# Firefox add-on claims that at every visit I make to CC, the site informs several other sites....



## Manonabike (3 Mar 2012)

The add-on Collusion claims that at every visit I make to CC, CC reports to: facebook.com, twitter.com, wordpress.com, google.com, viglink.com and photobucket.com that I'm visiting cyclechat.net 

On the other hand....for instance, the dailymail.com reports to: and.co.uk, scorecardsearch.com.... I would expect reporting to more sites from them.







Just to say, that I have not visited any of the sites in question.... only cyclechat. In otherwords, re-started the pc, firefox and then loaded CC and requested the report from Collusion.


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## Maz (3 Mar 2012)

Er-hem, as long as it's _only_ visits to CC, I really don't mind...


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## qwiksilver (3 Mar 2012)

most note worthy is in the bottom left of pic
"This add-on is still in develpoment and is not entirely accurate"
maybe even totally wrong


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## Mad Doug Biker (3 Mar 2012)

I guess I'll have to stop looking at that porn then....


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## cyberknight (3 Mar 2012)

Do you run the no script add on for firefox ?


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## _aD (3 Mar 2012)

When loading this page, the following non-cyclechat URLs are also called. Google, TickerFactory, Viglink, Twitter, Facebook, UserTrust and Entrust all know about it. They know the cyclechat page, your IP address and your browser's user-agent string.

Viglink set a cookie that expires 1st March 2022
Twitter set a cookie that expires 4th March 2014
Google set a cookie that expires 3rd March 2014
All three of the above will then be able to tie your visit to this site with any other sites they have their thumbs in,


```
http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js
http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmwv=5.2.5&utms=1&utmn=1323305997&utmhn=www.cyclechat.net&utmcs=UTF-8&utmsr=1280x1024&utmvp=1263x909&utmsc=24-bit&utmul=en-gb&utmje=0&utmfl=11.1%20r102&utmdt=Firefox%20add-on%20claims%20that%20at%20every%20visit%20I%20make%20to%20CC%2C%20the%20site%20informs%20several%20other%20sites....%20%7C%20Cycle%20Chat%20Cycling%20Forums&utmhid=1525300806&utmr=0&utmp=%2Fthreads%2Ffirefox-add-on-claims-that-at-every-visit-i-make-to-cc-the-site-informs-several-other-sites.96896%2F&utmac=UA-19250228-1&utmcc=__utma%3D8758311.1879052602.1330802298.1330802298.1330802298.1%3B%2B__utmz%3D8758311.1330802298.1.1.utmcsr%3D(direct)%7Cutmccn%3D(direct)%7Cutmcmd%3D(none)%3B&utmu=q~
http://tickers.tickerfactory.com/ezt/t/wITaO3y/exercise.png
http://cdn.viglink.com/api/vglnk.js
http://platform.twitter.com:443/
http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js
http://ocsp.usertrust.com/
http://api.viglink.com/api/ping?format=jsonp&key=3d27228e40eb21aded5c8db895b67eea&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclechat.net%2Fthreads%2Ffirefox-add-on-claims-that-at-every-visit-i-make-to-cc-the-site-informs-several-other-sites.96896%2F&v=1&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13308022990580
http://ocsp.entrust.net/
http://ssl.gstatic.com/s2/oz/images/stars/po/Publisher/sprite2.png
https://plusone.google.com:443/
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1330467312.html
http://cdn.api.twitter.com/1/urls/count.json?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclechat.net%2Fthreads%2Ffirefox-add-on-claims-that-at-every-visit-i-make-to-cc-the-site-informs-several-other-sites.96896%2F&callback=twttr.receiveCount
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/images/t.gif?_=1330802299728&count=horizontal&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclechat.net%2Fthreads%2Ffirefox-add-on-claims-that-at-every-visit-i-make-to-cc-the-site-informs-several-other-sites.96896%2F&size=m&text=Firefox%20add-on%20claims%20that%20at%20every%20visit%20I%20make%20to%20CC%2C%20the%20site%20informs%20several%20other%20sites....&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclechat.net%2Fthreads%2Ffirefox-add-on-claims-that-at-every-visit-i-make-to-cc-the-site-informs-several-other-sites.96896%2F&type=share&twttr_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclechat.net%2Fthreads%2Ffirefox-add-on-claims-that-at-every-visit-i-make-to-cc-the-site-informs-several-other-sites.96896%2F&twttr_widget=1&twttr_li=0&twttr_pid=v1%3A1330802299897383899362
https://plusone.google.com:443/
http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?action=recommend&channel_url=https%3A%2F%2Fs-static.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D3%23cb%3Df2d539d43266dc2%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cyclechat.net%252Ff23ef4d3fb5603c%26relation%3Dparent.parent%26transport%3Dpostmessage&colorscheme=light&extended_social_context=false&font=trebuchet%20ms&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclechat.net%2Fthreads%2Ffirefox-add-on-claims-that-at-every-visit-i-make-to-cc-the-site-informs-several-other-sites.96896%2F&layout=standard&locale=en_US&node_type=link&sdk=joey&show_faces=true&width=500
http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v1/yU/r/koEysSTBwor.js
http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v1/y7/r/ql9vukDCc4R.png
http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v1/yV/r/yT55eVZkFGZ.css
https://s-static.ak.fbcdn.net:443/
```


