Highlighted links from random text in threads

[bull]

Is anyone else getting these? I'll be looking at someone's thread here and I'll see highlighted and underlined words, just random words, and when you click on them it opens a new window to some other website. At first I thought it was just members linking reference sites but now it's obvious it's just a spam hacker trick. I don't just see them on my own computer either, I see them at work too so I know it's not just my own POS computer catching it.

[Troy]

What browser are you using and do you have any toolbars installed? It sounds there's some search "feature" in your environment.

Troy

[bull]

At work it's just Windows Internet Explorer and there's no toolbars installed. At home it's Verizon/MSN and just the default toolbars.

[Troy]

Can you give me an example of a thread where you see them?

Troy

[bull]

Can you give me an example of a thread where you see them?

Troy

Right after I started this thread I went back to do that very thing and it was gone. It seems their appearance is random too. If I see another one I'll grab it and post it here but I do recall it comes and goes. Right now I don't see them anywhere but other times they're all over the place.

[Troy]

It's definitely not coming from the site then or it would be consistent. I tried hitting several pages with Internet Explorer (default setup running on Windows Vista) and didn't see anything like you described. I know what you're talking about as it bugs the heck out of me when a site is set up like that. They're called adwords or something. Are they double underlined? If you click one does it send you to a search site or possibly an ad site with a quick redirect to some other site?

Troy

[bull]

It's definitely not coming from the site then or it would be consistent. I tried hitting several pages with Internet Explorer (default setup running on Windows Vista) and didn't see anything like you described. I know what you're talking about as it bugs the heck out of me when a site is set up like that. They're called adwords or something. Are they double underlined? If you click one does it send you to a search site or possibly an ad site with a quick redirect to some other site?

Troy

Yup. It's highlighted green and underlined twice. They're always stupid random words too, nothing special, and if/when you click on them it opens a new window to that site.

Like I said at first I thought nothing of it because sometimes people type words that are actually links to something else but after clicking on a couple I discovered it was an obvious spam link.

[bull]

Got one. It was in this thread http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,55490.msg616824/boardseen.html#new and the highlighted words were finacial aid in Tufcat's initial post. Here's the site that was linked: http://www.education180.com/FindYourDegree/landing?campaign=scholartxt&version=c&source=tv&keywords=financial%20aid&nopop=1&schoolSeq=uoponline-suo-devry-ashford&hcopy=Online%20Colleges

[Troy]

Well, it's not part of the site software and I don't see it. I did see these while researching though:
http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t309695-an-underline-apears-on-certain-words-in-the-browser-what-does-this-mean.html
http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-2105018.php
http://www.logicmetrics.com/webdocs/searchriffic.php[

Can you run Spybot first to make sure it isn't something on your PC(s) before I spend a bunch of time troubleshooting?

Troy

[bull]

Well, it's not part of the site software and I don't see it. I did see these while researching though:
http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t309695-an-underline-apears-on-certain-words-in-the-browser-what-does-this-mean.html
http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-2105018.php
http://www.logicmetrics.com/webdocs/searchriffic.php[

Can you run Spybot first to make sure it isn't something on your PC(s) before I spend a bunch of time troubleshooting?

Troy

Sure, but like I said it's odd that I'm getting it at work too with all their high tech servers and what not. I could see me having something going on at home but not here.

[mopar_nut_440_6]

Try installing another browser such as Mozilla Firefox. If it does not happen in this browser then you know it is likely a setting in Internet Explorer. There is an advanced feature that does this.

In the menu bar at the top go to

Tools/Internet Options/Advanced and look for "underline links" and choose always, hover (when the cursor is over it) or
never.

Hope this helps!

[mikepmcs]

I'm mozilla and don't use IE cause it's corrupt at best. I haven't experienced what you are talking about but I do report spam often enough or try to anyway.

[Troy]

Try installing another browser such as Mozilla Firefox. If it does not happen in this browser then you know it is likely a setting in Internet Explorer. There is an advanced feature that does this.

In the menu bar at the top go to

Tools/Internet Options/Advanced and look for "underline links" and choose always, hover (when the cursor is over it) or
never.

Hope this helps!

That setting only forces an underline on links. Many web sites these days change the style of links so they have no underline (including this one but the underline shows up if you "hover" over it). That won't cause a link to appear where the web site didn't create one.

Troy

[Charger-Bodie]

I had that happen to me not long ago. It happened when I got some updated stuff for my Ipod ....I cant remember exactly how I got to the cure, but I just did something with the internet settings and viola it was gone and back to normal.