Anatomy of a Netscam? -Reply -Reply

[Dan Lester]

I don't usually reply to my own messages, but a bit more info
has come into Idaho.....

>>> Dan Lester <DLESTER at bsu.idbsu.edu> 07/08/96
11:16am >>>
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First, as of two minutes ago, searches on those words on
Yahoo! gave me ads, but not the ones claimed.  I saw ads for
apartment guides, GTE, a computer company, and so forth,
but not even ONE ad for the claimed concern.  
------------------
LATE FLASH!  On my 23rd search for one of those words, or
click on one of those words in search results, I finally saw
the ad.  It may be irrelevant, but it was from a search on
"republican" and then clicking on tenth or so republican site
from the list.  

So, if this outfit has "bought Yahoo" they sure haven't paid
them enough to ALWAYS be the ad when those words are
chosen.  
============================
Again, so what?  NONE of the advertisements are labelled as
such.  But anyone with half a brain, and that even includes
most of our patrons, can figure out that it is an advertisement
by looking at it or by experience with the things that appear
in the shape and position. 
--------------------
Now that I've seen the site, I can readily confirm the above. 
Yes, the page you go to, http://top10.imgis.com/ , has a little
bitty logo in upper left that says "The top 10 political web
sites", but the BIG BANNER says "Looking for advertisers,
We've Got Them"   And this is followed by banner ads for the
"top ten".  Sure, you can fuss with the appearance of media
like "President 96", some sort of simulation, or George
Magazine, but very few would quibble with the appearance of

Official Democratic party web site
Official Republican party web site
New York Times
Politics Now (and, amazingly enough a SERVICE OF the
Washington Post and other respected media)

So, is any of this a big exciting deal?  Nope.  It is just some
hack writer trying to dig up some exciting "dirt" to sell a few
more papers and incite librarians and others to more heart
attacks and nervous breakdowns.  

There MUST be something more exciting to worry about....

cyclops


Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho, 83725 USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester at bsu.idbsu.edu     OR    alileste at idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:    http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"   Kansas, 1979.