Popups, Viruses, and Links

Fleshbot hates crappy porn sites as much as you do. Just because porn is dirty doesn't mean you can't have a clean place in which to enjoy it.

We'll never, ever knowingly link to a site that'll deluge your desktop in a blizzard of popup windows or do anything else that will pollute your machine; all links on Fleshbot are tested using updated anti-virus software before we post them.

But whether you're surfing for porn or anything else on the web these days, you need to do your own part as well:

· Make sure you have anti-virus software installed on your computer and keep all your definitions up to date.

· Download the latest security patches appropriate to your operating system, especially any version of Windows - you can (and should) set Internet Explorer to automatically check for these updates every day before you start browsing.

· Better yet, ditch Explorer completely and switch to a more secure browser like Firefox, if you haven't already. You won;t regret it for a second. Trust us.

· Mac users can rest easier, since there aren't many (any?) viruses that affect the Mac OS—and Safari has a built in pop-up blocker that you can (and should) access from the application menu.

Remember: all these precautions go for browsing anywhere on the web, not just porn sites. Ultimately, only you can be responsible for the safety of your machine.

(Meanwhile, if you do happen to come across any links on Fleshbot that seem to be doing something strange to your computer, let us know and we'll investigate it promptly.)

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Once you click on a link and leave Fleshbot, normal surfing rules apply. If we link to a preview gallery on a site you want to see more of, proceed with usual caution when exploring further links on the site (even if the page we link to doesn't use popups or other intrusive or misleading marketing devices, other links on the external site may).

Always read the fine print! For example, we have been informed that some sites engage in a phone scam which will attempt to connect your modem to an overseas number (at an appropriately exorbitant charge) - while these sites will make you scroll through a "terms and conditions" statement in laughably small type before connecting you, it may be easy to overlook this when you're hunting for porn. We will never link to a site which engages in this practice themselves, although we can't be responsible for the advertisers some of the sites we do link to happen to choose.

Make sure you read the membership terms, conditions, and privacy policy before surrendering your email address and credit card information on any site, whether it's porn or not. And always make sure there's an easy way to contact the webmaster or cancel your subscription.

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A few more resources to check out:

· Slate posted a great article on virus-proofing your PC: "Virus-proof your PC in 20 minutes, for free".

· Ask Jolene is an adult search engine we use to find many of the thumbnail gallery post (TGP) picture sites on Fleshbot; their help section has some good information on protecting your computer from parasitic software.

· Pornzilla give you several good reasons why Firefox is the best porn browser—and provides dozens of free bookmarklets and extensions to make your smut surfing experience more pleasant and, er, efficient.

· Windows users should check out SpyChecker, which has a variety of anti-virus, anti-popup, and virus removal tools you can download for free.

That's it for the lecture.
Now go look at more porn.