esampler pop up?

[timnicebutdim]

Does anyone know anything about a pop up that seems to suddently appear called esample pointing to esampler.tns-global.com ?

I can't click on the pop up or open it... it just sits on the task bar. I started getting this pop up a few weeks back but have since formated my computer. Suddenly the pop up appears back again.

It seems to open mostly when i sign off or sign on but not everytime?

I am 100% sure this computer has no spyware... just been formated and been knowhere that i could have got spyware - lots of security on this computer.

To be on the safe side i have now placed esampler.tns-global.com in my blocked domains list, but does anyone know what this is?

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "I can't click on the pop up or open it... it just sits on the task bar." }-Is it also presenting an actual popup....and if so can you grab a screen shot of it and attached that screenshot to a post ?

You know nothing about TNS European Access Panel ???

[HD rider UK]

Hi Tim
are you by any chance on AOL?
I had this a few weeks ago and like you was a bit concerned. I finally found out that it was connected to a Norwich Union Insurance advert carried by AOL. TNS have a technology called esampler which is licensed to advertisers to enable online urveys of their adverts. It places a cookie on your machine whenever you access apage containing the advert. Tns however claim thatthey do not subsequently harvest any data from that cookie without first contacting you and getting your express permission to do so ( make of that as you will). It has been used in the past to carry out online user surveys of surfers visiting online help sites to get their feedback on the usefullness of the site, i think that Cambs County Council employed it to get feedback on one of their online benefit advice pages. They used the sampler to cookie machines visiting the page, then a survey company subsequently contacted the users of those machines online via a popup and asked them to take part in the survey. All a bit iffy IMHO.
Hope this helps

Jock

[timnicebutdim]

Yes i am with AOL and the pop up appears everytime i sign on... but its on the task bar as if the window is minimized.. its not possible to open the pop up.. its like its stuck minimized.

Never heard of the TNS European Access Panel?
What is it?

Also i have never done any online surveys... if this is an AOL thing then i object to it because it is launching a pop up without my express permission, which is hijacking to a certain point.

Another concern is if it is malicious in any way and how i may get rid of it forever?

[HD rider UK]

Hi tim
apparently its not malicious but is a pain. There is a lot of discussion on the aol messageboards in the help/aol9 board, maybe more info there. How have u got your marketing preferences set up in aol? if you block all marketing including aol's that might stop it.

Jock

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "Never heard of the TNS European Access Panel?
What is it?" }-I have no clue....it's where it takes you if you go to the URL that's in your first post ???

Hopefully HD rider UK is on to something :-\

[HD rider UK]

Ok, cracked the problem.

These esampler popups are on behalf of an advertiser on aol, and are there with aol's permission and approval. Although it is well hidden by aol, i have found out how to disable them. If you go to the aol browser and then go to the "keywords "drop down menu, select "go to keyword", then enter the following in the go to box

aeidpreferences

click the NO button and then click OK, then that should sort the problem.

btw, this particular keyword is not listed in their keyword directory, and the default setting is to accept the cookies. They are also using web beacons so they are next on my list.

Jock

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "and the default setting is to accept the cookies. They are also using web beacons so they are next on my list." }-Blocking cookies from the below site might help also.

http://esampler.tns-global.com/esampler/writeaoltest.html?harvest,AOL

"This window has appeared to send a cookie, called 'eSampler' from TNS Interactive, to record that you have seen certain online content, such as an online ad. The data in this cookie will not be read unless you later agree to a clear online request from TNS. TNS operates a strict online privacy policy and no data is being collected from your computer.
Our apologies for any inconvenience this window has caused"

[nadirah]

-{ Quote: "I had this a few weeks ago and like you was a bit concerned. I finally found out that it was connected to a Norwich Union Insurance advert carried by AOL. TNS have a technology called esampler which is licensed to advertisers to enable online urveys of their adverts." }-

AOL downright sucks. They actually partner with these CRAPPY advertisers just to serve USELESS advertisements to customers. Serving ads to people like this seems disturbing and invasive. That esampler advertisement is just RUBBISH. What for make ads like these and say its used for surveys? Isn't this all just a marketing ploy by AOL and its advertisers...

