Personally I had never heard of them until today. I got fed up with Windows a couple of years ago, I run a flavor of Linux instead. By no means do I think Linux is the be all and end all. I have regular battles with it, Windows offers a seamless install process, mostly Linux does not. Of course the Linux weenies will call me out on that. Well weenies, all I have to say is ‘go grep yourself’. The average guy does not want to understand Gunzip, Make, etc, all they want to do is install a program or game.
But, in defense of Linux I do like the fact that there are few viruses associated with it. It seems to me that my wife gets one on windows every few weeks. We are both in the journalism business, so we do visit a large number of sites. I never get Virii, Jan on the other hand seems to collect them like Baseball Cards.
I did notice a problem on one of my computers about a week ago. Suddenly it was acting strange, much slower than normal. Maybe it is is my DSL connection? Or maybe it is just that the other sites are slow? This ‘slowness’ has been bothering me for days. Today began as almost everyday, get up at ‘dark thirty’ make coffee and climb into the computer torture chamber for another fun packed 16 hours.
It was raining, a not uncommon occurrence in this neck of the woods. The Internet though, was acting up. This is something that I am not used to. I am used to “always on†meaning just that!
Could it be the rain?
A few re-boots of the modem and the router seemed to clear up the problem, but BNN was taking an eternity to refresh. On about the third attempt I noticed that the problem was that it was hanging, waiting for some place named b.scorecardresearch.com. Who the hell are these people? I know that I had no clue.
An online search revealed little, they are a ‘market research’ company. They track where people are browsing. But where did www.scorecardresearch.com get permission to monitor my traffic?
A little more digging revealed that our friends at Score Card Research are part of a larger organization www.fullcirclestudies.com, and have a partner further up the food chain http://www.comscore.com/
This comes straight from the Comescore home page:
Full Circle Studies, Inc. is a company that helps with the collection of Internet web browsing data on specific websites that have enrolled in a broad market research effort by comScore, Inc. to create reports on Internet behavior and trends. comScore, Inc. is a recognized authority on Internet and general economic trends, whose data are routinely cited by major media outlets such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and CNBC, and is extensively used by the largest Internet services companies and scores of Fortune 500 companies. To learn more about comScore, please see www.comscore.com.
These statements are no doubt true. But who invited them to invade my computer? I am not a beginner, I do read all of the ‘invites’ for spam and pointless internet services that I get. At no point did I invite this company to track my internet habits!
Like most Internet trolls they have an ‘Opt out’ policy, but where is the ‘Opt in’ one? They gave me no opportunity to say NO.
Much is made of Net Neutrality, no carrier should be able to determine the importance of your data, it should have the same level as everyone else. An analogy to that is the Phone System, other than 911, all calls have the same priority. Also we have a guarantee of privacy. Sure there are wire taps! But for the most part, we as regular folks do not need to worry.
So, the big question is. Where does Comscore and its associated companies have the right to spy on what we do online?
The ‘opt out’ option is a bit like saying ‘we have bugged your house, we didn’t tell you, well we didn’t think you would say yes, but, if you don’t like it, we can take the listenening devices out’.
What a pile of doggy doo!
Needless to say, neither ComScore, nor its various ‘down line’ (think Amway) companies have bothered to respond to my E-mails.
Don’t just ‘opt out’ of something you never ‘opted into’, tell these people to go pound sand!
Of course these ‘silent listeners’ are now on my radar, send your stories in.
Simon Barrett
As an adjunct, BNN has not been targeted, it seems to be only my primary computer. But it still has me HOT.
39 users commented in " Who Are ScoreCardResearch.com? "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI just noticed this a few minutes ago on a website where I’m a moderator. Loading a text-only thread took a little longer than usual and I glanced down at the Zorro de Fuego toolbar to find, sure ’nuff, the b.scorecardresearch.com dooby. The site where I’m a mod does a lot of tracking for a high Google ranking, so I’m assuming it’s related to their data collection.
Enlightening article. I found when when f.fox addon ‘noscript’ blocked them, and your article was served up by google when i investigated. Now all i need is an ‘example letter’ expressing the same sentiment to shoot off to comscore. And their address. Thanks again for sharing your opinion,
KB
I’m a great fan of the Firefox NoScript add-on. This blocks all these sites (and there are hundreds of them) unless and until you explicitly allow them. Researching which ones are OK does take a little time, but it’s well worth it for peace of mind. And pages load faster if all the tracking and advertery junk is avoided, too!
Thanks for the info, by the way — scorecardresearch.com added to the blocked list. 🙂
What kim S Jones said. In some cases, when you click to send a message on a site that uses scorecard.. you will not be able to send/ or advance to the next page using one of the links shown. Simply go to the S icon that is crossed out( the NO script icon) and temporarily allow Scorecared and you can then send. Having to let them know what I am doing once in a while is a small price to pay for using No script to block the rest of the time. I have google analytics and bloggernews net marked as untrusted and therefore blocked on a full time basis.
Most of the web sites that I’ve seen use this, use it not with javascript but with web bugs. A web bug is a 1 pixel graphic (or lately even 0 pixels) that just by calling it, exposes your IP address to the snoops.
