Ad links cloaked in posting text - YOU GOT SERVED

brookefox

EDIT: SOLVED: The cause of this was there was an offending cookie on my machine. OFFENDER: text-serve.com

ORIGINAL POST:
It would be nice if the embedded ad links cloaked in posting text could be readily distinguished from participant's intentional links. I hope they bring in good money because they are _________.

(problematic)

Gaieus

Brook, I do not know what you are talking about. We do not have anything like that implemented here (see my screenshot of that same post). Well, at least nothing that I know of.
You must have some browser plugin/addon (or some adware/malware) that makes those links.

Edit: look what I have found:
http://support.mozilla.org/hu/questions/887190

First, please, try in another browser to see if t's really FF only for you.

thomthom

Check this article: http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-text-enhance/

Probably some software you installed that added a bundle. If you're not careful and read all the checkboxes when you install software you'll get adware in form of toolbars and browser extensions.

Gaieus

Not a bad idea though. Should I tell Mike?

mitcorb

I beg that you don't.

thomthom

@gaieus said:

Not a bad idea though. Should I tell Mike?

I think I would hurt you if you did.

Gaieus

Seems that I need to retreat then. Maybe even delete this topic (once Brook finds out how to identify the issue) so that Mike never sees it.

Rich O Brien

That is a horrible browser addon. Is it some sort of malware?

andybot

quick search yielded this:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120217221353AAJdIbG

@unknownuser said:

Scam company.
Something has been downloaded to your computer.
Remove it, by clicking on the following:

Start> Control Panel> Programs & Features

Look for "Facetheme" or "BetterLinks" (or "Text-Enhance", of course).
Remove.

This is a good article re: Text-Enhance
http://wafflesatnoon.com/2011/10/05/seeing-unwanted-text-enhance-ads/

Looks like you got a malware installed.

brookefox

Well, thanks and that's very good news that it ain't nothing to do with SCF. I only saw it that once for awhile, perhaps while another (bad) tab was open. ? . No bad browser extensions found, no such programs installed, but there was an offending cookie, so I blocked the sites in FF. I am mindful of the third party piggyback installs and do not allow, but some others may not be as mistake-proof as I am.

@unknownuser said:

Mozilla Firefox Extension (XPI):

Step 1: Open Firefox, and navigate to Tools -> Add-ons (Ctrl+Shift+A).

Step 2: Select Extensions and find the Text Enhance extension, and click disable and remove. 

How to block the Text Enhance cookie
From the Tools menu, select Options

In the upper section of the Options window, click Privacy

In the Cookies tab, click Exceptions

In the new Exceptions – Cookies window, enter Text-Enhance.com and Textsrv.com in the Address of Website field and click Disable

You got served.