NotHereToPlayGames

Here is a forum (first found via Google Search) that indicates this bug has been around since last March. https://invisioncommunity.com/forums/topic/482438-view-counts-missing-in-multiple-layouts-and-widgets/ Maybe that narrows it down for us.

If it doesn't mean anything, then why even display it? And would the membership herein start a new thread entitled "rep count missing"? Sure, "I'll shut up now".

Is your "App Readiness" service set to manual, auto, or disabled? Mine is set to manual but I do see your boot time delay on several HP Envy 360 (ie, here) et alia forums that all suggest to disable "App Readiness". My "App Readiness" is currently not running. I don't think I've ever seen it run. But it may run only during boot time when it wouldn't show in my System Informer processes.

I couldn't find anything "suspicious" in the extensions embedded "jQuery v1.12.2" (jquery-1.12.2.min.js) [cited in the article as the root cause]. The CDN that publishes these jQuery files is public - ie, here -- https://blog.jquery.com/2016/03/17/jquery-1-12-2-and-2-2-2-released/ The "v1.12.2" in the extension and the "v1.12.2" from the official blog are DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT. To be fair, this is my first comparison of an extension's jQuery to the blog's jQuery. But if the two files identify as the SAME VERSION, I certainly wouldn't expect so many DIFFERENCES.

Interesting! These are actually quite easy to prevent! I never (and I do mean *NEVER*) install extensions via Chrome Web Store. It's sad that we have to jump through these hoops, but in the case of the discussed "Phantom Shuttle" extension (no longer available on CWS but still available at crx4chrome), it really is VERY EASY to prevent these types of telemetry. Whether you want to see if your extension is contacting AD SERVERS or whether you want to see if any TELEMETRY is being collected, it really is VERY EASY. This isn't some old-dog new-trick complexity either. Just drag-and-drop *ALL* .js files contained within the extension to Notepad++ then search-all for http:// (important to note that there is NO "S", search for http, not https). In the case of "Phantom Shuttle" (v3.1.9 was the one I tested, most recent on crx4chrome), there are TWENTY TWO of them. Some legit, others not. This isn't 1990! Generally speaking, NOTHING should ever be communicated on http versus https! The extension is doing this http traffic so that your browser doesn't throw a "certificate error". Extensions should *NEVER* need to communicate via http. Doesn't mean that the mere presence of http over https is a legit concern, but does show you what to watch for in your network traffic logs. Or, at minimum, a gauge for those that do not monitor such logs. It's not a tell-tale, but you learn over time just what to look for. I always (*always*) modify my extensions (ie, prevent phone-home auto-update checks, prevent visits to home page at install/uninstall, etc). Sad, but we do live in an age where you have to take some steps to safeguard yourself, the "nanny state" doesn't have your best interests in mind, they have their own agenda.

I am a "numbers person", a bit of a geek. TOPIC VIEWS, read counts, contribution counts, "reputation" - if we are not going to make them accurate and actually mean something to the reader, we are better off making them all zeroes. Yes, I am being the "thorn in the side" here, I see that. The TRUTH can be a thorn sometimes! To be perfectly honest and fair, @AstroSkipper *deserves* the "rep" that he was CARRIED ALONG during our Era of Scheming. But the other TWO that were "recipients" of this SCHEME ??? We all know that answer! Most of us are not blindsided by our own "favoritism". I'll shut up now... But only "for now"... As @Monroe has pointed out, things HAVE improved in the last three weeks or so. And maybe, JUST MAYBE, it *TOOK* the forum showing "zero topic views" to ACHIEVE the ***FAKE*** numbers not going up and up and up every single day. edit: proper "tags" to member names to mathematically count towards their "rep"

You might be right! All that "free speech" really does here in the USA is make it very difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

That's what it is like in a country that lives and dies by "free speech". Call it a sociological experiment. Wondering if I can be "banned" for 'off-topic free speech'.

Not to me it isn't. But yeah, I can agree that I've beaten this dead horse enough for one day. DOES NOT MEAN I WILL NOT BEAT IT AGAIN DOWN THE ROAD. I'm not breaking any forum rules. That's how "social media" sites work. A lot of babbling.

I posted a screencap once of it happening. Moderator did not like me posting the screencap. REALITY is REALITY. We have two or three people that will go back DEACDES, literally DECADES, to hunt down a post by one of THREE people *ALL* just to click a "like" and run those three people's "rep" points THROUGH THE ROOF. Moderators are aware. No rules were broken. It is allowed. I have three brothers and two sisters. Maybe I should PAY them to all join MSFN and start "liking" all of MY posts? But no! The "gangsters" doing this would have ME banned! I guaranteed it! Even though all I did was what others have done! REALITY is REALITY.

Face reality. Your "reputation" was FARMED (as D.Draker himself called it when OTHER people were doing it!) You didn't break any rules. Neither did the folks doing the "farming". There is no "integrity" in your rep points. Nor in D.Draker's points. Nor in Dixel's points. It's been a "game" going on for several years. Even publicly bragged about and compared directly to one of our moderator's "rep" spanning 20yrs instead of 4yrs. It's all just a "game". And as much as it is not a broken rule to partake, I am breaking no rules in "discussing", it is, afterall, what makes the "social media" world go round. Like a record baby round round round round Again - Contratulations! WELL DONE !!!

