What annoys you the most ?

[gmcbee]

Is it basketball season already?

[trailmaster]

I am annoyed by the fact that the file hosts are infected with viruses and all kinds of malware. Because if this I now have to perform weekly computer scans using Malwarebytes, Avira anti-virus, and Spybot-Seach &Destroy. Usually Malwarebytes detects as much as 250 PUP'S which when they were first discovered they were just assumed to be unknown but harmless programs, but with continued research are now classified as true Malware: trojan horses, exploits, browser hijackers, Adware, spyware, viruses, Keyloggers and many others. Why can't the file host companies do ther own scans and rid them of these computer pests?

[Gladys Allova]

This doesn't actually annoy me in fact I kind of expect & relish pointing-out the stupidity of certain individuals & processes. but you guys may enjoy the attitude i've taken in dealing with it.
They have already tried to 'strong-arm' me into going onto 'paperless billing' & direct debit by tricking me into establishing an online account & I have twice had to remind them of my preferences for a traditional account. It's crap, but i do like to have the ability to revue my own records rather than entrust my life to a system which is beyond my control.

I got an email/demand from my Gas supplier this morning which got me thinking perhaps I'd missed some mail from the postman?

but considering I'd only just had the meter read...

Anyhoo, it reads,

Action required

Please make your payment

Dear Mr Gladys Allova

We don’t seem to have received your payment. The overdue amount of £33.86 on your account is awaiting payment.

You can make your payment online or by using the YourEnergy App. Or call us on 0800 027 0072 to pay or set up a payment arrangement. We're open 8am - 10pm weekdays and 8.30am - 6pm on Saturday.

If you're having payment difficulties, we want to help. Please call us on 0800 027 0072, or you can find out more on our website.

Details of more ways to pay and what happens if you don't pay can be found in My Messages.

Yours sincerely

Lynda Clayton
Customer Service Director


P.S. Did you know you could make significant savings on your monthly energy costs by switching to one of our Direct Debit tariffs? You will still pay monthly but without the hassle of arranging your payment every month. Direct Debit for your home.

Account: **********
Postcode: **** 8SG

Make Your Payment

I've already had to wrestle with the faceless & impossible to deal with VirginMedia team twice this week
and They Do make me annoyed
but Scottish Gas do at least have an email address where you can put your case.

so here's my reply,

Originally Posted by Gladys Allova, (tongue in cheek) hoping this gets read by a human

Dear Scotch Gas contactus team,

Hi & thanks for the urgent reminder & suggestions of the many instant payment methods you now offer,
but it is customary before sending threatening email demands to provide your customers with the opportunity to pay the bill first.

Now I'm good, I used to be Really good when there was a prompt payment discount, but despite my best attempts I've never been able to successfully psychicly pre-empt late payment of a bill I've not yet received.

A guy took my reading earlier this week (Monday or Tuesday) and looking at your website the charge for this quarter was only calculated yesterday.

I'm a creature of habit & shall await the traditional and established practice of allowing the relevant department to do the number crunching, sending me the bill & then I can make payment @ the Post Office routine that has served so well throughout the 20th century.
If this is an attempt to convince me that paperless billing is the way forward, I remain unconvinced.

Thank you & best regards for a warm winter,

Just gonna ping that back at them now

[MaxJoker]

Originally Posted by trailmaster

I am annoyed by the fact that the file hosts are infected with viruses and all kinds of malware. Because if this I now have to perform weekly computer scans using Malwarebytes, Avira anti-virus, and Spybot-Seach &Destroy. Usually Malwarebytes detects as much as 250 PUP'S which when they were first discovered they were just assumed to be unknown but harmless programs, but with continued research are now classified as true Malware: trojan horses, exploits, browser hijackers, Adware, spyware, viruses, Keyloggers and many others. Why can't the file host companies do ther own scans and rid them of these computer pests?

Loathe as I am to promote any company , that`s not paying me

Can recommend Bitdefender total security to save you such headaches.



I've been using it for three years now set on aggressive mode across the board, and it`s never once not prevented me from accessing "Troublesome" file hosts and bated programs. Isn't overly draining of system power either.

