I won't be posting more on this issue here since rod03801 has provided an alternative link. I have added it as a favourite board, so post there. You can also message me for further info.

Errorprotector is most likely leaked through your Active X controls in IE as evidenced here:
http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?p=965040 "C:\Documents and Settings\******\Local Settings\Temp\Install-Errorprotector-Free.exe ->"

Your spyware programs wouldn't detect it until it executes. Often times, it will install other files into the C:/ (right there, or it will install them in your windows system folder). If you are clean and sort by date, the nasties will be at the bottom and usually with some oddball file name like "sk239dkdm22e.exe"

Call this "tough love", the way to deal with malicious files at whatever level is to let them come in and that way you can know how to remove them. You can download software and plugins. That will not deal with the files, but hopefully avoid them. What happens is when Norton or another well known service finds new viruses online, they make upgrades to their programs. This is why you will never have a complete anti-virus program, because the virus programmers out there are busy making a new one that can get around the latest prevention methods (anti virus program, ad-blockers, email scanning, etc...)

If you can't stop the viruses from coming in, and you are scared at the notion of letting them in, please consider getting a "HIPS" program, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrusion-prevention_system

http://www.techsupportalert.com/security_HIPS.htm (I have used Cyberhawk, second one listed, and now that I found this link I think I'll check out a few others)

A firewall I use and like is Comodo Personal Firewall http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

When I had my experience with a virus earlier this year, both Comodo and another firewall I was testing immediately alerted me when the main files of the virus were re-installed and starting to execute them. So it gives you plenty of time to reboot in safe-mode and deal with them. Obviously, if you have an older virus hit you, and you have an anti-virus program, it will not only do the same but remove them for you (sometimes with a reboot necessary). With the HIPS program, it goes a few steps further and learns your behavior to determine intrusions.

Fencer, I am only speculating, but you can do a lot with .swf files (which is why you don't see many of them allowed on community sites). If you are really concerned, I recommend you not use .swf banners and only use animated .gif files.

The banners are .swf banners. This means any frame in the "shockwave flash" movie file can contain a redirect. They can be programmed to go off at different times.

Regardless if people want to accept it or not, banner ads can contain spyware. I have tested this, and reformatted a hard drive, installed the program in question and as soon as banner ads appeared, the virus came and my firewall program and anti-virus programs lit up like a Christmas tree. This particular one was so malicious that the only way to stop it was to disable IE. The following day a friend from Thailand PM'd me with the same problem and the same symptoms, same virus.

I am only saying this to show that it is possible. In this case, it's not as severe. It appears to only be a redirect, but keep your eye open. This could be just a test for something worse down the road. Also, banner ads do not represent the site. Fencer cannot do anything to completely stop viruses from leaking through them. If you absolutely do not want any chances of lost data or spyware, then backup any important files and if the paid service here removes banners, you won't get them.

If you are like me, you will fight these nasties as they come and learn the system. If anyone thinks they are infected, feel free to contact me and I can try to help you further or send you to the right people that know more than I do.

rod03801,

Is there a support forum?

I got it too, yes, it could be spyware. However, the spyware could be originating from the banners. I have had a few of these come up while using Paltalk. So, if you want to catch the banner, you can clear your cache before visiting here, and next time you get it, go to your temp folder and the culprit should be there.

Summertop:

Why would I pay to be able to post youtube videos when I can just send a link to a friend through a messenger like Yahoo or AIM already for free? I am not trying to attack you in any way, but I question sites which base payment on services that don't need payment. If we are to pay into the system, shouldn't the money go towards more productive causes like improve on the 90's interface look this site has, and integrate training applets to help people who play strategic games like chess, go, etc...?

There are a ton of features that could be added which directly relate to games that would improve it overall for everyone. That's where my money would go if I were to become a paying member.

Instead of adjusting every variable for a game invite, I would like to be able to have a default preset invite which I could just send out. To add to this, maybe it could auto do this as soon as a current game is finished.

"there are many negative outcomes associated with allowing or providing for people to simply cancel games without penalty after they have already accepted them."

That's understandable. I am open to finding out whatever negative aspects there are to preventing people from canceling games if they haven't been started. This is a common feature on many other game servers. To not allow it is like not allowing people have guns. The criminals end up with the guns, and the law abiding citizens don't have a means to protect themselves. This is an extreme analogy, but it gets the point across. If someone is to use this feature for wrong reasons, they can still do it now. I would understand it if this feature didn't have a limit, but I think one a day (one a week??) would be very helpful to those that aren't here to cause trouble.

