly troll.

We don't have the resources with which to research every upload, and
the MPAA continues to refuse to publish a comprehensive list of their
protected works, so every now and then something that isn't in the
public domain gets uploaded. That's what the DMCA compliance process
is for, and we honor that compliance process even though it doesn't
apply to us here in China.

If you'd like, I'll post a list of active torrents on our site, and
you can see for yourself how very, very few of them are not in the
public domain or otherwise freely shareable.

Post by TwistyCreek
Your own posted code plainly shows calls to other sites' pages and scripts.

The other sites and scripts you mention here are sites and scripts
that have been described to us (by the ad companies in question) as
totally innocuous. You talk as though calls to other sites' pages and
scripts are de facto a bad thing, which they are not... reputable ad
companies use scripts to rotate ads automatically, for instance, and to
limit the number of ads shown to an individual user in a given time
period. The ad companies we work with are chosen as carefully as we
know how to choose ad companies, which admittedly is not terribly well,
since we're new to the whole process of monetizing a web site. We've
rejected quite a few that have offered to work with us, because we
didn't like their unsavory practices.

Post by TwistyCreek
The cold hard facts of this situation are that you're very closely tied to
a number of organizations that use nefarious at best means to gather data
on visitors to your site, cross site track them, and resell that
information to any and all bidders.

The cold hard facts of this situation are that I've repeatedly
invited you and anyone else to substantiate these claims, so that we
can get rid of any evildoers who might currently be displaying ads on
our sites... but instead of trying to help us identify the source of
the alleged problems, you have spent most of your efforts in verbally
abusing me and tossing around unsubstantiated accusations. Show me a
reliable source of information that backs up what you're saying, and
we'll remove any offending code immediately. Anything less than that
is just abuse and trollery. If you're really concerned with these
issues, quit being such an accusatory asshole and help us make things
better.

Post by TwistyCreek
Yes, I knew who and what you were before I ever made the first post. :)

If you think I'm in cahoots with purveyors of adware/spyware/spam,
then you don't know ANYTHING about me.

Post by TwistyCreek
You and your ilk are the reason browser hardening has to be done in the first place.
You are in fact *the* problem.

No, IF there is in fact a problem with Secret Cinema, then the people
who are the problem are the people running the ad companies we work
with, all of whom offer clearly-stated assurances to their affiliates
that they DON'T do the things you say they do. Maybe I'm being naive,
but I'm certainly not pro-spyware/adware.

As I've stated before, a lot of advertising these days is
geotargeted, and in the course of this conversation it has occurred to
me that, being in China, I may be getting excluded from advertising
measures that are used on you in the West. Testing on my end seems to
indicate that SC's ad providers serve up nothing more reprehensible
than ads. If you would just put down the pitchfork and torch, stop
leaping to conclusions about me, my company, and our site, then maybe
we can sort this all out and eliminate the code that you claim is doing
such terrible things. It certainly isn't in our interests to have such
code on the site, the ads really don't make very much money anyway
(slightly less than what it takes to pay our bills), and I personally
won't tolerate it if what you say is true.

SC doesn't mine information either.

Um, any site that uses cookies at all, especially session cookies,
can be said to install "tracking devices" in the visitor's browser, and
that adds up to an awful lot of perfectly reputable sites. SC uses a
cookie that makes sure the visitor has read the terms of service. Any
additional cookies you're seeing are coming from our advertisers, and
here in China I can't see them at all. If you're telling the truth,
stop being abusive and help me eliminate them.

Post by TwistyCreek
or even associate with entities that will go as far as to attempt to install software on
your machine that opens up holes in your firewall so they can get their popups and such
through.

As far as I can tell, we don't associate with such entities. If you
can show me some reputable independent source that proves we do, we'll
stop associating with them.

Post by TwistyCreek
The vast majority use cookies and Javascript tools sparingly, and
only for internal usage like remembering a visitor's preferences and
"prettying up" the interface. You, on the other hand, allow an unusually
high number of known data mining operations free reign to abuse anyone who
visits your front page. God only knows what happens once you sign up, and
I don't honestly care to ask him.

Substantiate this, and we'll fix it. If you can't substantiate it,
what good do you suppose it does to call me names and accuse me of
complicity?

Post by TwistyCreek
You're selling personal information to third parties that are well known
shysters.

That's news to me, I certainly haven't agreed to do any such thing,
nor have I seen any money from selling anyone's personal information.
Neither has my company.

Post by TwistyCreek
ValueClick is only one shining example of the sort you're in bed
with. A quick Google would widen anyone's eyes. For example, here's just
a small bit of information about sites like Commission-Junction, from a
reputable Antivirus vendor.
http://www.f-secure.com/sw-desc/adware_systemprocess.shtml

If I just wanted to argue, I'd point out that the link you provided
contains javascript, ads, and calls to at least one other domain. I
don't want to argue, I've been totally sincere throughout in spite of
your vile, abusive accusations.

The real problem with this page you've linked to is that it refers to
something called "Adware.SystemProcess" which does not apply to our
site!

**************F-Secure says:**************************
System-process is adware displaying pop-up advertisem*nts while
browsing the web. The software is distributed undisclosed, bundled with
free software.
**********************************************************

We don't distribute software, so there's simply no way that SC is
spreading the Adware.SystemProcess nasty. Was this an error on your
part, or were you just reaching for anything that could possibly be
used as a weapon?

To your credit, F-Secure does specifically mention Commission Junction
in relation to Adware.SystemProcess, a sneaky nasty that calls up
pop-up ads once installed:

************F-Secure says:*****************************
The adware lowers security settings for ValueClick websites such as
commission-junction.com and fastclick.com. The ValueClick websites are,
in general, the origin of the pop-ups. ValueClick is an advertisem*nt
company with several sub companies and affiliate networks.
System-Process modifies firewall settings to allow its components to
access the Internet freely.
***********************************************************

Again, this DOES NOT APPLY TO OUR SITE, as it's talking about evil
sh*tware that is distributed, trojan-like, bundled with free software.
However, since Commission Junction is clearly involved in (or at least
benefiting from) this activity, we will immediately cease displaying
their ads on our site, and end our relationship with them.

(CJ ads removed. I'll go through our Mall section and remove their
ads from there as well as soon as I can, probably sometime tonight or
tomorrow.)

Post by TwistyCreek
But it's not even necessary to research this though. Run your favorite
SpyWare remover after having just visited Secret-Cinema.

I've done that, with zero positive results for spyware or adware.
Possibly because I'm in China, and many ad companies geotarget... but I
haven't received a single complaint from any of our users in the West,
either, and we have a lot of users.

I've removed the Commission Junction ads because you satisfied me
that they are involved in wrongdoing (though maybe not directly, and
not on our site as far as you can prove or I can tell). We are ending
our relationship with Commission Junction based on this information,
even though technically speaking you didn't satisfy the conditions I
set... now do you believe that I'm sincere?