[trailmaster]

Thanks Max. I don't have any trouble getting into Imagebam. It is just that these PUP's come out and infect my system, but my weekly scans detect them and quarantine them, and then I delete them a few days later. I could pay for the premium versions of my malware scan systems, but why bother. My computer expert says that most malware is able to get through even the strongest of the malware firewalls. And I have an old computer with Windows Vista which is not a good system, but I refuse to get a new computer. I will just continue to use this system until it completely breaks down which could take years.

[cuzzyman927]

Originally Posted by trailmaster

I am annoyed by the fact that the file hosts are infected with viruses and all kinds of malware. Because if this I now have to perform weekly computer scans using Malwarebytes, Avira anti-virus, and Spybot-Seach &Destroy. Usually Malwarebytes detects as much as 250 PUP'S which when they were first discovered they were just assumed to be unknown but harmless programs, but with continued research are now classified as true Malware: trojan horses, exploits, browser hijackers, Adware, spyware, viruses, Keyloggers and many others. Why can't the file host companies do ther own scans and rid them of these computer pests?

Isn't the computer and the internet grand? What a blessing to us and mankind -- Hackers, viruses, Trojans, PUPs, Rootkits, infections, etc, identity theft, credit ruining, credit card/personal info stealing, bank account invasion! How could we have ever lived without computers and internet?

[Schenker76]

What annoys me a LOT: folks that download a movie, simply convert it using a different codec to get a larger filesize and then re-upload again using their own preferred host (the slowest host possible), claiming it is a 'higher quality version'.

[trailmaster]

Computers are ok,it's the internet which is a mess. In my opinion when the internet first started a large group of IT engineers should have gotten together to form their own department for policing the internet, perform regular scanning of all internet sites regularly. Of course this would probably cost millions of dollars and it would have to be an international consortium, but maybe if this had happend the internet might not be such a mess now, and BTW someone once metioned to me that most of the malware that is running wild all over the internet actually comes from places like Russsia and other former enemies of ours. They couldn't take us over during the cold war, so now they are trying to destroy us over the internet!!

[buttsie]

Originally Posted by trailmaster

Thanks Max. I don't have any trouble getting into Imagebam. It is just that these PUP's come out and infect my system, but my weekly scans detect them and quarantine them, and then I delete them a few days later. I could pay for the premium versions of my malware scan systems, but why bother. My computer expert says that most malware is able to get through even the strongest of the malware firewalls. And I have an old computer with Windows Vista which is not a good system, but I refuse to get a new computer. I will just continue to use this system until it completely breaks down which could take years.

Windows Vista security updates end April 11 2017

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/...cle-fact-sheet

Cheap way to upgrade - old hardware with just code no disc for new OS
https://www.microsoft.com/refurbishedpcs/

Securing Your PC - last updated in 2015
http://www.techsupportalert.com/how-...re-your-pc.php


PUP issues: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (posted in 2013 but still relevant)

A PUP detection means a "Potentially Unwanted Program".

PUP is a very broad threat category which can encompass any number of different programs to include those which are benign as well as malicious.

PUPs in and of themselves are not always bad...many are generally known, non-malicious but unwanted software.

PUPs are considered unwanted because they can cause undesirable system performance or other problems and are sometimes installed without the user's consent since they are often included when downloading legitimate programs.

In the past, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware detected only PUPs that were considered mostly harmful and deceiving but they revised their policy, taking a more aggressive approach to include PUPs that most users found annoying or misleading.

PUPs may be defined somewhat differently by various security vendors.

This is what Malwarebytes has to say: What are the 'PUP' detections, are they threats and should they be deleted?.

If you recognize the PUP detection(s) as belonging to a program you installed and/or want to keep, you can add those items to the exclusion or ignore list (by right-clicking) so they will not show in future scans. If you don't recognize the detection(s), then you can remove them.

source

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/foru...-anti-malware/


For mine the old method of running multiple program scans is like closing the gate after the horse has bolted and just leads to paranoia

[SanteeFats]

Originally Posted by buttsie

For mine the old method of running multiple program scans is like closing the gate after the horse has bolted and just leads to paranoia

Malware will always be ahead of any protection software. You just have to hope yours is very good.