Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
I don't understand the concern. If you use the internet at all, you are constantly clicking on links from someone you don't know. Every time you access a merchant website or Google something, and click on a selection, you are linking to another website. Most people click on hundreds of links every day. Although, it can be risky to click on a link provided in an email message because it can initiate a harmful program on your computer.
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Exactly that. A posting on a forum is, to me, even more risky than an email. An email was directed specifically to me and I can see the address of the person that sent it. A posting on a forum has just been tossed out to a large number of people from someone I may have never heard of before.
When I access a news site I avoid ads, I trust that they are protecting their site in order to protect their reputation, and even then I check that the links appear at least a little bit legitimate (mostly a judgment call). I do the same for Amazon or other business sites. Google is a bit riskier but I still look at the site name and the link to get at least some bit of comfort that the site might be safe.
Ultimately, being on the internet is risky business. However, some things are riskier than others.