IE-SPYAD & AGNIS Lists Updated (Yes, Again)

[eburger68]

Hi All:

Since Stephen Martin updated his HOSTS file just after the last update (7-28-02) to IE-SPYAD (the IE Restricted zone list) and AGNIS (the AtGuard/NIS ad block list), both have been updated again. The AGNIS for Outpost block lists have also been updated. You can download all of these new versions at:

http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm

Included with IE-SPYAD is an uninstaller (IE-ADS-UNINST.REG) for the *previous* version of IE-SPYAD. Look in the \OLD sub-dir of the IE-SPYAD installation directory after you unpack IE-SPYAD. IE-SPYAD also includes an uninstaller (IE-ADS-UNINST.REG) for the *current* version of IE-SPYAD in the main installation directory. You can distinguish between these uninstallers by the file dates.

A Note on the "Adult" section of IE-SPYAD and AGNIS:

As some of you may know, Stephen Martin removed the "Adult" section from his HOSTS file and replaced it with a separate, greatly expanded "Adult" HOSTS file that can be downloaded separately. I will not be merging that huge list of adult sites into either AGNIS or IE-SPYAD. Put simply, that new "Adult" HOSTS file contains 31,000 unique domains (by comparison, IE-SPYAD and AGNIS contain around 2000). I will keep the current "Adult" section in both lists as is.

If you're interested in merging the domains in that "Adult" HOSTS file into your Restricted zone (ala IE-SPYAD), then I'd suggest downloading the Adults.zip file from Stephen Martin's web site:

http://www.smartin-designs.com/

Then download and install Hostess, a HOSTS file utility, from here:

http://accs-net.com/hostess/

Hostess will generate a .REG file for your Restricted sites zone from a HOSTS file.

If you're interested in converting that "adult" HOSTS file for use with NIS or AtGuard, then you'll have to perform the conversion yourself, which isn't tough (just a simple search and replace editing job with a text editor). See the ReadMe for AGNIS for tips and hints on the .REG file format.

For more info on the "Adults" section in IE-SPYAD and AGNIS, please see the ReadMe's for those packages. Both ReadMe's contain longer discussions of the "Adult" section in each list.

If you have any questions or comments about IE-SPYAD, AGNIS, or AGNIS for Outpost, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Best,

Eric L. Howes
eburger68@myrealbox.com

[spy1]

Eric (or our local OutPost guru! <g> ) - A little something I was just pondering as I was updating both IE-SpyAd and Agnis for OutPost:

IE-SpyAd only works for the IE browser - but the Agnis f/OutPost list will automatically cover any and all browsers used on the computer because they all have to communicate through OutPost, correct?

So (a) if you're running OutPost as your firewall (and using the Agnis f/OutPost), you don't really need to use IE_SpyAd (for IE) , do you?

Or do you?

Does it add another level of protection (due to the sites all being in a locked-down 'Restricted' Zone in IE) to keep using IE-SpyAd anyway?

Or is it simple redundancy? Pete

[eburger68]

spy1:

Keep in mind that the AGNIS lists for AtGuard, NIS, and Outpost are for ad blocking only (e.g., banner ads) . It is conceivable that sites could pull content from one of the domains in AGNIS that the AGNIS list wouldn't catch because is doesn't strictly fit the parameters for an ad. In those cases, IE-SPYAD would give you an element of protection from scripts, ActiveX controls, Java, and other things IE.

Although AtGuard and NIS (not sure about Outpost) do have the ability to filter Active Content, the AGNIS list is for the ad blocking functions only.

Best,

Eric L. Howes

[spy1]

Got it, Eric - thank you! It's not a big deal anyway, since I hardly ever use IE anymore, anyway.

And, yes, OutPost does have Active Content filtering. Pete

[FanJ]

Hi Eric,

Thanks!
I have installed the previous IE-SPYAD; still have to install the newest one.
I have a question about DigitalRiver.
I always go through the not-for-everyone list, where I "enable" almost every thing.
In older versions of IE-SPYAD there was a line for DigitalRiver. I have found out that it is better for me not to "enable" it, that means leave it as it is, cause it makes it much easier that way to buy online through DigitalRiver.
However in the previous IE-SPYAD I couldn't find that line anymore. Did I make a mistake or removed you that line from IE-SPYAD?

Thanks, Jan.

[eburger68]

FanJ:

Yeah, I removed digitalriver.com from the Misc section back in June, if memory serves me correct. (I cleaned up and reviewed the entire "Not for Everyone" section in both IE-SPYAD and AGNIS then.) I couldn't see why anyone would ever enable it (and frankly couldn't remember why it was put in there to begin with). Glad to see someone's going over these lists, though.

Best,

Eric L. Howes

[FanJ]

Hi Eric,

Thanks for your answer, and for all your great work !!!

Cheers, Jan.