"Another solution to your problem is to send a private message to Fencer who has the ability to help you, but I would guess that he would not prefer to do this if you are prone to accepting game invitations on accident"

This site is run a little differently than others. I see some good points and bad points about that. However, because it is run differently, you will get newbies (which I am), that don't know how to navigate through the site until we experiment and trial and error.

Obviously, now I am not going to accept invitations to see the board from now on. Being prone to something means you do it on a continuous basis. I have only done it once. As diogenysos pointed out, there are also common actions we do because 99% of the time it is appropriate. What about that 1% when we our actions don't represent our intentions?

Your draw example brought up an idea. What if you had 1 day to reverse declining or accepting an offer? This has good points for both the game offer and draw offer. A third use is if people wanted to take back a move, that could be very helpful. You make a move, and then see the mistake after it has been moved. Being able to edit the last action you did would be very useful.

You can think whatever you want to think. I simply made a feature request. Take it or leave it. I don't really care. I am sorry I even brought it up.

The thing is, I accepted an invitation. I didn't even know I did it. I was simply clicking around, learning how this site works. There wasn't an intentional invitation I made that I wanted to cancel. I simply didn't know. Now I do. Isn't there some grace factor? To me, that is sporty. Saying, you clicked it, tough is a bit strict in my opinion.

It would be similar if we bumped into each other on the street while being preoccupied with whatever we were doing beforehand. You juse say, "excuse me sir" / cancel, and move on. Not only do I see that as sporty, but also polite.

Which do you want from me, a response that addresses something else? What did you eat for breakfast today? Where are going shopping tomorrow?

Or, do you want me to address the statement head on? Well, Jessica, I don't need to be convinced of the "other" ways. I stated a feature request. I wasn't asking for support.

If I made a move, then yes, there is no computer task that I know of that would require me to sign on to Brain King and make a move. However, if I clicked the accept link on accident, and I never wanted to play to begin with, I don't see this as a moral issue.

Furthermore, if 2 friends are just practicing openings. Perhaps one is a grandmaster, the other never moved a piece, the beginner would want more time to make moves than say 2 grandmasters. In that case, this would be a perfect solution. You let the beginner practice their openings. After 10 moves, cancel, start over.

There are uses beyond what I see. To prevent people doing this deliberately, you could put in a limitation so that they could only cancel 1 game a day. This would allow those that legitimately don't want to play the ability to cancel and prevent a disruptor from doing it en masse.

I understand there are "OTHER" options, I understand I can do all this "OTHER" stuff. What I would like to do is be able to cancel games if I haven't made a single move. Please don't try to convince me OTHERwise with some OTHER way of thinking. Trust me, I know what I like. This is one of them, I like that option. If you don't want to play, you just click what would be a cancel button, it gets erased from the system.

This has a lot of advantages. If you are playing chess, you could invite someone to a game with the King's Indian and see if they want it. You could invite them to an opening with the Sicilian, whatever. I don't see why a resign has to be the solution. It doesn't make sense to me, it won't make sense to me, so don't try to convince me "OTHERwise" folks. Just accept the fact, that's what I would like to see. If it gets implemented, great, if not, oh well. I voiced my opinion and it will stand. See you perhaps on the board someday.

I don't quite see the logic in that. Pay to not play?

I went to make a screenshot. I am new to this, so I opened up a board, and in doing so, someone accepted. All I wanted to do was make a screenshot so I could redesign Shogi (Japanese Chess) pieces.

Another reason would be if you started up 4 or 5 games, and then 2 accepted. You might want to concentrate on those 2 games. Why make 4 or 5 in the first place? Because you don't know who would be interested. Instead of waiting for 1 person to accept in one kind of game, you sent out multiple invites and see who bites. Then you play. In that case, it would be useful to cancel a game. Even if a person didn't use this option the right way as mentioned before, they can still do it. If all they want to do is mess with the system, why would they care if the system credited them with a loss? They are just messing with the system. People in my case and the second example I outlined would have that loss carry with them when it really shouldn't.

If you resign, the system counts it as a loss. I don't see the significance in this. I think if it must be there, we should be able to type a reason then why that game was ended on the first move. Personally, I am not into this wins/loses, ratings. I just want to play to play.

I think if you haven't moved a piece, in whatever game, you should be allowed to cancel it.