tooironic Posted February 17, 2010 at 02:24 AM Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 at 02:24 AM So to settle the question once and for all: does Tencent QQ have spyware? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcdefg Posted February 17, 2010 at 04:16 AM Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 at 04:16 AM It has a lot, but mostly just "tracking cookies." I never encountered anything truly malicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandeX Posted February 18, 2010 at 01:15 PM Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 at 01:15 PM I started getting popup ads when I tried it, so I switched back to Pidgin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcdefg Posted February 18, 2010 at 02:27 PM Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 at 02:27 PM I got a lot of popups too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zise58 Posted February 23, 2010 at 03:28 PM Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 at 03:28 PM yes and have a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylor04 Posted February 24, 2010 at 01:15 AM Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 at 01:15 AM yes, I have had to reinstall it many times because I'll accidentally delete it when I scan my computer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABCinChina Posted February 26, 2010 at 08:09 PM Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 at 08:09 PM Yes, I don't think it's a particularly "safe" software, but you have to use it. I'm currently using TM2009, but even it does some suspicious stuff all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooironic Posted February 26, 2010 at 09:09 PM Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 at 09:09 PM Do you really have to use it? Aren't there other software or websites you can use instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandeX Posted February 28, 2010 at 03:49 AM Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 at 03:49 AM Correct, there is no need to ever install QQ. You can use their web based service at web.qq.com or a generic IM client such as Pidgin. www.pidgin.im Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABCinChina Posted February 28, 2010 at 07:21 AM Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 at 07:21 AM Are these universal IM clients easy to use? I like the idea of combining AIM/MSN/QQ all into one. Will you lose any functionality such as one click to QQ spaces, MSN profile look-ups, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatfastnoodle Posted February 28, 2010 at 07:51 AM Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 at 07:51 AM that will depend on how you define "spyware", certainly there are adware in combined size bigger than MS windows. My suggestion would be getting away as far as possible from official QQ (there is a reason Tencent became a multi-billion giant, in fact, the biggest internet company in China, in merely a decade.) Try open source alternative if possible. Though Tencentl, in order to protect is own revenue, takes very very very seriously any real or perceived threat to its core business, which is QQ. So don't bet on your alternative QQ last long. Chances are every time there is a upgrade, your alternative QQ would be bricked (to use a phrase reserved for Apple.) You can consider QQ as a company with Apple's control freak streak AND Microsoft's monopolistic power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABCinChina Posted February 28, 2010 at 11:13 PM Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 at 11:13 PM (edited) Pidgin doesn't work very well with QQ. It worked the first time when I used client version 2008, then I logged on and logged on and it says my account was disabled. Now I can't log on using the normal QQ. Anyone know the correct settings? Edit: There do seem to be some bugs with Pidgin. After adding some other accounts, they don't show up but shows as active in the account list. And some of the functionality is not there. For instance, if you want to add a new buddy, you have to sign out of Pidgin and use the normal program to do so. Edited March 1, 2010 at 06:47 AM by ABCinChina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandeX Posted March 1, 2010 at 10:20 AM Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 at 10:20 AM I've found the most reliable method is to use web.qq.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pancake Posted March 1, 2010 at 10:30 AM Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 at 10:30 AM The Mac version seems quite harmless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liuzhou Posted March 1, 2010 at 10:37 AM Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 at 10:37 AM you have to use it No, I most definitely do not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregorcn Posted April 8, 2010 at 02:25 PM Report Share Posted April 8, 2010 at 02:25 PM The NYTimes recently wrote: "China’s leading instant-messaging service, called QQ, automatically installs a program on users’ computers that monitors their communications and blocks censored text." http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/world/asia/08censor.html?pagewanted=2&ref=technology Does anybody have another source for this? If this is true, one more reason not to use QQ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in Mars Posted April 9, 2010 at 03:09 AM Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 at 03:09 AM Not sure about that, but if someone wants to chat with Chinese, he/she just can't run away from QQ .... Hey, anybody heard about this joke: If 100 Chinese r using the Internet, 99 of them r using QQ ! .......Wait a minute, where is last one? ...... He is busy installing QQ ! : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandeX Posted April 9, 2010 at 05:53 AM Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 at 05:53 AM Use web based QQ chats instead then, you don't need to use their client. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted April 9, 2010 at 06:31 AM Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 at 06:31 AM Or send them to get the Chinese version of MSN - given the number of posts on here about the hassles and dangers of QQ, it's got to be the easier option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooironic Posted April 9, 2010 at 01:29 PM Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 at 01:29 PM Not sure about that, but if someone wants to chat with Chinese, he/she just can't run away from QQ .... In my experience, the vast majority of Chinese people I meet both online and irl have MSN as well, so it's never really been an issue for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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