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## Manonabike (3 Mar 2012)

qwiksilver said:


> most note worthy is in the bottom left of pic
> "This add-on is still in develpoment and is not entirely accurate"
> maybe even totally wrong


 
Quite right, maybe even not reporting all sites 



cyberknight said:


> Do you run the no script add on for firefox ?


 
Yes, I do.


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## xxmimixx (4 Mar 2012)

I got that add on too but am getting confused, how do I kill the unwanted connections??


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## Manonabike (4 Mar 2012)

xxmimixx said:


> I got that add on too but am getting confused, how do I kill the unwanted connections??


 
They are sites that are tracking you. When you load Cyclechat.net, the site alerts all the other sites that you are visiting Cyclechat.... that is the method they used to tracking your internet browsing. That is the annoying part for me, I did not expect Cyclechat to be sending information about my visit to facebook.com, twitter.com, wordpress.com, google.com, viglink.com and photobucket.com


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## Fat B'stard (4 Mar 2012)

So the question I have is can it be stopped and will using IE make a difference


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## Scoosh (4 Mar 2012)

Thread moved here for Admin's comments ...


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## ultraviolet (5 Mar 2012)

in the firefox settings theres a button for only excepting cookies from sites you visit and not third person sites/tracking cookies, this might help.

or just unistall the add-on maybe


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## Manonabike (5 Mar 2012)

ultraviolet said:


> in the firefox settings theres a button for only excepting cookies from sites you visit and not third person sites/tracking cookies, this might help.
> 
> or just unistall the add-on maybe


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## Shaun (5 Mar 2012)

CycleChat isn't "informing" on you at all - like most modern web sites we "connect" with other web sites and services and therefore download information from them or make doorways for members to use their services.

Facebook and Twitter are there because we have buttons for you to Tweet and Like/Recommend threads and posts on CycleChat - so the URL for correctly doing that is embedded with the CC pages. We're not "giving" them information about your visit we are simply pre-loading the connection in case you want to use it. Nothing is passed to them if you don't use it, and only your IP address is when you do.

Wordpress has been installed for me to experiment with transferring the blog data. It connects back to the main Wordpress domain to check for updates etc. but the only cookie data it sets is local to CC (_to save your login username_) so again - nothing about you is passed back to Wordpress.

Google and Viglink are advertiser partners that I use to help fund CC. Both use tracking cookies in the same way they do for any other site you visit. This is a simple text file that is downloaded to your browser cache and is used to track your actions in relation to any adverts you click on (_and to combat click-fraud_). The ONLY thing they get from your visit here is your IP address (_which is freely available to any site you visit anyway_). There is no other connection, no access to our user database, no emails, names, contact information or anything at all that can identify you.

*NONE OF YOUR PERSONAL OR CC ACCOUNT DATA IS EVER PASSED TO **ANY** THIRD PARTY WHATSOEVER* - and this will ALWAYS be the case.

Just thought I'd make that perfectly clear.

Cheers,
Shaun


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## Manonabike (9 Mar 2012)

I never thought you were passing on personal or CC account details.

Passing on the IP address is enough for site such as google or other sites to track a person's browsing. If you pass my IP address to them and then I go to the BBC, Chain Reaction, etc and they do the same then google can create a profile of my Internet browsing which they can use to sell advertising, etc..... huge profits are made with IP tracking.... That is the only problem that I have with it. Lots of websites pass on this information so it's hard to prevent this practice. However, it's rather disappointing that CC does it too, I'd like to think we are a friendly community looking out for each other - I guess that is not really the case.