NoScript does block web bugs, but criminals are clever and might find ways around it. The safest thing to do is to block it in your firewall or hosts file.
BTW, this web site uses googleanalytics and attempts to disguise by building it within a script. Block it with your firewall.
I just discovered this and 2o7.com today. If you use Windows Live Mail and click on the help you are taken online and redirected VIA these first. (used FF Verify Redirect Plugin)
Noticed page not loading/hanging and saw at the bottom of the page a name I didn’t know. Looked it up online and found this:
WELCOME TO SCORECARDRESEARCH!
ScorecardResearch is a domain used by Full Circle Studies, Inc. to help with the collection of Internet web browsing data on specific websites that have enrolled in a broad market research effort to create reports on Internet behavior and trends.
As part of this market research effort, participating websites agree to deploy a ScorecardResearch web beacon throughout their site. This beacon is used to collect information about general visitation patterns to the participating website. Web beacons are commonly used by companies to understand the visitation on their website. In addition, the ScorecardResearch web beacon will utilize a cookie. A cookie is a small amount of data, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier that is sent to your browser from a web site and stored on your computer’s hard drive. ScorecardResearch uses a combination of web beacons and cookies to help websites count users who have visited and seen a page or various parts of a page. We require that any website using our web beacon and cookies to include a notice about the use of web beacons and cookies to collect anonymous traffic data and to state what choices are available to users regarding the use of the information collected.
The web beacon and cookie used by comScore is unable to identify the user visiting a page, and there is no personally identifiable data transmitted by, or linked to, the web beacon or any cookies. To opt-out of receiving this cookie, please click here.
For information about ScorecardResearch’s privacy policy and practices, please click here.
————
Needless to say I used my AdBlock Plus addon from Firefox and added a filter to block it.
I hadn’t noticed anything on the site I was on saying they were affiliated with them or they were sharing info so it is my right to reject the silent tracking of my habits…
Yup, I have been hit by this as well. Thought that it might be something wrong as my computer is acting very slowly, maybe a virus or something till I discovered that this scorecardresearch.com thing. So what do they actually do and how to get rid of them? I don’t even know how they got into my computer int eh first place! duh!
If you’re getting this cookie through Google, you can visit and use the “opt-out” button. Since your opt-out preference is stored in a cookie, they also offer a plug-in that will remember your opt-out preference if you delete your cookies all the time (I know I do). According to the site, the opt-out is good for YouTube as well.
I’ve had it with all the deception, invasion of privacy, and theft of personal information. I am not a “sue” happy type guy but this is too much and easily justifies a class action law suit. Are there any (perhaps retired,with time available)who have the know-how to form up a class action law suit on this issue. A win would send long overdue shock waves through the high rises of those who trample our freedoms.
Thanks, the article and the comments have answered my question: “Should I allow No-Script to allow scorecardresearch”. 😉
@truthsayer : You can’t sue. All this snooping is legal in the US. Maybe it’s different if you live in the EU.
We need laws passed against this. The problem is that this is precisely the type of big money issue that lobbyists will be eager and able to bribe Congress to defeat any attempt to outlaw.
It f’s with my browsing when I get a certificate for say google.com/mail or facebook and it looks like its from scorecardresearch. >.<
All you have to do to opt out is go to the scorecardresearch.com website. Click the Preferences tab, and choose opt out. Easy peasy.:-)
I got hit by it a few days ago. I have been wondering why my internet was agonizingly slow. So was access to my website. Then i noticed I was being led to this scorecardresearch.
It’s unfair. I never invited them. I never agreed to be invaded.
Thanks for the opt out tip.
I found your post through a Google search.
I am having an issue with the scorecard research on my personal blog. Every site I access is fine and my computer is running well too. But when I go to access my blog I cannot because of scorecard research. It’s bizarre. Anyone have any idea how to opt out just for my own personal site?
I have a problem similar to MattL’s. I can see my blog just fine, but several of my readers are reporting that when they try to bring up my blog the browser hangs with a white screen. They are seeing b.scorecardresearch.com down in the bottom.
The weird thing to me is I can’t find anything in my template or any of the posts that seems to be using using b.scorecardresearch.com.
Has Blogger changed something recently?
I haven’t changed my template in months. This afternoon I started pulling stuff from the template and it still hangs.
Any suggestions on how to find the HTML which prompts the connection to b.scorecardresearch.com?
Thanks.
It looks like FireFox is where the problem exists.
http://support.mozilla.com/nl/forum/1/725177
I wonder if it would help to complain here:
http://scorecardresearch.com/SupportForm.aspx
Henry:
I am having exactly the same issues that you describe. It started a couple of days ago. It does not seem to affect the performance of my Blogger hosted blog when running Safari, but Firefox hangs and provides a status message saying “Waiting for b.scorecardresearch.com”. I have also checked my templates and recent posts and do not find anything that leads to b.scorecardresearch.com.
I am using Google Analytics and the JS-Kit commenting system, so perhaps their scripts have embedded the call to scorecardresearch.
If there is anyone who can help Henry and me, I would certainly appreciate it.
