attention sims cc creators
please stop using ad.fly
not only does most everyone who knows what theyāre doing enough to install cc have adblockers installed and running so you get $0 for those clicks, butĀ
ad.fly periodically, accidentally allowsĀ ransomware advertisers
you know, those sites that pop up that say someone (the FBI, windows, microsoft, your hard drive) has your computer locked, and you need to call a 800 number to unlock it? (which usually involves paying hundreds of dollars in untraceable methods i.e. gift cards)
as of 12:50pm on 09/07/2016, the time of posting this, every time i personally click an ad.fly link, both theĀ ācontinue to adā (because iām using adblock plus) and theĀ āskip adā button on ad.fly open a ransomware popup.
(users can get around the ransomware popups using adblock plus and google chrome, by clicking the x on the popupās dialog message, then clickingĀ āprevent this page from creating additional dialogsā and closing the tab/page that opened instead of the download link)
i understand most everyone can use more money to support content hosting or the technology needed to continue their creativity, but is the $0.001 you get for every click REALLY worth the real possibility having someone who doesnāt know what theyāre doing being exposed to ransomware?
would you feel ok if you knew that someone emptied their life savings to buy iTunes cards to pay some scammer because you use these links?
the users most likely to be affected by ransomware schemes like this are those new to the sims cc communities, younger users, and people inexperienced with computers.
iām sure ad.fly will remove these particular new ransomware advertisers at some point, as they try to be an above-board company. in my few years of experience using ad.fly links from cc creators, ad.fly blocks these unsavory advertisers within a few days/weeks of them managing to purchase adspace from them, but the scammers ALWAYS try again. and they seem to get through every few months.
is it worth the risk to your fans to get a thousandth of a penny?
let alone your young fans? your newbie fans?
and now for my sleep-deprived, after-work last word on this:
does everyone see this person (replying instead of reblogging because they donāt wanna argue with anyone but me apparently?) replying like talking down to me personally is fixing anything but their slighted ego, talking about āYOU problemās? (who wants to bet they just heard that phrase on TV and thought it was the best thing ever.)
and then replacing the wordĀ ā agreeā with the wordĀ ācareā
to you i say: placing words in my mouth only feeds my need to ignore. mmm, delicious. because if you attempt to argue with someone on the internet (see also: youtube) like a kid, thereās no point in arguing with you. did you know thatās the time needed for two kit-kats iām never getting back. (oh well would have wasted it somehow anyway. probably on wiki)
in other news, letās all think as adults with minimal squabbling and bs where availableĀ about protecting the kids and vulnerable in this community please. whether the answer is ad.fly or no ad.fly, sh.st instead, or installing extensions, or simply unplugging and living in a lovely little rustic cabin with a huge fireplace or whatever.
and absolutely instead of working on how close we can sound to a know-it-all teenager who talks to other people like theyāre scum. eww.
