STICKY....OSCAR download apneaboard and ads..please read

i wanted to start this as a new thread as we've been talking about it in another thread. here-

viewtopic/t187734/Worked-great--until-it-didnt.html

the forum wanted the original poster to download the software oscar. but when user tried this link-

https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/

he was directed to apneaboard after he clicked the link for mac install directions. there, unwittingly, he clicked on a link that was actually an ad. this took him to another internet address that wanted him to give them credit card information!!

i find this situation to be tragic. i know there are some who would say that the person who went to the site should be aware of click bait ads. and in any other situation, i would agree. but in the case of oscar, we here on the forum actively push this software as a great tool to utilize for the gathering of data from your cpap machine. and the people we tell this to are generally folk who are already sleep deprived and more likely to just follow what's in front of them.

pugsy has asked forum friend dogslobber if he could pass the word over there and maybe get some help on this.

i'm wondering (and i have no idea how the internet works) if maybe the oscar team could find somewhere else to distribute the software? i have no idea how expensive a proposition this would be.

zonker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:16 pm

pugsy has asked forum friend dogslobber if he could pass the word over there and maybe get some help on this.

A little clarification.

Pugsy didn't ask me to pass the word, she asked if anyone active on AB could let them know.

While, I *occasionally* post there, I'm not interested. I don't like ApneaBoard, their moderation and policies. I don't believe pointing out to them problems with their ads would change anything. Deaf ears.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 12:35 pm

Side note...anyone here seeing this and is also active on the apneaboard....can you send SuperSleeper a note about the ads on the OSCAR download part of their website???
Just point him to this thread.... I bet he isn't aware that the OSCAR download section has also been compromised.

zonker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:16 pm

i'm wondering (and i have no idea how the internet works) if maybe the oscar team could find somewhere else to distribute the software? i have no idea how expensive a proposition this would be.

Because OSCAR is open-source, anybody could host it. But, that won't solve the problem. Multiple hosting won't solve the issue, in fact further contributes to the problem as there is no way for people to determine which sites are legitimate.

I also believe OSCAR is code-tied to the sleepfiles site, to automatically determine updates are available.

If those guys subscribe to that ad service it's unlikely they will have much control if any over the content that shows up in such ads. Maybe not even the placement of them for that matter. Since they are funding the site with those ads it's probably not practical to *not* have them. After all it's revenue that would need to be made up someplace.

I would suggest the layout of the site itself could be modified in some way to make the shady ads less likely to be clicked on by the unsuspecting first time visitor. I am not a web designer but it seems like there could be something to be done there.

This was the first thread i noticed about the ads on that site:
viewtopic/t187724/Apneaboard-vs-cpaptalk.html

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:32 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:16 pm

pugsy has asked forum friend dogslobber if he could pass the word over there and maybe get some help on this.

A little clarification.

"it was just my imagination, running away with me"

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:32 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:16 pm

i'm wondering (and i have no idea how the internet works) if maybe the oscar team could find somewhere else to distribute the software? i have no idea how expensive a proposition this would be.

Because OSCAR is open-source, anybody could host it. But, that won't solve the problem. Multiple hosting won't solve the issue, in fact further contributes to the problem as there is no way for people to determine which sites are legitimate.

I also believe OSCAR is code-tied to the sleepfiles site, to automatically determine updates are available.

so, better the devil we know?

eta: can cpaptalk.com host the download and we could thus steer users right here to our own site where(at least currently) there are no ads?

amenite wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:45 pm

If those guys subscribe to that ad service it's unlikely they will have much control if any over the content that shows up in such ads.

my concern remains of sending unsophisticated users over there and having them be "ensnared" by an ad.

i just don't know what we here can do about it. give the new user we are advising to be aware of the ad?

zonker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 5:14 pm

can cpaptalk.com host the download and we could thus steer users right here to our own site where(at least currently) there are no ads?

Not really. Hell we can't even deal with attachments.

zonker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 5:17 pm

i just don't know what we here can do about it. give the new user we are advising to be aware of the ad?

