If I install AIM, will I get *-ware???

M

Metallica_Band

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Hey there...I was wondering if AIM was bad...like if it installed *-ware (i.e.: spyware, adware, etc...)

Just wondering
C'YA :cool:
 
AIM has ads built into it. There are hacks to remove the ads, which is nice.
 
UGH!!! GAIM sux...any way to download a safe version like Kazaa Lite K++ was to Kazaa???

EDIT: Oh wait...I'm thinking about GAIN...what's GAIM???
 
http://gaim.sourceforge.net/win32/index.php

What Is Gaim?

Gaim is a multi-protocol instant messaging (IM) client for Linux, BSD, MacOS X, and Windows. It is compatible with AIM and ICQ (Oscar protocol), MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, SILC, GroupWise Messenger, and Zephyr networks.

Gaim users can log in to multiple accounts on multiple IM networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on AOL Instant Messenger, talking to a friend on Yahoo Messenger, and sitting in an IRC channel all at the same time.

Gaim supports many features of the various networks, such as file transfer, away messages, typing notification, and MSN window closing notification. It also goes beyond that and provides many unique features. A few popular features are Buddy Pounces, which give the ability to notify you, send a message, play a sound, or run a program when a specific buddy goes away, signs online, or returns from idle; and plugins, consisting of text replacement, a buddy ticker, extended message notification, iconify on away, spell checking, tabbed conversations, and more.

Gaim runs on a number of platforms, including Windows, Linux, and Qtopia (Sharp Zaurus and iPaq).

Gaim integrates well with GNOME 2 and KDE 3.1's system tray, as well as Windows's own system tray. This allows you to work with Gaim without requiring the buddy list window to be up at all times.

Gaim is under constant development, and releases are usually frequent. The latest news regarding Gaim can be found on the news page.
 
http://gaim.sourceforge.net/

Gaim is the open-source alternative to AIM. It's compatible with AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, MSN, IRC, and a few other protocols. It supports most of AIM's features...not sure if there's any left that they haven't implemented. There are some extra features too like easy-to-use (but strong) encryption, tabbed IMs, and reporting a false idle time :rolleyes:. I'd recommend trying it, and definitely if you use those other protocols.

Or you could just go to http://www.oldversion.com/ and download a version of the official AIM from before they included all the crap

Edit: Ice Czar beat me to it :(
 
Well, the official AIM has ads on it... I don't believe it has anything more than that, no spyware or adware in the traditional sense. Nothing that is annoying anyway, just a small ad at the top of your buddy list that goes away when you close AIM. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it has anything that's even remotely spyware/a security risk.
 
Yea, but aren't IM security issues still dependant on idiots file-swapping? If you stick to STRICTLY messaging only, you aren't susceptible are you?
 
Ice Czar said:
IM clients themselves are a major infection vector
http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/02/11/HNimvirus_1.html
http://www.wwwcoder.com/main/parentid/472/site/4607/266/default.aspx

there was a 400% increase in malware detected last quarter that targeted IMs
Click to expand...
you win the bingo buzzward contest for "infection vector" ;)

at any rate, choose from free , open source clients like gAIM, Trillian, or Miranda -- all of them are faster and have no ads (i think, i haven't used Trillian).

use google to answer your "what is XYZ" questions.
 
Carnival Forces said:
use google to answer your "what is XYZ" questions.
Click to expand...
Ah yes, like you suggested in the OS Forums. Normally good advice, but Metallica_Band is famous for asking the most simplest, easiest-to-find-on-your-own questions.

And to be productive, add another vote for Gaim.
 
I will second the vote for Gaim, used Trillian for the longest time, but they fell from favor as they became more mainstream.
 
the primary advantage of gaim is that its an opensource ap thats constantly updated and is "secure through obscurity" or a least more so than the main clients (AOL/MSN) and any security issues that are raised (or inherent in a protocol) are quickly and openly addressed

that still leaves a vast array of potentials and social engineering ploys
the "damger" of IMs is how quickly malware could spread, when I do employ IM I generally do it for a pre-arranged session and dont constantly leave it on.
 
If you really like AIM, Deadaim is a great add-in for it that costs $5. It suppresses those stupid pop-up ads and gives you tabbed browsing. AIM also loads wildtangent and viewpoint media player. Wildtangent will be picked up and removed by spybot and viewpoint is easy enough to uninstall, but I don't know that it is an actual piece of malware.
 
It is supposedly a "media player". I don't really know what it does other than play those stupid animated AIM ads.
 
