Yes, anybody (including bad guys) can purchase ads from various ad networks and use it to distribute questionable stuff (including malware). They usually get vetted/blocked by reputable ad networks like google, but the trickier ones find ways to get through, and it's a continuous whac-a-mole game w/ bad guys.

What to do? See the blue triangle on top of the ad to the left of the x? Click on it, and it will take you to googles ad site, which has a wealth of information, the best of which is at the very bottom where you can report that ad.

HTH -Jens

On Tuesday, November 19, 2013 1:56 PM, Aubrey Turner aubrey.c.turner@gmail.com wrote:

After reloading the download page a few times, I got the 'green download button' that someone reported earlier to appear.  It is indeed an ad, served by Google, and it points you to a download page for what is ostensibly 7Zip ( http://www.download-21.com/7zip-20627cre/).%C2%A0 This download is most definitely not CHIRP and is not part of the Chirp download page.

Of interest, the download, which technically includes 7Zip, also includes a bevy of other software, including a variety of toolbars.

Here's what it has to say on that site: " Clicking this Download button starts DomaIQ™, it manages your 7Zip installation. Additional software may be offered to you via opt-in ads during the installation process."

So it's kind of unscrupulous on the part of "Zip App" (the sponsor of the ad, according to the bottom of the banner), and it could trick someone into downloading the "7Zip" utility instead of Chirp.

I don't know how whether an attachment will make it to the list, but I've attached a screen shot of the ad, for any who may be interested in what it looks like.

On 11/19/2013 01:44 PM, Jens J. wrote:

The ads on the right of the chirp.danplanet.com site appear to be google syndicated ads.

Either there was a bad (misleading) ad (totally possible) which you would need to report to google, or you are locally compromised (dns hijack, malware, etc).

I still don't think it has anything to do w/ chirp website.

On Tuesday, November 19, 2013 10:43 AM, Eben Haber eben@habers.us wrote:

I realized the cause of the problem that was reported to me. When I go to the chirp site in a browser with no ad-blocker, there is an ad on the right in the form of a green button saying "start download" which installs malware on Windows machines.

Is there any way for the Chirp site owner to control

what ads are shown? Or does the site just get ads from some ad server? I wouldn't be surprised if others are being misdirected by this ad, causing them to go away thinking that Chirp is just a malware site.

73,

-Eben / K6EBN _______________________________________________ chirp_users mailing list chirp_users@intrepid.danplanet.com http://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/chirp_users

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_______________________________________________ chirp_users mailing list chirp_users@intrepid.danplanet.com http://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/chirp_users

If you are using Windows XP did it understand what to do with .zip files? I don't think it did. Later on Windows 7 had the native ability to extract zip files. Maybe not multiple zip archives. Could the 7zip offering be for people who don't feel comfortable with downloading an executable installer and have XP but no third part zip extractor like Winzip which is not free. I'm just thinking out loud. And it you download that 7zip app if you walk your way through the install carefully you can opt-out of all the extra fluff, tool bars, etc... but I would recommend going directly to 7zip's site. I use it to split up and zip files that are say 20 megabytes and I want 4 megabytes per archive to upload to my Yahoo groups who don't allow a file size over 4 megabytes,

________________________________ From: Aubrey Turner aubrey.c.turner@gmail.com To: chirp_users@intrepid.danplanet.com Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 2:55 PM Subject: Re: [chirp_users] Problem reported with Windows download?

After reloading the download page a few times, I got the 'green download button' that someone reported earlier to appear.  It is indeed an ad, served by Google, and it points you to a download page for what is ostensibly 7Zip ( http://www.download-21.com/7zip-20627cre/).%C2%A0 This download is most definitely not CHIRP and is not part of the Chirp download page.

Of interest, the download, which technically includes 7Zip, also includes a bevy of other software, including a variety of toolbars.

Here's what it has to say on that site: " Clicking this Download button starts DomaIQ™, it manages your 7Zip installation. Additional software may be offered to you via opt-in ads during the installation process."

So it's kind of unscrupulous on the part of "Zip App" (the sponsor of the ad, according to the bottom of the banner), and it could trick someone into downloading the "7Zip" utility instead of Chirp.

I don't know how whether an attachment will make it to the list, but I've attached a screen shot of the ad, for any who may be interested in what it looks like.

On 11/19/2013 01:44 PM, Jens J. wrote:

The ads on the right of the chirp.danplanet.com site appear to be google syndicated ads.

Either there was a bad (misleading) ad (totally possible) which you would need to report to google, or you are locally compromised (dns hijack, malware, etc).

I still don't think it has anything to do w/ chirp website.

On Tuesday, November 19, 2013 10:43 AM, Eben Haber eben@habers.us wrote:

I realized the cause of the problem that was reported to me. When I go to the chirp site in a browser with no ad-blocker, there is an ad on the right in the form of a green button saying "start download" which installs malware on Windows machines.

Is there any way for the Chirp site owner to control

what ads are shown? Or does the site just get ads from some ad server? I wouldn't be surprised if others are being misdirected by this ad, causing them to go away thinking that Chirp is just a malware site.