That's about all we can do. Most people know about those click bait ads if they have much experience on a computer at all.

zonker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 5:17 pm

amenite wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:45 pm

If those guys subscribe to that ad service it's unlikely they will have much control if any over the content that shows up in such ads.

my concern remains of sending unsophisticated users over there and having them be "ensnared" by an ad.

i just don't know what we here can do about it. give the new user we are advising to be aware of the ad?

Instead of linking to the Sleepfiles/OSCAR landing page, direct link to the actual install files.

ie. Clicking on the link, will directly download the file, won't redirect the browser to the landing page where they can stumble across ads.

Win64: https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1-Win64.exe
Mac: https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1.dmg

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 5:43 pm

Instead of linking to the Sleepfiles/OSCAR landing page, direct link to the actual install files.

ie. Clicking on the link, will directly download the file, won't redirect the browser to the landing page where they can stumble across ads.

Win64: https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1-Win64.exe
Mac: https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1.dmg

That works REALLY well. It immediately starts downloading with no other interaction needed!!!

Perhaps when we tell people to get OSCAR we could include a link to this thread instead of just saying "go get OSCAR"?????

I just made it a sticky for ease in finding it to refer to.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 5:43 pm

Instead of linking to the Sleepfiles/OSCAR landing page, direct link to the actual install files.

ie. Clicking on the link, will directly download the file, won't redirect the browser to the landing page where they can stumble across ads.

Win64: https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1-Win64.exe
Mac: https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1.dmg

excellent! starts up right away without any further input. thanks for this.

now, can you do the rest of the installs? or do you think someone with one of those systems is sophisticated enough to avoid an ad?

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 6:29 pm

Perhaps when we tell people to get OSCAR we could include a link to this thread instead of just saying "go get OSCAR"?????

I just made it a sticky for ease in finding it to refer to.

a good start. i'm going to try to stash the links dogslobber posted, though not sure if i'm clever enough to do that.

eta: my updated chrome browser lets me grab the whole link. then i put it in a doc file.

cool cool cool

e even more ta: see my sig.

I think you're all missing an important point. The ads do not appear anywhere on the Sleepfiles page - they are in the Apnea Board wiki which includes all the download instructions and Oscar operating instructions. So while it's entirely possible to download Oscar without seeing an ad, new users WILL need to go to the instructions pages - which is where they'll see the ads.

They are particularly insidious, having a big "Start Download" button and pretending to be from Microsoft. Mark needs to get off his arse and sort this out.

Respirator99 wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 8:15 pm

I think you're all missing an important point.

true, dat. but at least we can get the newbie started on the software. and maybe any instructions they need can be provided by us.

it's not a true resolution, but it's a start.

zonker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 9:57 pm

Respirator99 wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 8:15 pm

I think you're all missing an important point.

true, dat. but at least we can get the newbie started on the software. and maybe any instructions they need can be provided by us.

it's not a true resolution, but it's a start.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 19, 2024 5:43 pm

Instead of linking to the Sleepfiles/OSCAR landing page, direct link to the actual install files.

ie. Clicking on the link, will directly download the file, won't redirect the browser to the landing page where they can stumble across ads.

Win64: https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1-Win64.exe
Mac: https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1.dmg

We should write something like: "The software is free, beware of clickbait ads on the instructions site. Use an ablocker if you can. Do make sure you download and use OSCAR "

I, a knowledgeable, wary internet user would never ever click on a link to an installation file posted anywhere - and recommend nobody does it.

Here's an example of why:
Just click on the following link. Nothing harmful, I promise, but - anything can be hidden like that:

https://www.apneaboard.com/OSCAR/OSCAR-1.5.1-Win64.exe

I actually wanted to link to zonker's "Welcome to zoo" image for the demo, but couldn't find it....honestly

So better warn, and mention add blockers.

Bad management of the instruction page--and specifically its containing treacherous ads--could easily undermine and eventually entirely eliminate the benevolent, altruistic, humanitarian reputation of the OSCAR project as a whole and damage the individual reputations of everyone involved.

The problem either needs to be fixed over there NOW or the hosting needs to be moved immediately to somewhere reputable and safe for older, inexperienced Internet users suffering from cognitively debilitating apnea and sleep deprivation.

In my opinion.

Not that I have strong ones, or anything.