Author Topic: Trying to understand Tracking  (Read 22881 times)

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Nolly

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Trying to understand Tracking
« on: February 23, 2014, 09:19:03 AM »
I am a newbie. Can someone please explain what the number means that is attached to the green (circle) icon in the top right of my browser.

Am I being tracked or not?

I have avast! Free Antivirus with the latest update.

Thanks,
Norman

Offline Pondus

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2014, 11:10:42 AM »
do you have a screenshot.....


Paul_D

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2014, 05:09:42 PM »
Agreed. A screenshot would be very helpful. And it would help to know which browser you use.

AdrianH

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2014, 05:16:11 PM »
Quote
avast! Online Security is a web browser protection plugin for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer that combines WebRep (reputation rating system for visited websites), Site Correct (automatic correction of mistyped web URLs), Antiphishing (protection from phishing scams) and "Do not Track" features (prevention of third-party sites tracking your web browsing activity) to let you browse the web safely and securely.

What is the "Do not Track" feature in the avast! Online Security browser protection plugin and how does it work?



http://www.avast.com/en-us/faq.php?article=AVKB89#idt_14

Quote
It helps prevent analytics, social media, and other third-party sites tracking your web browsing activity, a number is displayed under the plugin icon in the top right corner of your web browser. When you click on it, the user sees a list of all the analytics tools and tracking software on that site. The user can then choose which to allow or deny.

Firecat

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2014, 10:45:31 PM »
I too am trying to make sense of this new tracking device.  Fact is I do not want it.  It is really messing things up.  The setting button does not respond.  How do I turn it off.  My Pandora has quit working right since this thing was installed.

Thanks
Firecat

Offline midnight

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2014, 10:48:29 PM »
I too am trying to make sense of this new tracking device.  Fact is I do not want it.  It is really messing things up.  The setting button does not respond.  How do I turn it off.  My Pandora has quit working right since this thing was installed.

Thanks
Firecat

You can disable it in Firefox Extensions.  I still have it enabled though.  It hasn't messed anything up for me.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2014, 11:31:46 PM by -midnight »
.

Offline Pondus

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2014, 10:50:41 PM »
Any avast module you dont want can be removed from ad/remove programs > uninstall/change > change.....untic what you dont want and reboot


Offline CraigB

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2014, 10:51:40 PM »
I too am trying to make sense of this new tracking device.  Fact is I do not want it.  It is really messing things up.  The setting button does not respond.  How do I turn it off.  My Pandora has quit working right since this thing was installed.

Thanks
Firecat
You can go into the settings by clicking on the green icon at the top of your browser and untick tracking or other features, or you can disable the browser module by right clicking your browsers toolbar and untick, or you can remove it altogether via the change feature option that is given when you click to uninstall avast.

Online polonus

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2014, 11:08:39 PM »
Hi Nolly,

How can you mistake an avast! anti tracker tool for a tracking device is beyond me. This very part of the avast solution disables third party tracking  in your firefox browser, so it does not track itself but blocks others from tracking you. If users read the word" tracking" somewhere without really understanding the workings of the tool,  they immediately get paranoid and into arms. It always is a bad thing  to get paranoid without understanding why. This part of avast av is just disabling and blocking  third party tracking. In your case it is   just something you should want and be glad to have. Do you want to be tracked?. :o  When the answer is no, then do not disable it. The number is just the amount of tracking being blocked!

polonus
« Last Edit: February 23, 2014, 11:25:15 PM by polonus »
Cybersecurity is more of an attitude than anything else. Avast Evangelists.

Use NoScript, a limited user account and a virtual machine and be safe(r)!

Firecat

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2014, 11:52:29 PM »
Thanks so much -midnight.  You were exactly right.  Now the Pandora works again.....YEA!  You're awesome  :-*

Offline bob3160

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2014, 02:47:24 PM »
If Pandora is blocked, it isn't by avast! as the screenshot clearly shows:

The music comes in loud and clear. :)
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

Online polonus

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2014, 03:07:05 PM »
Hi bob3160,

A good thing here is that our forum user, -midnight, never disabled it.
The more protection against tracking the better, and she is right.
So she was the only one taking the right decision i.m.h.o.  ;D
So 10 points go out to -midnight ;)

polonus
Cybersecurity is more of an attitude than anything else. Avast Evangelists.

Use NoScript, a limited user account and a virtual machine and be safe(r)!

Offline midnight

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2014, 09:27:55 PM »
I have everything blocked.
.

Nolly

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2014, 08:55:38 AM »
Thanks for your replies. With some intuition and some research I have managed to answer my own question.

Alievitan

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Re: Trying to understand Tracking
« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2014, 12:12:40 PM »
I have everything blocked.

Offtopic but you have every security extension known to man in Firefox it seems to me.  Bitdefender, Avast, Mcafee are just a few I recognized.