Dangers Of Google Web Accelerator Clicking links you dont want to click, and deleting info

[whyme 0]

Albeit another topic on Google Web Accelerator has been made, this topic addresses another different security concern. This is on the security concern on how Google Web Accelerator operates. While your internet connection isn't going any faster, the "illusion" of faster loading pages is caused by Google prefeching the pages and links, *before* you visit them. Therefore, all the pages have been downloaded into your hard drive. Which brings up the following problem:

Since Google Web Accl. prefetches ALL links on a page, if the page had a link like: "cancel my account", or "delete this picture", Google Web Accl. would have already "clicked" that link, via prefecthing it. Additionally, it also by passes the javascript warnings that pop up when you click such buttons.

As of now, Google has stopped letting people download the Google Web Accl.

Apparently, Google says that

We have currently reached ourmaximum capacity of users and
are actively working to increase
the number of users we can support.

Whereas this does not make any sense, because Google's servers aren't doing any of the work, your internet connection is.

So now, this just adds one more worry on using Google Web Accl.

First, your privacy, second, the fear if Google blowing up your online account by accidentally clicking some sort of "delete me" link.

If you're still using Google Web Accl., think if it's worth jepoardizing your online experience.

-whyme

[Florisjuh 0]

Yup I'm affraid even google passed the line of "oversized evil company's" now... Still they got a lot of cool things, and google web accelrator was just a bad pick. So, are tthe prefeched downloads taking in space on your harddrive, and will they always be fetched until you decide to delete them by hand? That would mean you might be walking arround with 5 percent of the internet on your pc :s

[Dawid 0]

Thanks for letting us know about that. I've never really believed in any web accelerator but never realised that it could do something like that. I use PHP-Nuke and the whole admin panel is webbased so something like google web accelerator could absolutely reak havok with my website. Just wondering if there are any web accelerators out there worth having, I don't believe in them at all but you never know- maybe somebody has had some success with certain ones. I remember these web accelerators being huge before broad band. Every house you'd go to there would always be a little icon in the system tray of a web accelerator.

[iGuest 3]

So, are tthe prefeched downloads taking in space on your harddrive, and will they always be fetched until you decide to delete them by hand? That would mean you might be walking arround with 5 percent of the internet on your pc :s

141559[/snapback]

Yes, they are continually prefecthed and sotred on your harddrive until you delete them. Therefore raising a security concern.

 

 

Dawid, regarding your question, I don't really think that there's anything worth downloading, the best bet is to "hack" the FireFox web broswer, and you can speed up your browsing experience considerably. Read more about it here -> http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1299854/posts

[twentyinches631 0]

That's pretty scary. Especially since everyone would download it thinking, hey its from google it must be good. I don't really see the point in those web accelerator programs. Wouldn't it slow down the initial loading of the website anyway?

[whyme 0]

It doesn't slow down the loading, and doesn't increase the connection speed either, all that it's doing is preloading all the links on a page so that it gives the illusion of a faster connection.

[Dooga 0]

It also caches your cookies for people's "convenience" but you end up giving your admin sessions, your email sessions and forum sessions to another user! Apparently, google accelerator is STILL downloadable, as the file is still on the server. You just have to know what name it is. However, I am not at liberty to reveal the link.

[karlo 0]

I think Google Web Accelerator heard the *dial-up* users of the internet, that's why they are going to implement "Image Compression" for Google Web Accelerator. What do you think? Because right nnow, Google Web Accelerator (GWA) is only for broadband users.

[hayri 0]

And I have read that they had problems with some Forums like IPB and vBulletin because when you are opening it you aren't your normal user, instead of this you are an other user

[Odyssey 0]

Interesting problem, but it also makes sense beucause that was a possibility of happening. I will wait untinl Google fixes theese problems.

[wariorpk 0]

This problem seems like something alot of people would have done on purpose. Google used an excuse thats uncalled for they could just admit the problems. There is no way to avoid what happened because sites are stored on their server.

[freesoul 0]

Hey people I checked just now and Web Accelerator has been apparently improved and is available for download now. I must say that Google is reaching out tofar more sections than it can smoothly handle. But this web acce;erator software is/was the only major failure I've heard about Google in the news and yet they are not givin it up!

[jibnet 0]

I think google must be really aware of all these problem. They have been working on thier products really hard. isnt it??. I mean if you see the google search engine its simply the best since it is fast and simple. Google must have been trying to experiment something through the Google Web Accelerator. I hope that we would soon get to see Google Web Accelerator which would really Accelerate the internet

Edited June 5, 2006 by jibnet (see edit history)

[Kioku 0]

I highly doubt Google will catch this for quite a while. Go figure, though. Web accelerators sometimes are glitched out, I've noticed.

[Magic1492 0]

Yeah, I hate Google Web Accelerator. If anyone is using it, uninstall and delete it right now. It has even been classified spyware by some people. I used it once, and I found logs that scared me, so I deleted it immeadiatly, and others have had the same problem.