Adf.ly links to the forum links for 4shared.

by Morganite May 8th 2016, 11:06 am

First topic message reminder :

Technical Details

Forum version : #phpBB3
Position : Administrator
Concerned browser(s) : Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Other
Screenshot of problem : https://servimg.com/view/13898798/1064 https://servimg.com/view/13898798/1065
Who the problem concerns : All members
When the problem appeared : Quite sometime ago, all links for the artwork zips in general permissions go to adf.ly first, some are not affected while most are, i do not want our members having to clikc to find they go to an adf.ly website which could give virus or malware. it needs to be sorted out quickly.. thank you
Forum link : http://www.threegemspsp.com/f4-general-permissions-area

Description of problem

HI the problem we have experienced is when you click to go get our artists artwork zip at 4shared we stumble across adf.ly which is a KNOWN website for virus's, malware and spam which could affect our members computers and also affect our artists artwork..
We have tried numerous things including deleting the tube links, adding a new link after uploading again to 4shared and also changing the wording in the direct link part, all have resulted in going to Adf.fl, you then have to wait for the timer to count down and can then click skip which will take you to the correct destination at 4shared.. as you will see in the screen shots its not ideal for protection of our members as well as the artists artwork..
If you could help with guidance to sorting this out it would be much appreciated thank you
Morganite (Teresa)

by **Ape** May 9th 2016, 9:06 pm

i cant click on the tubes here link

by **SLGray** May 9th 2016, 9:08 pm

I still can not click it.

by Morganite May 9th 2016, 9:36 pm

Ok so i have no idea why it works my end so have logged out of the group and couldn't clikc the ''tubes here'' either, what a nightmare..

Now i have taken out the ''tubes here'' url link and just left the link to the 4shared file,
can you please let me know if you can click the link
thanks

by Morganite May 9th 2016, 9:39 pm

Ok so i have no idea why it works my end so have logged out of the group and couldn't clikc the ''tubes here'' either, what a nightmare..

Now i have taken out the ''tubes here'' url link and just left the link to the 4shared file,
can you please let me know if you can click the link
thanks

While i was logged out as a guest i clicked the link and it went straight to 4shared, however when i logged back in i clicked the same link and it took me to adf.ly, what is happening is it just me or is it that you have to be logged in for ads to work? would rather this didnt happen. very odd.

by **brandon_g** May 10th 2016, 1:09 am

May you please post the link here so we can see if it occurs here or not and then know if it is an FM issue or a 4shared issue.

-Brandon

by Ange Tuteur May 10th 2016, 1:42 am

This is the link in question, correct ?
http://www.4shared.com/file/111266855/4daee57c/Artist_Popeye_Wong_Tubes.html

TUBES HERE

If so, it looks like Forumotion is adding adfly to your links.

by **SLGray** May 10th 2016, 2:50 am

This is not a bug. I do not know when Forumotion did it, but adfly was added to all forums for different purposes. It is one of the ways Forumotion earns revenue.

All you have to do is wait 5 seconds for the skip ad button to appear in the top right corner.

by Morganite May 10th 2016, 8:12 am

Ange Tuteur wrote:This is the link in question, correct ?
http://www.4shared.com/file/111266855/4daee57c/Artist_Popeye_Wong_Tubes.html

TUBES HERE

If so, it looks like Forumotion is adding adfly to your links.

Yes that is the link and with the tubes here, thank you for posting it correctly no matter what i did it wasn't working for me posting here.
Anyway we seem to have come to the conclusion that forumotion is doing it..
Its very odd that forumotion would choose adf.ly a known malware site to earn revenue when it could be a possible privacy and protection issue for all its groups and their members..I will let our group members know to be very careful and click our links at their own risk as i for sure do not want to be responsible for a computer crash if they were to get a virus of some kind..
And yes i do know that you wait the 5 seconds and can skip, but bearing in mind that some of our members are elderly hobbiests in art groups and some don't have the knowledge about such malware sites on computers!!
Thank you all for your help much appreciated atleast we know now what has happened..

by Morganite May 10th 2016, 8:15 am

brandon_g wrote:May you please post the link here so we can see if it occurs here or not and then know if it is an FM issue or a 4shared issue.

-Brandon

Hi the links have been posted a few times now and Ange has very kindly posted it cirrectly so its clickable from here, although from this help forum they go straight to 4shared but via our forum group they go to adf.ly and SL Gray has kindly found that its an FM problem to earn revenue.

solution has been found i think..

by **SLGray** May 10th 2016, 10:45 am

It is not adfly itself, but the ads that appears that could be questionable. I have never encountered any issue with it. It could be that people who are having issues are pressing something else then the skip ads button that appears after 5 seconds.

What you should do is post a tutorial for your members about the links.

by Morganite May 10th 2016, 10:51 am

Yes i think it would be good to give the members an idea of how to overcome this problem after the 5 seconds so they don't click anything that could cause their computer harm..

Thank you all again for the help atleast we know its not a hacker and just something to help fund forumotion..

by **SLGray** May 10th 2016, 10:56 am

One way to remove adfly is to activate attachments for your forum. The only thing is you will have to buy storage space with credits when you have many attachments.

by Morganite May 10th 2016, 5:20 pm

HI yes we have bought credits and used it i think to add more storage space in the past so we could upload zips into the forum. We used 4shared because it was a place off group that could be set with a password so we had the artists artwork fairly safe and secure, maybe more storage would be a good thing will have a chat with the other admin and come to some sort of compromise..

by **SLGray** May 10th 2016, 7:04 pm

Can we consider this solved now?

by Morganite May 10th 2016, 10:22 pm

Hello yes we can thank you to al for the input and helping with this matter..

Much appreciated.
Morganite

by **SLGray** May 10th 2016, 10:38 pm

You're welcome.

Topic solved and archived

Adf.ly links to the forum links for 4shared.