Larian Studios
Posted By: AlrikFassbauer "Don't Trust Me !" - 08/09/03 07:42 PM
Hello, everyone.

Since half a year or longer, every time I visit the page of LucasArts, my Java console pops up, showing or rather indicating some kind of Java-Applet-activity there at LucasArts.

There is also a readable note : www.redsheriff.com/privacy

My conclusion is now that there is a company called "REd Sheriff" which is collecting information about customers visiting the LucasArts page.

My trust in LucasArts dropped increasingly.

I - as a customer - don't want to be considered as a mere bunch of data some program might read out.

They were surely aware of customer not being wanted "outread", indicated by this "Privacy" link shown.

But still I'm quite suspicious : I don't trust RedSheriff, because I don't actually know WHAT kind of data they are reading - and what's even worse : In what kind of data LucasArts might be interested in.

I should begin programming such a tool for myself <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" /> , but unfortunately I'm too lazy for that.


What do you think about that ?

Alrik.
Posted By: Draghermosran Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 08/09/03 07:44 PM
Hmm only if you have something to hide.
Posted By: Jurak Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 08/09/03 07:53 PM
i think there is more of that stuff going on, than we really realize! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" />
why is that allowed again??....i seem to have forgotten, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: bernhard Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 08/09/03 07:53 PM
I think this has nothing to do if one has something to hide or not.

I think if police type Organisations observe the Internet and collect data I donĀ“t like it but I understand it, but LUCAS ARTS <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I think if there is any outspying by them they do it to collect data of possible customers, but this is definitely against the law in most countries. ( which does not help too much because the Internet is global as we know)

Conclusion: strange, strange

bernhard
Posted By: Myrthos Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 08/09/03 09:55 PM
Collecting data of visitors is not illegal as far as I know. If you visit this site and you don't use any IP spoofing, then the Larians can log your IP number, they can log the site you were coming from (if you use the same browser window), they can log where you are going to when you leave and they can log which pages you visited on this site.

Over time they can get determine from which site most people are redirected from and they can establish which external sites are most important to them.

All of this is strictly based on your IP address and the invisible information all browsers send as part of their header information. The information entails such info as your browser, operating system, window size and more stuff like that. The purpose of that is that it would allow the site builder to see what browser/OS/screen size people use most and optimize for that. Or check if anyone is still using 800x600 and if you still need to support that for your site.

E-mails have a whole bunch of 'invisible' data and so do browsers. Like anything it can be used in an innocent way and a harmfull way. An IP address says not much. You can derive the country of the person visiting and the ISP they are using. Unless the ISP tells you, there is no way to find out who is actually using this IP address.
But you actually post here and your IP address is stored with your post, that makes a link to more personal information and your browsing behavior based on your IP address. Eventhough I doubt the Larians actually would invest the time to get this info out of the system it is possible. Whenever you login somewhere a link can be made.

It gets even more trickier with cookies. Cookies can be reused. So if an ads provider on site X stores a cookie then that same ads provider can check on site Y if you visited other sites as well and how often you clicked on an ad and on which ad etc. etc.

You simply can not hide on the internet. That is good for tracking down criminals. It might not be so good for the average person though.
Posted By: Setharmon Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 08/09/03 10:03 PM
Remember the cult of the death cow?
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

But I think this one is just commercial Alrik.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Rincewind Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 08/09/03 10:19 PM
Quote
My conclusion is now that there is a company called "REd Sheriff" which is collecting information about customers visiting the LucasArts page.


Nearly every day, I run AdAware (AdAware homepage)...and sometimes SpyBot, too, if I'm feeling really paranoid!...to clear out spyware, adware, and similar intrusive junk... Red Sheriff tracking cookies come up all the time...
Posted By: Setharmon Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 08/09/03 10:25 PM
Here's another something you might find interesting. Bugnosis

They also keep a list of sites that have bugs on them.

Posted By: Udragon Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 09/09/03 06:40 AM
Ad-aware is ok, but "SpyBot - Search and Destroy" is way better. It has real-time protection !

Posted By: Viper Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 09/09/03 08:21 AM
a URL ??
Posted By: Rincewind Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 09/09/03 11:28 AM
I use them both. Run one or the other daily, and both back-to-back periodically (each one will sometimes find things the other misses)... SpyBot is at web page . Both programs will give "real time" protection... for a price.
Posted By: Viper Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 09/09/03 12:29 PM
thanks <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: DEATHATTHEDOOR Re: "Don't Trust Me !" - 13/09/03 01:06 PM
About RedSheriff
I really like Spybot: it can find much more than Adaware. For safety, I have them both.
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