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EasyLinks (Surf+)
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Notice: Surf+ EasyLink Ad Network is no longer a
threat to computer users and Web sites since the ad network was dismantled.
SOFTWARE NAME Surf+
SUPPLIER NAME / URLs Surf+ / www.filemix.net (the filemix.net domain name has
been taken down and is now up for sale)
AD TYPES EasyLink Ad Network: contextual ad links were shown in green colored
highlighted links. The words would appear as if a green highlighter pen had marked up select words on
various Web pages turning the words into links not placed there by the Web site owner.
Surf+ has discontinued the use of these green colored links known as EasyLink ads.
DISTRIBUTION METHOD Surf+ was bundled with the SpediaBar from www.spedia.net
AFFECTED BROWSERS Microsoft Internet Explorer, versions 4.0 and higher.
EASE OF DIRECT REMOVAL Reported as difficult by other people (see following
forum conversation).
A conversation at ihelpyou Forums
about uninstalling Surf+ with EasyLink Ads (not a pretty picture):
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• Mousejockey: I've
just had some strange things happen on my computer, over a 100 windows suddenly spit out at me, can't
load outlook nor adobe!
Trying to get rid of surf but there's no uninstall! running start,run, surfplus.exe/u doesn't work,
win comes back saying no such file, yet it's there in explorer!
• ihelpyou: That is what I am
worried about also. My puter keeps freezing up. That software is a VIRUS in all computers who load it.
It does strange things to the registry. I keep getting error messages and have to shut windows and
programs down all the time.
There is a "cleaner" for this, just do not know what the Url is. Will look for it in the
morning. Maybe someone knows? I certainly would not try deleting anything yet. It is an infection.
• Mousejockey: Windows wouldn't
let me delete the file,
deny access!
... On down the thread ...
• ihelpyou: ... The software
installed on our puters is nothing but a virus. It has made my computer do things I have never seen
before and I have a very good one and never a trouble in 1 year.
Interesting Fact: The ihelpyou forum thread discussion is the longest ThiefWare
thread we have found so far (2,525 msgs., Dec. 26, 2005)
AD DISABLE METHOD (server-side) Frame Sets: Links are broken by framed pages
and thus do not appear on sites using frames. Of course setting a Web site inside of a frame set is NOT
a viable alternative for many site owners.
OTHER COMMENTS
When Surf+ was operational, it would convert certain words or
phrases on a Web page into contextual advertiser links when using the MSIE browser. Those links could have
lead the computer user to competitor sites, online casinos, PORN sites, and other Web sites. Having those
links show up on Web sites was a major concern for Web site owners since they had no choice in the matter.
Disney's Kids' Web Site, Victim of PORN Links:
Disney's Kids' Web site had been found to contain many links to PORN for a duration of time until Surf+
put a stop to those particular ads showing up on the Disney site.
Random, Untargeted Advertising:
Seemingly the linking ads were randomly selected words for green links. There seemed to be no organization
or control by the advertisers under which keywords they might show up under. The advertiser would be
advertised via untargeted and unrelated keywords as noted by a couple people posting at JimWorld's Search
Engine Forums.
Users Lost Control of Navigation of Web Sites:
Users once experienced interrupted navigation on web sites since EasyLink also hijacked navigation text
links within Web pages. When a user clicked on a navigation link that was also an EasyLink ad, the user
got whisked away to the advertiser's site without the user having control over normal navigation and was
forced to leave the site until the user hit his/her back button on the browser. This was both frustrating
for the user as well as the site owner.
Spedia Accused of Not Paying Members for Surfing the Web:
Spedia who originally included ThiefWare Surf+ w/ EasyLink Ads in their SpediaBar software bundle in 2001
is reported as defaulting on payments owed to their members who sign up for their pay for surfing
program. Also being reported, Spedia does not correctly credit members with points earned so that
they earn the right amount, but there may be some technical reason why certain credits are not being
calculated in with the total earned. Members feel cheated by Spedia. The general consensus with various
members is: do not waste your time signing up because you probably won't get paid to surf. See these links
for reference:
2001 CHRONOLOGICAL REPORTS (approx. dates)
08/17/01 through
08/19/01:
Text Keywords Targeted: All of the following words on Web pages across the net were being
targeted for links to advertisers' sites. The various keywords below were randomly linked
to various Web sites including PORN and online Casinos:
Rates, Internet, Find, Rate, Discount, Information,
Java, Computer, Music, Cheap, Love, Newsletter, Sale, Promotion, Email, Las Vegas,
Vacation, Mail Order, Search Engine, Cash, Investing, Investment, Book, Purchase, Loan
Application, Sales, Free Casino, Network, New York, Love, Warehouse, Privacy, Online,
Garden, Cooking, Florida, Holidays, Anonymous Email, Internet Casinos.
08/20/01:
Confirmed Reports from ihelpyou
forums state that Kanoodle at: www.kanoodle.com had partnered with Surf+ EasyLink ad
system. If you advertised with the Kanoodle search engine, you may very well have found
your site being included in the Surf+ EasyLink ad system.
08/21/01:
All Surf+ EasyLink ads were being redirected to FindWhat search results at
www.findwhat.com (update: findwhat.com search engine has been
removed and the domain name is redirecting to the www.miva.com Web site). It seemed the
FindWhat search engine was also partnering with Surf+. FindWhat displayed search results
linked with the keywords instead of the keyword taking the user directly to the
advertisers' sites.
08/25/01:
FindWhat suspended their partnership with Surf+ until further investigation. The FindWhat
search engine management claimed that Surf+ had not done anything wrong by putting up
those green links, but had suspended the partnership for other reasons.
09/04/01:
All other PPC search engines have severed their ties with Surf+. This is great
news for us Web site owners. If they ever decide to re-launch, perhaps they will come up
with a way to allow sites to opt-in and get paid for referrals rather than assume that
everyone is going to accept being ripped off. They should have thought about this from the
beginning before sinking their own ship.
09/08/01:
The EasyLink function of Surf+ has been disabled. This was confirmed by going to their
home page at www.filemix.net and noting the message that says “EasyLink
functionality is currently disabled!”.
The above chronology reports were gathered from various sources and eye
witnesses. Dates provided are an approximate time table.
Update:
The www.filemix.net domain is no longer functioning as the Web site it once was. The
domain is for sale and is displaying one of those junk directories (a name given to this
type of directory) that gets duplicated across hundreds of other domains up for sale.
Knowledgebase
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