xiao_liang
March 04, 2010, 11:58 AM posted in General DiscussionOhh! I just saw an advert in the sidebar for QQ and remembered my experiences involving QQ back before they launched the big international site (which I've just noticed has inline chinesepod audio! Is this new? How cool!).
Back then you had to wade through the chinese text to get online, and when you did you got instantly swamped by millions of friend invites as people were very excited to find anyone foreign using the programme. They were all naturally hugely disappointed to find that my chinese (through google translate and mandarin-tools.com) was both awful and deathly slow, but it was very funny nonetheless.
Does anyone use it for regular chinese practice, or find it a useful tool for anything other than being spammed by slightly overly-keen people who want to be your friend?
pretzellogic
I would have thought that if the current version was loaded with spyware, something like spybot would find it and get rid of it. So I would be interested in knowing also.
xiaophil
That brings up something I am unaware of. If I do spyware scan after installing QQ, remove any spyware and then am still left with a functioning QQ, would there be anything to stop QQ from reinfecting my system?
pretzellogic
In that instance, what should happen is that if spybot found QQ were doing something to your machine, spybot would alert you right away and flag that a change is being made to your system, and then ask you if you want to allow the change. Most of the time when this happens, I deny the change.
It's times like these when I wish I had more of these client virtualization solutions on my PC. I could set up one environment to be the guinea pig to some of these viruses, then when the environment gets infected, blow it away.
xiaophil
Thanks pretzel,
I just downloaded it. I'm still apprehensive about installing it. Does anybody want to hold me back or push me in?
pretzellogic
usual disclaimers apply about me just being another guy you don't know on the internet, but having said that, the guy that recommended spybot to me was from our IT department. So i've used spybot for about a year on my system, and haven't had my bank account emptied yet through someone installing a keylogger on my machine.
xiaophil
Oh, I already have spybot. Using that program is indeed a good suggestion as I haven't detected any problems since using it. However, would I necessarily know if it fails in its duties?
pretzellogic
good point. In that regard, I think i'm in the same boat as you. I HOPE its updating with the latest info/definitions on viruses/trojans/malware/directed attacks, but i don't know. My guess is that you'd wouldn't know if it's failing in its duties.
bababardwan
xiaophil,
I downloaded international QQ shortly after they teamed up with CPod and played around with it a little at the time but not got around to using it since [though still have it installed].But for what my very limited experience is worth,I've not had any problems with it or had any malware I'm aware of .Anyhow ,certainly not inundated in the way xiaoliang describes.Good luck mate and let us know how you go. :)
light487
I have used QQ on and off for over a year.. I dunno if it has spyware or not.. and frankly I don't care. I would never use this computer for any financial transactions and so I can just use it for fun and enjoyment without all the terror.. I have other computers for that kinda thing.. secure and unladen computers.. :)
I use QQ mainly for chatting with people IN China.. that may sound obvious but the point is that any mainland Chinese person is going to know more about QQ than any of the other possible IM products. I have chatted with many on MSN and Skype even but QQ is the one they always ask if I have first.. there's also a bit of kudos that goes along with having a QQ account when you are not Chinese.. and now with the International version available, anyone can be a little bit elite. :)
xiao_liang
Oh yea, the spyware thing! I remember the old version had some horrible malware along with it, I'll check out the new one tonight, I have various virus checkers/malware scanners.
Good news that inundation isn't the case any more! It really was crazy - about 10 invites a minute from very eager people. Maybe it's just because I'm so fabulously popular ;-) lol.
bababardwan
March 12, 2010, 01:24 AM..don't leave us hangin' mate.Then what happened? I could never fathom why anyone would create a virus.Coming face to face with someone deliberately trying to send you one must be a whole other experience...pray do tell more.
