Porn Showing up in my Browse List--Big Time

[schnoodles]

Here’s a problem on WinMX I’d like to get rid of--FAST! Any ideas?

I have a person or several persons putting ghost files on my browse list (close to a hundred by the time I initially got wind of it several days ago). Since the initial shock, I've changed my handle and reshuffled my files so my collection would not be so identifiable—all with no success. These undesirables have found me and are at it again--big time.

Because I have very few on-the-level types downloading from me now, methinks I’m unwittingly offending the good guys who after scanning my collection and finding real trash, quickly exit and go elsewhere. I bet the majority out there are like me and won’t download from anyone sporting porn in his/her collection. Oh, the irony!

If (as mentioned in another thread) it were just a matter of a few porn pieces, the astute would realize the offending files as “ghost files” and it wouldn’t be so bad—I guess. Still, getting up there in years has only heightened my distaste for the distasteful.

So, how am I dealing with the situation? Why, just as any card-carrying coward would do. The first inkling of trouble, I shut down WinMX and run for the nearest exit. So far the count is 30 for the Bad Guys and Zip for Us Others. Any suggestions out there other than “Live with it!” (oooh how I hate that expression. “Loser” is another non-starter with me—however descriptive it might be!)

[eclectica]

schnoodles:

methinks I’m unwittingly offending the good guys who after scanning my collection and finding real trash, quickly exit and go elsewhere. I bet the majority out there are like me and won’t download from anyone sporting porn in his/her collection. Oh, the irony!

I'm one of the good guys who is offended by the prudes. That just goes to show you, that who we think are the "good guys", varies from person to person.

Personally I think anyone who has a problem with your porn can stick the bible up his ass.

[BuzzB2K]

Originally posted by Loser
Here’s a problem on WinMX I’d like to get rid of--FAST! Any ideas?

I have a person or several persons putting ghost files on my browse list (close to a hundred by the time I initially got wind of it several days ago). Since the initial shock, I've changed my handle and reshuffled my files so my collection would not be so identifiable—all with no success. These undesirables have found me and are at it again--big time.

What on earth are you talking about? Ghost files?


:mellow Buzz

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

my favorite method of dealing with porn is to download it as quickly as possible, then watch it.

[Whoa]

it's a bug in winmx.

[schnoodles]

Some of your replies have been quite humorous--guess I'm just taking this whole thing too seriously. Still, I am a prude, notwithstanding that you're right about my defining who the "good guys" are. Depends on your point of view, right? But note, according to the poll so far, there are those who wouldn't chat with me if they saw porn in my collection--and those other prudes as some of you call them are precisely the types that I do want to chat with. Besides which, I like to be represented as I am, so I still want to be delivered from those miscreants who are messing with my collection. WinMX, get this thing cleared up for this ol' duck and others like us.

Thanks to those who have responded--saying how you feel without rancor. I like that!

[schnoodles]

eclectica, just wanna say that not all prudes are religious. I'm a prude who subscribes to no religion, which I think is for the birds and I guess best left to another type of forum. Cheers.

[Mr. Crowley]

Nobody is messing with your collection. It is caused by a bug in WinMX. I'm not sure, but I think it is due to the fact that users on a secondary connection have there searches and other things routed through a user on a primary connection. In the process, some files may be given an incorrect name. The files are not "ghost files" so to speak. They are actual files that are in your shared folder that have been given the wrong file name by WinMX. So, your "AC/DC - Hells Bells.mp3" file may show up in a browse as "Sex with farm animals.mpg". Anyone who shares several files on WinMx will have this problem. Sometimes it is worse than at other times. It has been that way since version 3.1 at least. It would be nice if it were corrected. Someone please correct me if I am mistaken.

[schnoodles]

Thank you, Mr. Crowley for what seems like a plausible explanation of so-called "ghost files." You've helped to ease my paranoia. Why I may even get back to the business of downloading some rip-snortin' with-it tunes from the mid-20th century. So what if no one will chat with me!

[wesr]

omg, will rae i was laughin ssoooooo hard when i read ur post. that was so funny. anywho, i dont care if someone has porn in there d/l folder, i will d/l from them if they have the file that i want

[Caitlyn Marble]

Mr. Crowley got it right, though I thought that the ghost files were leaked from other peoples' shared folders, not accidentaly renamed files.

Though either way it is annoying.

[eclectica]

And how can we be certain that you're really not sharing porn, SCHNOODLES?

Maybe I had better play it safe and cut off all people who have an inkling of porn in their collections, because I wouldn't want a real porn freak actually "getting one over on me".

You'll have to accept being collateral damage in the righteous war against porn.

[PhilT]

Am I missing something here? As I understand it no-one can download a file into your collection just by "browsing host". With a p2p network you only get what you request from other users. So if you haven't elected to download a file it can't get on your disc. I have no porno's forced on me, my shared folders contain only what I have put there, either by downloading or ripping my own stuff. Can someone please explain how you can have anything you don't want added to your PC.. Or maybe I have miss-read the original post.
Cheers,
Phil.

[schnoodles]

So if you haven't elected to download a file it can't get on your disc. I have no porno's forced on me, my shared folders contain only what I have put there, either by downloading or ripping my own stuff. Can someone please explain how you can have anything you don't want added to your PC.. Or maybe I have miss-read the original post.
______________________________

I'll try one more time--the "questionable files" that appear in my browse list are not--I repeat--are not on my hard drive, but from an onlooker browsing my files, it would appear that the "questionable files" are on my hard drive. Guess that's why they've been dubbed "ghost files."

I confirmed all this for myself by stepping inside a chat group, where to the right of the chit-chat is a list of all the handles whose owners are part of the chat group. I scan down, find my handle; click on it and browse my own collection.

I now change my handle frequently and somehow (and for goodness sakes do not ask ME why), the collection is "cleaned up" to reflect the real McCoy. However, it doesn't take long before the whole mess starts up again under the new handle.

I'll also say again that I have used WinMX for several months and up until recently didn't have a problem (at least I don't think that I did, as I never used to check my browse list). The problem was brought to my attention; otherwise, I'd still be none the wiser.

Those who are "in the know" about how WinMX works say that these so-called "ghost files" are a bug in the WinMX program. I know as much about these P2P programs as I do about my car--and I enjoy both--except when I encounter a problem. Then I run for help, which is why I joined this forum.

I have no intention of trying to convince any one "out there" that I don't collect this garbage. But I do understand why a few individuals in this forum question my veracity--and that's o.k., as in the internet environment (among others), there are many who seek to deceive. Enough said, lest another of you venture forth to say, methinks you protest too much.

[Caitlyn Marble]

NOTHING GETS ADDED TO YOUR PC UNLESS YOU DOWNLOADED IT YOURSELF

Winmx sometimes gets other peoples files mixed up with yours when someone browses you (even if you browse yourself). these are just browse "results" it doesn't mean that someone dumped porn on to your HD. kinda like doing a search on searchengine.com and getting a broken link. if the user tries to download the ghost result they will get a little notice in the transfers window that says something like "file has been removed/does not exist"

this only happens to users who have the secondary connection. if you are on primary and browse someone on secondary they might have ghost files when you browse them. if someone on secondary browses you (you primary user) they will see nothing but the truth.

if it bugs you so much, use primary connection or opennap. you will not have ghost files show up when someone browses you, whether they be opennap user or secondary winmx.

capiech? :wings