The Bryophyte said:
It is supposedly a "media player". I don't really know what it does other than play those stupid animated AIM ads.
Click to expand...
oh really?! DAMN how i want to kill it...if i remove it via Add/Remove programs, will it come back next time i run AIM?

is there a hack i can do to stop it from auto-re-installing (if indeed it does?)?
 
It seems to find its way back onto my computer fairly frequently, thought I'm not sure if it does it every single time I run AIM. I really haven't looked up how to kill it once and for all. I just got sick of messing with it. I'll stop spamming the thread now....
 
The Bryophyte said:
It seems to find its way back onto my computer fairly frequently, thought I'm not sure if it does it every single time I run AIM. I really haven't looked up how to kill it once and for all. I just got sick of messing with it. I'll stop spamming the thread now....
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Your not spamming at all. It's good for people to know that AOL IM has some questionable content, whereas some free alternatives do not.
 
ive used trillian for what seems like years, i actually only use the aim IM network, but because of its simplicity and functionality, trillian it is.

ive never heard of Gaim, but like any alternative software...i'll play around with it...see if i like it...
 
WillowHawk said:
ive used trillian for what seems like years, i actually only use the aim IM network, but because of its simplicity and functionality, trillian it is.

ive never heard of Gaim, but like any alternative software...i'll play around with it...see if i like it...
Click to expand...
after you do, mind posting which one you found was better? thanks!
 
Alright...I haven't installed AIM in a long time (GAIM for me :) ) so I don't have first-hand experience but this thread [broadbandreports.com] says the following:
5.2 - no bundled *ware, but it probably has a security flaw
5.5 - *ware installed automatically
5.9 - *ware optional during install, just make sure to uncheck the boxes
 
Metallica_Band said:
EDIT: Oh wait...I'm thinking about GAIN...what's GAIM???
Click to expand...

Haha. that's funny! I get the same response from so many people.

another vote for GAIM. But be prepared for messages like "John is trying to send you a stupid animated smiley thing. To view it, download msn now blah blah..."

 
Ice Czar said:
... when I do employ IM I generally do it for a pre-arranged session and dont constantly leave it on.
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Not paranoid enough! I avoid it, and it is banned from my home network. The person can e-mail my Gmail account, and leave their phone number. I'll call them on my company's cell phone. Does that qualify for a tinfoil hat, or do I need to use a prepaid long distance card from a pay phone? :D
 
mosin said:
Not paranoid enough! I avoid it, and it is banned from my home network. The person can e-mail my Gmail account, and leave their phone number. I'll call them on my company's cell phone. Does that qualify for a tinfoil hat, or do I need to use a prepaid long distance card from a pay phone? :D
Click to expand...
no, you need to buy prepaid cellphones through a fake swiss acct on ebay.

from a seller who's actually yourself

then you're paranoid.

 
Carnival Forces said:
no, you need to buy prepaid cellphones through a fake swiss acct on ebay.

from a seller who's actually yourself

then you're paranoid.

Click to expand...
It pays 23 year-old women to be paranoid these days, doesn't it.
 
mosin said:
Not paranoid enough! I avoid it, and it is banned from my home network. The person can e-mail my Gmail account, and leave their phone number. I'll call them on my company's cell phone. Does that qualify for a tinfoil hat, or do I need to use a prepaid long distance card from a pay phone? :D
Click to expand...


Lethal has on occassion insisted I use an IM, and there are few people I have a problem saying no to, but Lethal is one of them :p


and yes you get a tinfoil hat :p
 
I did a little poking around with some of the alternatives that have been discussed here and this was my experience:

GAIM seems to work really well and the interface is nice, but the default sounds make me want to strangle a kitten. I'm glad that you can change them.

I really like DeadAIM because it gives me my tabbed windows and it also kills all the ads. I don't know, I am just very comfortable with the standard AIM interface and I'm willing to pay $5 to make it work better.

The AIM ad hack works beautifully and gives me everything I want other than tabbed windows, which is not what it's made to do anyway.

I did not try Trillian.
 
I've been using this software for a long time now and its just great. No popups no adware and no spam. They can't really see you unless you IM them. I use msn,yahoo,aim, all thoughter at the same time. Its the best free software out there.

Celsius
 
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39195515,00.htm

IM security: The worst is yet to come

A virus analyst at Kaspersky Labs has done little to allay fears of an upcoming epidemic of malware spreading via instant-messaging services

The number of instant-messaging (IM) worms is on the rise — but users should expect only a short-lived surge before tech administrators act against IM in their companies, a security expert has claimed.