I think people might as well quit using AOL, get some other service that is better.

AOL Instant Messenger also has a piece of spyware called Wildtangent.

-{ Quote: "Norwich Union Insurance advert carried by AOL." }-

Norwich Union Insurance ad? That ad is a piece of marketing rubbish. Just when will these advertisers learn to shut the hell up... :-X Norwich Union Insurance? Who's interested in buyin' insurance from them, huh?

-{ Quote: " TNS operates a strict online privacy policy and no data is being collected from your computer." }-

I don't trust what these people say...

[nadirah]

-{ Quote: "Blocking cookies from the below site might help also.

http://esampler.tns-global.com/esampler/writeaoltest.html?harvest,AOL

" }-

In firefox its blocked by me...

[nadirah]

-{ Quote: "TNS have a technology called esampler which is licensed to advertisers to enable online surveys of their adverts." }-

Here's an extract from tns-global.com
Read bolded words.

TNS is one of the world’s leading market information groups with over 14,000 full-time employees across the world.



We collect, analyse and interpret information to help clients better understand the needs and wants of their customers. We provide research, advice and insight on marketsegmentation, advertising and communications, new product development and brand performance, and stakeholder management, supported by a range of Business Solutions. We are also one of the leading providers of social and political polling.



We use the latest technology to collect information and provide up-to-the-minute analysis of today’s ever changing markets. We have specialist expertise in all the major industry sectors, enabling us to work in close partnership with our clients and provide individual solutions.



For many industries, our syndicated services provide market measurement that forms the basis upon which organisations negotiate their terms of business.



From our global network, which spans 70 countries, we provide local expertise and knowledge, together with internationally consistent information and analysis to multi-national organisations.



We supply information that is vital to business decision-making, but it is our insights that help our clients build and maintain real competitive advantage.



That is why TNS is the sixth sense of business.



To find out more how we can provide your business with that ‘sixth sense’, please use the corporate contact details provided above.


The link shows that the esampler advert came from tns-global.com, if you want to contact this advertiser and demand them to stop sending ads to you:
Corporate contact
http://www.tns-global.com/Common/_corporate/Images/layout/spacer.gif http://www.tns-global.com/Common/_corporate/Images/layout/spacer.gif
http://www.tns-global.com/Common/_corporate/Images/layout/spacer.gif http://www.tns-global.com/Common/_corporate/Images/layout/roundedCorner_right.gif
http://www.tns-global.com/Common/_corporate/Images/layout/spacer.gif TNS Head Office
TNS
Westgate
London
W5 1UA
United Kingdom

Tel: 44 (0) 20 8967 0007
Fax: 44 (0) 20 8967 4060

AOL is one of TNS Global's business partners...

[nadirah]

-{ Quote: " You know nothing about TNS European Access Panel ???
Never heard of the TNS European Access Panel?
What is it?" }-

I've the full picture right here...

[nadirah]

-{ Quote: "Your personal data is only collected when you complete and submit the enquiry form and/or surveys, or when you speak to us over the telephone. In particular, TNS will collect and hold details of your name, address, email address, telephone number, (including mobile number), fax number, any information that you provide about areas of interest to you, information that you provide in response to any TNS marketing campaigns or surveys, and any other personal information disclosed by you.
" }-

That's over the line... :(

[tomcage9]

Help - what happens if you don't have AOL, and have never had AOL, but you still get this popup? I've seen loads of people on message boards talking about it being from AOL, but I'm with Wanadoo and I've never even considered using AOL! How's this happened? I cleared my cookies to try and stop the annoyance but it's still happening!

What's going on?!

[HD rider UK]

Hi Tom
Esampler is not just appearing for AOL users, it is a market sampling technology which is employed by many companies who use online advertising (see my explanation above). It doesnt matter who your ISP is, the issue with AOl was that it (Esampler) was related to an advert hosted on AOL mainpage and with AOL approval, yet the opt out was really well hidden, and not in the "marketing preferences" AOLscreen. AOl have now stopped allowing the use of this technology by their advertisers due to the volume of complaints it caused (yeah right...). I found the fix for it by looking through the AOL terms of Service and their privacy agreements, you could try doing the same on wannado.

Jock