Ukers - Free PC offer.

area · Post by **area** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 12:40 am

http://www.metronomy.com

In short, you get 'lent' a free PC for 3 years, in return for which you have to watch a minute of adverts for every twenty minutes you spend on the PC. Now, what I'm wondering is how the adverts are displayed. Could they be minimized automatically when they popped up? Could they be stopped entirely, but still be fooled into sending information back to 'HQ' about which adverts you have watched?

There is also nothing on the site that describes what happens if you 'break' your PC and need to reformat - they say that you need to load a CD they send you every month to keep the PC going, but I doubt that would apply if you reformatted.

The T&Cs aren't actually on the site, which is irritating - you need to sign up, and THEN they send you a written agreement which you have to agree to. It's awfully tempting to sign up and get the T&Cs and look at them in greater detail.

Post by **Specially Cork** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 1:31 am

It says you get a CD every month with ads on and if you dont install them onto the computer it gets disabled?!?
I dont have a clue how that works.

Anyway, Im signing up for one

I can live with 4 ad breaks an hour on TV, so 3 minutes an hour on PC is fine.

Post by **Quzar** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 2:40 am

i think it would drive me insane

CyberMick · Post by **CyberMick** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 8:10 am

Id sooner build another PC then put up with that hassle lol.

Skynet · Post by **Skynet** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 8:18 am

wait a sec... even if u DID install the software. one would imagine that the software would be invisible to the user until the ad appeared. why not just run an msconfig and disable it from startup?

tis bizzare!

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 8:40 am

It requires that you have a 'net connection, so presumably the software phones home. If it doesn't, they'll assume that you killed the software, or otherwise violated the terms of the agreement, and come around with a rampaging horde of hired thugs... err... lawyers.

Post by **Specially Cork** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 10:43 am

So what? Does it really matter?
"Sorry sir, you have disabled the advertising on your free computer that you paid nothing for, we will have to take it back."
They cant really sue you for anything, and if they do, just claim the computer broke.

perry · Post by **perry** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 10:54 am

Couldn't you just use the machine as a server or something..

Wouldn't need to be phyisally lookin at em then...

az_bont · Post by **az_bont** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 11:27 am

Does it worry anyone else that these people will probably be completely free to root around your hard drive looking for whatever they want?

Post by **Specially Cork** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 12:06 pm

az_bont wrote:Does it worry anyone else that these people will probably be completely free to root around your hard drive looking for whatever they want?

No.
Im on a cable connection now with no firewall.
I have nothing to hide.

I love the way people get so hung up about computer privacy, like what they do is really, really private (when its probably just posting on forums, looking at a bit of generic porn, playing a random fps and listening to mp3s)

perry · Post by **perry** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 12:14 pm

scykon wrote:
az_bont wrote:Does it worry anyone else that these people will probably be completely free to root around your hard drive looking for whatever they want?
No.
Im on a cable connection now with no firewall.
I have nothing to hide.

I love the way people get so hung up about computer privacy, like what they do is really, really private (when its probably just posting on forums, looking at a bit of generic porn, playing a random fps and listening to mp3s)

73h w4r3z

Lunchbox · Post by **Lunchbox** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 1:22 pm

scykon wrote:
az_bont wrote:Does it worry anyone else that these people will probably be completely free to root around your hard drive looking for whatever they want?
No.
Im on a cable connection now with no firewall.
I have nothing to hide.

I love the way people get so hung up about computer privacy, like what they do is really, really private (when its probably just posting on forums, looking at a bit of generic porn, playing a random fps and listening to mp3s)

indeed

as long as you keep everything nice and legal (no warez, etc.), then what's there to worry about? well, unless you have like top-secret stuff on your PC that nobody should know about

wouldn't it be funny if they delivered the ads through pop-ups? Just fire up the pop-up blocker and you've got a free PC

Post by **Quzar** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 3:11 pm

well, it is probably made so that you need to be there to see the ads (if you dont click on the ad after a certain amount of time it assumes you are violating agreement) or something of the sort because if not you could just leave the screen off or such... also, they probably have some sort of fine if you dont watch the ads but use the computer or something...they have to make a profit somehow.

The Dream Lives On.

CoasterKing · Post by **CoasterKing** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 4:40 pm

I'm assuming that these adverts will be hugely annoying and not just some regular pop-up gubbins. Anyone who actually gets one can keep us all updated on whether this is legitimate or not.

ragnarok2040 · Post by **ragnarok2040** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 5:22 pm

Looks like they're fullscreen adds that come on for 3 minutes every hour you use the machine. So don't depend on playing online games for more than 57 minutes at a time, heh.

Also, scykon having broadband without a firewall is ultimately foolish. Anyone can upload their software to your computer, logging what you type on your keyboard, passwords to sites, source code if you're a programmer, and etc. They can upload any kind of trojan or virus, corrupting your harddrive, using your pc as an anonymous proxy without your knowledge, so they can visit illegal sites containing warez or child pornography all the while using your ip to mask their own. There are laws where you can be charged and arrested/fined for unknowingly doing these things, too, something about not having preventative measures in place.

az_bont · Post by **az_bont** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 5:24 pm

ragnarok, it's one minute every twenty minutes - much worse

.

Nyarlathotep · Post by **Nyarlathotep** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 5:37 pm

ragnarok2040 wrote:having broadband without a firewall is ultimately foolish. Anyone can <random scaremongering>

Maybe by using a PC with full network shares enabled, as administrator, with no passwords set, and just randomly running any .exe downloaded / sent via email / instant messenger.

I'm not saying firewalls don't offer increased security, but the things you just said could be done to anybody without a firewall, uh, can't be as easily as you suggest.

ragnarok2040 · Post by **ragnarok2040** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 5:47 pm

Yeah, all they have to do is scan your ports and if any are detected to be open, try to upload various programs/exploits through them. There's different tricks for each port, so all they have to know is the open port in order to know what will or will not work.

They can emulate connection services, modify your windows startup to load a trojan, upload a program that'll act as a background process that'll allow them to mess around with your computer. I've been paranoid ever since a network administrator at a company I used to work for explained to me everything that could be done. Even with a firewall + every windows patch installed, there's ways to get hacked, but at least with a firewall, you can detect when/if you are hacked. Applications trying to connect to the internet for no reason, someone scanning your ports, applications that change for no reason after you connect are all signs that can point to if you've been hacked or not.

They can also use your computer to perform DoS attacks against servers, which is what StarScream, or was it SuperNova, did to me against some christian websites.. though those websites probably deserved it.

APE · Post by **APE** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 6:08 pm

scykon wrote:
az_bont wrote:Does it worry anyone else that these people will probably be completely free to root around your hard drive looking for whatever they want?
No.
Im on a cable connection now with no firewall.
I have nothing to hide.

I love the way people get so hung up about computer privacy, like what they do is really, really private (when its probably just posting on forums, looking at a bit of generic porn, playing a random fps and listening to mp3s)

Heh, you won't be so happy about not having a firewall when you wake up one day to find your machine rebooted with a bad bios.

ragnarok2040 · Post by **ragnarok2040** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 6:13 pm

Isn't that what one of the latest virus's does? Flashes your bios with like no data or something, thereby permanently breaking your computer until you get the bios chip replaced.

I use sygate's personal firewall, the newest updated one has "smart" protection, so it can check to see if it should or shouldn't reply when the ports are scanned and etc. I get a perfect score on all of the security tests at http://grc.com now.