There have been around 40 different worms or variants spreading via IM applications so far this year, the majority of which have targeted Microsoft's MSN Messenger service. Alexander Gostev, senior virus analyst at Kaspersky Labs, said most of these worms were written in Visual Basic and contain similar source code — a sure sign that script kiddies were most likely responsible.

"VB is one of the easiest programming languages to master, but it's unsuitable for serious projects… The source code for some early IM worms was published on a number of virus writers' sites, and most of the new worms are clearly based on this code," said Gostev. "The evidence currently points to IM worms being the domain of script kiddies."

According to Gostev, IM worms are at a similar state of evolution to worms that spread using peer-to-peer (P2P) applications three years ago, which means in the short term a significant increase in the amount of malware targeting IM applications should be expected.

"Between 2002 and 2004, when P2P worms first appeared, they were also mostly written in VB and targeted one P2P client, Kazaa, the most popular client at the time… As P2P-worms were simple to create, and spread rapidly, several hundred families appeared, with numerous versions in each. The increase in this type of malware reached its peak in 2003, with more than 10 new versions being detected every week," said Gostev.

Gostev said that the rate at which P2P worms were evolving slowed rapidly in 2004, which is how he also expects the IM worm 'lifecycle' to unfold.

"The rapid evolution of P2P worms slowed dramatically in 2004 and they currently comprise an insignificant percentage of contemporary malware. It seems likely that IM worms will have the same life cycle," said Gostev.

As administrators realised the dangers of P2P applications and restricted or denied access to those services, they became less of a problem, which is what will have to happen if IM attacks are to be contained.

"System administrators and security managers should be focusing their attention on the potential threat which IM applications represent. One option would be to forbid the use of IM applications in enterprise settings until security improves," said Gostev.
Click to expand...


http://256.com/gray/docs/secure_im.html

Secure AIM Conversations via AOL's Instance Messanger

A number of my friends have asked me how you can talk securely over AOL's Instant Messenger. By default messages are sent in the clear in plain text and any hacker, corporate security, or government snoop can listen in at will.

For my secure conversations, I use the excellent Gaim program with the Gaim-Encryption plugin. Gaim is an open software program with a rich plugin architecture and a good support community. Gaim-Encryption is a good security plugin which uses the NSS libraries to encrypt and decrypt messages between users with the RSA algorithm. The person you are chatting with will need to also be using Gaim with the plugin for this to work.
Click to expand...
 
While GAIM is nice and all, it is still far from perfectly stable on the Windows platform. Using two different PC's for testing, GAIM has at least once every day or two screw up and be stuck in a "hanging mode" with 100% CPU usage. I had to close the program and re-run it. It is stable on Linux, of course.

I like GAIM but it still has its quirks. When using font size 10 and typing a message, your font appears to be a font size 6. When you press enter, it will show up as a font size 10. It is a huge annoyance to me since I'm unable to see what I'm typing. Also, if using GAIM for primarily AIM, there really isn't much "satisfaction" to go with just GAIM other than security. Setting up profiles are limited. You also can't stay with a default font color.

It's like any other linux-based programs. There's tons of features but it's sometimes difficult (or it just takes a long time) to set it up to your liking. But once you get past all the seemingly weird obstacles, you're in for a great ride.

If using only AIM. I would recommend heartily AIMLite 3.0. Google it and download it right off the bat. There's nothing to worry about with AIMLite 3.0. It's simply a stripped down version of regular AIM and it's faster. No ads, no other additional forced installations of other media players as well.

Good luck,

-J.
 
i use Trillian on windows and Gaim on linux, last time i tried Gaim on windows it just didnt seem as stable as Trillian, its real nice on linux though, havnt tried Miranda in ages. All of these programs are clean from *-ware
 
Metallica_Band said:
Hey there...I was wondering if AIM was bad...like if it installed *-ware (i.e.: spyware, adware, etc...)

Just wondering
C'YA :cool:
Click to expand...

No, no, no. It's all the other software in the world that tries to install AIM (or AOL) for you. If I had a dime for every AOL shortcut installed on my desktop after installing something completely unrelated...
 
stumpy said:
trillian > AIM.
Click to expand...
QFT

I've never seen or heard of any spyware ever being installed alongisde any version of Trillian.

If you have more than one IM client, or account on more than one client network, you can log on to all of 'em from the one Trillian app. Tril does MSN, AIM, Y!, IRC & ICQ all in one window.
 
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