It appears this is a FireFox issue. One of my readers played with loading my blog and reports:
———
*It’s the Firefox version!* Kevin loaded it using Firefox/3.5.10 and it worked just fine. Then he upgraded to Firefox 3.6.6 and got the same problem I’m having (flash, then try loading the scorecardsearch). He’s reverting his computer back to Firefox 3.5.10, and he’ll fix mine tonight when he gets home from work.
———
So it looks like you just need to avoid FireFox 3.6.6.
Turns out it is a combination of the FireFox 3.6.6 and trying to use Technorati. I pulled the HTML which prompted Technorati to look at my tags and things worked fine.
For more information check out
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/725177
I’ve started to notice this coming in from a technorati embed tracker. I’ve removed their service from my sites.
Update http://www.bloggernews.net/124907
People who say “virii” need to be banned from the Internet and possibly from life too.
I’ve been deleting cookies and add-ons regularly because they significantly slow down my computer. I’ve notice over the last couple of weeks a cookie from scorecareresearch.com and looked them up with the same results you found. And for some reason, their cookie doesn’t delete. I did opt-out while at their site, but deep in my heart, I know that for people like these, “opt-out” only means “confirm live email address.”
ive been having this b.scorecardresearch.com thing loading up on my equip also ive tried the email op outs ive tried blocking it (it just keeps loading over and over until it gets in) it seems to be coming straight from my provider(qwest) but they deny its from them. can’t seem to stop it ’till i buy MORE software to block IT.
the 2o7.net domain is used by Omniture occasionally they redirect traffic for Com Score (sbscorecard). It is not a virus. It depends how a site uses the info but it is usually just website metrics. It can be good in many situations. If you use sites like Amazon that offer up related items, previous item you’ve looked etc. This is part of that whole process.
Nicve one for the heads up on that, just been looking in the right hand corner, trying to watch a movie on watchallyoucan, and got the delay issues you talked of, will be writing to the firm myself, and then sending a couple million times….see if they like their server filling up with junk!
the little helpers work together with big companies like procter and gamble – you get this cookie when ever you visite a website like PRINGLES and stuff like this. so how to get them out of “your house”? kill the cookie – set him on the black-list and you wil lsee: you can’t even visite the website: scorecardresearch.com
worry/don’ worry? it’s for statistics and stuff like this; if you don’t care: don’t worry
if you care: block the cookie, don’t take cookies from other companies (firefox settings)
I added some photos to the gallery page of my website and somehow loaded a pop-up to scorecard onto the page. The only thing that may be different about my procedure today is that the photo was saved to my computer from my “sent” folder from yahoo mail. Is there any advice on how to remove the script prompting the pop-up? I’m a novice so please use laymen terms if you have an answer. Thanks.
ok im having issues with this b.scorecardresearch.com thing to.. ive gone to there site and have clicked opt out like 10 times and yet 5 seconds later its still loading up on webpages and maxing out my cpu and freezing my pc for about 45 seconds each page befor i can do anything even as little as opening my start menu. ive tried many anti spyware and anti malware programs and nothing can seem to stop it. i have since sent them an e-mail telling them i wanted them to stop slowing down my pc and stop tracking my cookies. im still waiting for a response of which i do not think i will receve. any advice on how to stop this since the opt out method dose not work befor i reformate my pc. plzz let me know deadfreakflp@live.com
Just get firefox…there is a bunch of addons that opt you out and firefox will opt you out too.
Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was searching for! “Oh, I don’t blame Congress. If I had 600 billion at my disposal, I’d be irresponsible, too.” by Lichty and Wagner.
I’ve suddenly had a rash of popups asking to put cookies on my computer with option to allow or not allow. Whatever you do click allow or not allow they fade and come right back. I’ve had to click 20-30 times to get rid of them. They continually popup no matter where I go and I can get little done because of it. I started to write them down and go to their site. One I was able to opt out another Norton blocked saying it was malware. I’m 76 and really don’t know computers or what to do!
I’ve been finding this piece of code (below) in websites that I’m currently building. Deleted it a couple times thinking it was a left over piece from a facebook link or something but it continued to reappear when I’d come back to work on the pages. Googled it and found your blog. This is a serious infringement of our privacy!
I been getting pop ups on my computer from this site to fill out surveys, thought it was part of the social network I was on until I Googled it. I blocked it using the custom setting under parental controls on McAfee. There (on McAfee parental controls report) I can now view a report about how often scorecard… tries to connect to my computer. For the record it tries all most consistently at a rate of about 30 times per hour! My connection has been noticeably slower since I blocked it. A better solution need be found !
no idea who they are, the so called “scorecardresearch…..”, but it is sure that they – or some of them – are acting against all law, and, second, they seem to be men of an extremely low educational level, full of (secual) volgarity and highly aggressive.
I noticed the scorecardresearch popping up after my browser was behaving badly. I blocked it in noscript, then sent those rat bastards a nastygram. I told them they were worse than all the serial killers, child pornographers, and Chinese hackers combined. Believe it or not, I actually received a helpful email about “opting out” of their prisoner of war camp.
I want to wage serious war on these people. Failing that, seeing them burn in the lowest pit in hell would suffice.
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