It was on the news this week that Twitter has sold every single tweet ever written.....


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## benb (9 Mar 2012)

Manonabike said:


> I never thought you were passing on personal or CC account details.
> 
> Passing on the IP address is enough for site such as google or other sites to track a person's browsing. If you pass my IP address to them and then I go to the BBC, Chain Reaction, etc and they do the same then google can create a profile of my Internet browsing which they can use to sell advertising, etc..... huge profits are made with IP tracking.... That is the only problem that I have with it. Lots of websites pass on this information so it's hard to prevent this practice. However, it's rather disappointing that CC does it too, I'd like to think we are a friendly community looking out for each other - I guess that is not really the case.
> 
> It was on the news this week that Twitter has sold every single tweet ever written.....


 
Did you even read Shaun's post? Nothing is passed to any site, unless you click the Twitter or Facebook buttons.


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## TheDoctor (9 Mar 2012)

@Manonabike,

You clearly have an agenda here. Shaun has given you a clear reply, which you seem to be ignoring in favour of criticizing the actions you imagine he is taking. If you distrust CC and Shaun so much, then you can presumably stop any possible abuse by simply not visiting CC.


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## Manonabike (9 Mar 2012)

Somebody is trying to earn some brownie points here 

If Shaun feels I have a problem then please PM me.


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## Paul J (9 Mar 2012)

If the site didn't earn even a little from Google etc then the site may not exist and or be free for most of us. I don't have a problem with this as costs soon mount up and bills need paying. This is a small sacrifice to pay for such an excellent forum and if I could afford to upgrade my membership I would, but being unemployed and living off my savings my family comes first.


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## Shaun (9 Mar 2012)

You're free to chose what sites/services you visit and in the case of Google Ads on CC they are only shown to guests. If you login when you visit CC (_and tick the little box to stay logged in_) then the ad-tracking code isn't loaded.

If you don't want anyone to track your IP address there are ways to anonymise yourself, but I won't suggest Googling for details ...


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## Davidc (9 Mar 2012)

Ultimately if you want to stay private then don't have an internet connection. Go to the library or an internet café to use it.

Some degree of being tracked online is a fact of life now, I don't think much of it either but put up with it. Commercial organisations shared infomation about us long before the web.


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## TheDoctor (9 Mar 2012)

Manonabike said:


> Somebody is trying to earn some brownie points here
> 
> If Shaun feels I have a problem then please PM me.


Not at all. Just trying to be helpful.


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## Manonabike (9 Mar 2012)

Admin said:


> You're free to chose what sites/services you visit and in the case of Google Ads on CC they are only shown to guests. If you login when you visit CC (_and tick the little box to stay logged in_) then the ad-tracking code isn't loaded.
> 
> If you don't want anyone to track your IP address there are ways to anonymise yourself, but I won't suggest Googling for details ...


 

Good to see a relaxed post about the whole thing while other are having a diarrhoea attack 

Good tip about staying logged in. I think I know what you mean about ways of staying anonymous - as far as I know there's nothing illegal about the way I know but since I'm not 100% sure I will not name the method .... having said that, it can be a pain in the a**


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## Paul J (10 Mar 2012)

I looked at the site not logged in and saw adverts with FF but not IE9


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## migrantwing (11 Mar 2012)

Pay for a VPN. Small cost per month. It doesn't give 100% anonymity, nothing does, if you're using a PC/laptop from home, or your phone but, it's the closest you're going to get regards privacy.

You can also use proxy sites but, sometimes, you cannot log-in to accounts on certain sites, such as CC, without changing your cookie settings.


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## Manonabike (11 Mar 2012)

migrantwing said:


> Pay for a VPN. Small cost per month. It doesn't give 100% anonymity, nothing does, if you're using a PC/laptop from home, or your phone but, it's the closest you're going to get regards privacy.
> 
> You can also use proxy sites but, sometimes, you cannot log-in to accounts on certain sites, such as CC, without changing your cookie settings.


 

Thanks for that..... it's not such a big deal really. I just wish I could block all advertising


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## migrantwing (12 Mar 2012)

Manonabike said:


> Thanks for that..... it's not such a big deal really. I just wish I could block all advertising


 
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/


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