Sunday, July 01, 2012

Scam or Real Problem? Living With Parasites [Updated]

I got this email today from a blogger friend:
Hi Steve,
A few minutes ago, while I was visiting your blog, the warning that I attach appears in my screen. It says:
Warning: something is wrong here
"whatdoino.steve.blogspot.com.es has contain from  borderland.northernattitude.org a well-knowed site  malware distributor. Your computer can be infected by avirus if you access to this site (...)"
Maybe you should check your computer with an antivirus...
Regards,

Here's the original message that he received:

Click to enlarge and focus


Since my blog is not on my computer, but somewhere on Blogspot's stuff, if there is a problem it would have to be there. And borderland.northernattitude.org is a blog run by a Fairbanks school teacher that I have linked. It's hardly a malware distributor. My guess is that my friend got some scam message trying to get him to buy some anti-malware software.

Anything good, just attracts parasites. I'm talking about the internet in general, not my blog. But this goes for any institution that gains any kind of crowd or good reputation. The pickpockets quickly show up to take advantage. And the scam artists impersonate the officials  of the respected institution hoping to gain credibility from its good reputation. Look at all the sleazeballs who have joined various churches and use them to work out their own personal dysfunctions.

But if anyone who knows more than I do about the inner workings of this system thinks I'm actually spreading malware, could you please let me know and what I need to do about it.

[UPDATE July 2:  I got some thoughtful email from Mike who checked out my source code and Doug's source code at Borderland - where I got a warning message when I tried to go there.  Doug's emailed me to say his site was hacked and he's redoing it.  While I imagine there will always be people who mess up other people's lives, I also suspect that the less disparity in income and the more people who have loving, balanced parents, the fewer people who would do stuff like this. I know this could be happening to my site and I don't have the skills that Doug seems to have to fix it.  But I'd learn.  And it's good to know there are folks like Mike who jumped in to offer help.  Thanks.]

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