As our own moderators have stated. No rules were being broken. THE SYSTEM WAS GAMED. Plain and simple.

You LOVE it !!! Look at YOUR "reputation" score and HOW YOU GOT IT !!! Congratulations! WELL DONE !!!

Not really. It is *ALL* tied together. Good luck to the owners/supervisors. They know all the "facts". Junk In = Junk Out

MSFN counts are *FAKE*. Even the SUPERVISORS know it! We have one or two people logging in each and every day to go back DECADES to "like" a post by three different people. If I were one of the three people RECEIVING those *FAKE* "likes" and "views", I would be EMBARRASSED. Or, I wouldn't be embarrassed knowing that I'm part of the "scheme". We all know it. We all see it. From this perspective, the REASON we have topics with zero views is BECAUSE the owners/supervisors are TRYING to prevent all of the *FAKE* shenanigans. As always, "it is what it is". You can not tell me what I am allowed to "discuss". I can not tell you what not to "like". Carry On Wayward Son

I AGEREE !!! Gernerally speaking. BUT THEY ARE BEING *FAKED* HERE AT MSFN !!! "Is what it is." I'm not on what I consider "social media" (we all know what they are). I have to *ASSUME* that 'real' social media sites have preventative measures to *PREVENT* these types of *FAKES*. Again, "is what it is".

He used "imgur". Here it is "direct" to MSFN.

<OT> I've not used that one. Downloaded just now but not installed. The source code seems to suggest that it throws advertisements. The .json then loads ads into frames. Appears all of the ads come from "everhelper.me". But most ad-blockers would block it anyway.

I always prefer the new tab extensions that "convert" your bookmarks into "thumbnails" displayed as a grid for your "new tab page". I've used one called "Speed Dial" in the past (forget which one, there are a TON that go by that name at the Chrome Web Store). I currently use "Visual Bookmarks" - https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/visual-bookmarks/jdbgjlehkajddoapdgpdjmlpdalfnenf

ps - this is *NOT* a "social media platform". the userbase herein really should *NOT* be so focused on all of these "counts". myself included (ie, our *played* rep-point bean-counts). if you want a real laugh, you can find the one person here that "likes" content from DECADES ago and then even brags and boasts that his "friend" has more "views" in 4 years than one of our moderators has in 20 years. when it was he/her that was solely responsible for 99% of those "likes". has to be some kind of high school project. or college class sociological study. there are days, increasing in number, where i feel forums like this would be MUCH GREATER if *NONE* of these "counts" were present. i mean, i know what posts are "helpful" and which are "far from" and i didn't have to look at the "count" to know which was which. but anywhoo... edit: this seems appropriate --

Already discussed in a different thread. Moderators are aware. Not sure how "accurate" those read-counts really are. I don't read SEVERAL topics here but I do click the "Mark site read" button quite often. That doesn't mean that I actually *READ* those topics.

I'm no lawyer... but... what you are saying, if I understand it, is that the server is physically located in a country that follows EU's GDPR privacy laws. Which state that any customer requesting deletion of "attribution" is to be honored, REGARDLESS OF WHAT COUNTRY THAT CUSTOMER LIVES IN. But, as is no suprise to me, even that GDPR law does NOT apply to ARCHIVED DATA. So, in many ways, "why bother"?

I should also point out that GDPR is a GROWING TREND. The USA does not CURRENTLY have anything at the FEDERAL level like GDPR. But the USA *IS* moving in that direction, just not there yet. Again, not "debating", just "stating". California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Indiana, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Kentucky, and Rhode Island. All of these States have laws very similar to GDPR. The list grows every year. And that list is both "red" and "blue". EU is leading the way in this regard. But the USA *is* moving in that direction.

What about STATE LAWS here in the USA? There is no FEDERAL equivalent to the EU's GDPR, but my STATE does have a law equivalent to GDPR (*many* STATES do!). Not to be misread, MSFN has not (to my knowledge) violated those STATE laws (ie, my profile does not show my EMAIL address, or I *opted out* during registration). In accordance with those STATE LAWS, not even my checking account has my REAL email address. By law, they cannot deny me an account if I do not provide them a "real" email address. I, of course, have to provide proof that I am a real person, lol, and a "real" home address. But not a real email and not a real phone number. Per my STATE LAW, I should be able to OPT OUT of any "targeted ads" on MSFN. I see no route to opt out of ads. Not really an issue, uBO blocks them anyway. NOT attempting any "debate". Just asking questions out of curiosity.

ps - I say that NOT as some "debate" over whether sites like this should force members to use REAL email addresses My point is, if a member does not or just "no longer" wishes for his/her PERSONAL DATA to exist on 'your' server, then that request SHOULD BE HONORED. I do not know the "this country, that country" laws on PERSONAL DATA. It was, afterall, VOLUNTARILY given at time of membership registration. But even Facebook and Google will delete that PERSONAL DATA if requested by the person tied to that personal data. Not that I really believe that they actually do. They have logs of some kind and from a "lawfare" point of tracking down "illegal activity", I personally support those "historical logs". "Is what it is".