bababardwan
March 05, 2010, 06:00 AMxiaophil,
I downloaded international QQ shortly after they teamed up with CPod and played around with it a little at the time but not got around to using it since [though still have it installed].But for what my very limited experience is worth,I've not had any problems with it or had any malware I'm aware of .Anyhow ,certainly not inundated in the way xiaoliang describes.Good luck mate and let us know how you go. :)
light487
March 05, 2010, 07:24 AMI have used QQ on and off for over a year.. I dunno if it has spyware or not.. and frankly I don't care. I would never use this computer for any financial transactions and so I can just use it for fun and enjoyment without all the terror.. I have other computers for that kinda thing.. secure and unladen computers.. :)
I use QQ mainly for chatting with people IN China.. that may sound obvious but the point is that any mainland Chinese person is going to know more about QQ than any of the other possible IM products. I have chatted with many on MSN and Skype even but QQ is the one they always ask if I have first.. there's also a bit of kudos that goes along with having a QQ account when you are not Chinese.. and now with the International version available, anyone can be a little bit elite. :)
xiao_liang
March 05, 2010, 10:16 AMOh yea, the spyware thing! I remember the old version had some horrible malware along with it, I'll check out the new one tonight, I have various virus checkers/malware scanners.
Good news that inundation isn't the case any more! It really was crazy - about 10 invites a minute from very eager people. Maybe it's just because I'm so fabulously popular ;-) lol.
xiao_liang
March 05, 2010, 11:36 PMHmn, installed with no spyware, but I can't get the site's registration page to send me a confirmation email. Also can't remember my old login password, and the "resend my old password" page is asking me three questions then telling me I've got the answers wrong! (fairly certain I've got my parents' names correct!)
light487
I used a gmail address for the registration and it worked fine. I've found that my ISP's email servers block most registration emails so I just use gmail now.
xiao_liang
Finally got the confirmation email through this morning, but it said the link had expired! Genius!
pretzellogic
March 05, 2010, 01:10 AMI would have thought that if the current version was loaded with spyware, something like spybot would find it and get rid of it. So I would be interested in knowing also.
arunningsnail
March 06, 2010, 06:19 AMMmm,having a QQ account is very useful when u'd talk to a Chinese ,alomost every Chinese online has one .Crazy.but most of them can't speak english,so sometime communication is impossible,so good luck to u .
As to the virus and malware,QQ online-game is the same account as its live chat and there be game tokens in the game that can be changed to RMB.Hence,trojans and like that are hard to avoid.
Ps:MSN ,YahooMessenger are porpular in China as well.
xiao_liang
March 06, 2010, 03:47 PMFinally got the confirmation email through this morning, but it said the link had expired! Genius!
xiao_liang
March 10, 2010, 08:35 PMHmn. I've registered, but for some reason I don't show up on search results. I remember this from before. You have to wait for your new listing to propagate on the name servers, but it doesn't seem to be happening at all. Grump!
xiao_liang
March 11, 2010, 02:55 PMLol. First person to talk to me. Camera comes up - it's a pretty girl. After a bit of small talk, she asks me if I would help her, because she can't open some images, and promptly tries to send me a virus.
Yay internet.
bababardwan
..don't leave us hangin' mate.Then what happened? I could never fathom why anyone would create a virus.Coming face to face with someone deliberately trying to send you one must be a whole other experience...pray do tell more.
xiao_liang
Because botnets are big business I guess. If they get into my PC they can take my passwords, try and get access to bank information, paypal etc...
I just asked her if she thought I was stupid then permanently blocked her. I was very grateful for the mild insults elementary lesson, which I put to good use! LOL
bababardwan
thanks xiao_liang for indulging me.Oh man I wish I'd seen the expressions on each of your faces [particularly hers..the gall hey] and heard you put your Chinese into practice,lol.Jiayou mate.Hey,this'd make a great lesson dialogue.Actually I'd like to have some lessons on scams in general.There might be some key words that could ring alarm bells.
light487
March 06, 2010, 01:06 AMI used a gmail address for the registration and it worked fine. I've found that my ISP's email servers block most registration emails so I just use gmail now.
xiaophil
March 05, 2010, 12:37 AMI'm still trying to figure out if the current version is loaded with spyware. If anybody out there can speak from recent experiences, I would be interested in knowing.