73,

-Eben / K6EBN _______________________________________________ chirp_users mailing list chirp_users@intrepid.danplanet.com http://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/chirp_users

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Andrew, as mentioned before, hosting and bandwidth is not free, and donations are optional, so adverts are a necessary evil.

Also, there very much a label "Advertisements" right above the ad.

On Tuesday, November 19, 2013 3:42 PM, Andrew ziltro@ziltro.com wrote:

I had a look on a Windows PC earlier today and saw different green "download" button-pictures. They didn't say what they were for, so you would assume it was for Chirp.

The site really shouldn't have adverts in the first place, but they should at least be surrounded by a large border and the word "Advertisements" made larger so that it is more obvious what to ignore.

I've made a screen-shot of what I see here, which is different again: http://image.bayimg.com/3a8b49c77301614b0fd2fbe706251df281fd4839.jpg This doesn't even look like an advert. It is certainly not advertising anything, only trying to scam people into clicking on it thinking it is something it isn't.

I don't see why not either. One should "scratch one's back if that one will scratch his" as the saying goes. Contributing to CHIRP by way of knowledge instead of donations or money, is priceless!

Wouldn't you think? We ALL will benefit

Steven

No problem with ads provided that they are obviously ads and not, as if  often the case on software download sites, disguised and hidden amongst what you are looking for.

Now, as a new user who only downloaded Chirp this afternoon, I seem to have an issue. Latest version under Vista and an FT-817ND. It downloads all the special memories but only the first of the regular memories and doesn't see the other memories.

On November 20, 2013 at 9:27 PM Roos G Mats mats.g.roos@gmail.com wrote:

Wooow, this guy must be out of his mind.

I would like to add my support that everyone using chirp pay a usage fee of XX $ / year to give back to the team that invest tremendous amount of time, effort and money do get chirp to what it is for all of us to use.

Nigel A. Gunn,  1865 El Camino Drive, Xenia, OH 45385-1115, USA.  tel +1 937 825 5032 Amateur Radio G8IFF W8IFF (was KC8NHF 9H3GN),  e-mail nigel@ngunn.net   www  http://www.ngunn.net%C2%A0 Member of  ARRL, GQRP #11396, QRPARCI #11644, SOC #548,  Flying Pigs QRP Club International #385,            Dayton ARA #2128, AMSAT-NA LM-1691,  MKARS, GCARES,  EAA382.

Hi Nigel

On the display page of Chirp on top banner is a box with some words like memories shown or limit. On my Vx5r memories I usually have to increase that number from the 25 it starts with to the 220 of the vx5r.

Hope this helps.

Marty kd8bj On 11/20/2013 9:01 PM, Nigel A. Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF wrote:

No problem with ads provided that they are obviously ads and not, as if often the case on software download sites, disguised and hidden amongst what you are looking for.

Now, as a new user who only downloaded Chirp this afternoon, I seem to have an issue. Latest version under Vista and an FT-817ND. It downloads all the special memories but only the first of the regular memories and doesn't see the other memories.

...

On November 20, 2013 at 9:27 PM Roos G Mats mats.g.roos@gmail.com wrote:

Wooow, this guy must be out of his mind.

I would like to add my support that everyone using chirp pay a usage fee of XX $ / year to give back to the team that invest tremendous amount of time, effort and money do get chirp to what it is for all of us to use.

Nigel A. Gunn, 1865 El Camino Drive, Xenia, OH 45385-1115, USA. tel +1 937 825 5032 Amateur Radio G8IFF W8IFF (was KC8NHF 9H3GN), e-mail nigel@ngunn.net www http://www.ngunn.net Member of ARRL, GQRP #11396, QRPARCI #11644, SOC #548, Flying Pigs QRP Club International #385, Dayton ARA #2128, AMSAT-NA LM-1691, MKARS, GCARES, EAA382. _______________________________________________ chirp_users mailing list chirp_users@intrepid.danplanet.com http://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/chirp_users

My hats off to ECHOLINK!

Steven

I have zero problems with ads Dan. Just as long as they aren't associated to malicious payloads that you are confused how to opt-out of or are well disguised otherwise. It's just common sense right? We all realize bandwidth costs money. And bar a pay-wall you get your bucks for the bandwidth via ads. Not rocket science. However these big giant DOWNLOAD NOW buttons even though residing under an Advertisement disclaimer in much finer print is on the threshold of foul play. You know it, I know it, many do know except the few who fall prey for the scam. If you don't like my view on this, too bad. It's my opinion and I don't fear expressing it.

You should express it to Google, as they supply the ads. They provide a feedback link, so use it. Everyone sees different ads, tailored to what Google thinks the viewer is likely to want. I have relatively little control over what gets displayed there.

Navigating the internet these days requires a certain amount of common sense and care, especially if you run an operating system susceptible to things like this. It's just a fact of life that if you do nothing but click the nearest green "download" button that you're probably already infected with something and are probably waiting for the IT department of your bank to "verify your account."

Thanks to Tom for altering the download page for more clarity. The size of the download button is pretty comical and I don't think I want it to stay quite that big forever, but right now it seems quite apropos.

--Dan