Wednesday, December 23, 2009

How to Block Stardoll Ads


Today, Stardoll is full with advertising everywhere: at the start page, at your friends list, at the dolls & games section, etc.

I really dislike this, since some ads are inappropriate for young children, some might infest your computer with malware, or some might ask you for personal information (remember, never reveal personal info!). So, how to avoid this ads?

There are different ways to do so, and it depends of the browser you have. Here we'll find a solution for 3 kinds of browsers: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

Internet Explorer: to avoid ads on this browser, you don't need to download anything: simply browse with the InPrivate Filter, which can be enabled by pressing CTRL(or Control)+SHIFT+F. To read more about the InPrivate Filter, click here.

Mozilla Firefox: to block ads here, you'll need to install a Firefox Add-on called AdBlock Plus. Don't worry: it doesn't have any virus and it's reccomended by the Firefox team. Download it clicking here.

Google Chrome: you will need to install Chrome Extensions to avoid ads. I reccomend AdThwart and AdBlock, they're the most used and most popular Ad Blocking Extensions. Download AdThwart clicking here and AdBlock clicking here. Again, they're safe.

Using another browser? Comment telling us and we'll find an Ad-Blocking feature for it!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

How to Avoid Hackers, part I

Avoiding hackers might seem easy but it's not. In Stardoll, there are thousands of girls being hacked daily, because they fall into hackers and scammer's traps. Today, there are lots of tools hackers can use; from key loggers to fake proxies to fake offers. We'll cover them all in different posts.

Today we are seeing the easiest and most used hacking form, the fake offers. I can't remember how many times I've seen"Free DKNY", "Free Miley Cyrus Clothes", "Free Stardollars!" and "Free makeovers" in presentations, broadcasts or comments.

This offers are never true! Do not trust them and anyone who says it's true! If you think they might be true, create a fake account and give the user your password to see if it works. If you cannot acces your account later (you've been hacked) or if it doesn't, well, now you know.

Keep tuned for more!

Friday, December 11, 2009

How To: Create a Neat Presentation



A user presentation is a way of expressing yourself and telling everybody who you are and what are your interests. Interesting presentations are nice to read, and let's face it, nobody likes those spammy, one-hundred-colors presentation. Does anybody really want to read a story about true love? Or a tree drawing? No, they do not.

So, how to create a good, neat presentation? Follow these steps:

1. Choose no more than 3 colors, which compliment each other and are easy to read.
2. Choose no more than two fonts and only one size. Different sizes and lots of fonts make the presentation messy and chaotic.
3. First, introduce yourself, your hobbies, and interests. Or, you can start with a quote which you feel identified with.
4. Want to show some of your outfits or saved dolls? Remember, more than 3 dolls is just too much.
5. Have a wishlist? You can create it on Paint and then add it to an image hosting system like TinyPic. Then, paste the link on your presentation!
6. Have a blog? Don't spam your entire presentation with it, you will look desperate. Just mention it once or twice.
7. You can divide your presentation in different subjects: "About Me", "Interests", "Favorite Things", "My Outfits", "My Wishlist", etc.

Remember: your goal is a clean, neat presentation! Add some color to it, and you're done! And please avoid:

1. Boring quotes EVERY girl has in their presentation. How many times have you seen "Fashion fades, but style is eternal"? Overdone!
2. Drawings, too much icons, etc.
3. Those boring stories about "girls are like apples in a tree" or "my friends and I aren't like barbie", "I have an Obsessive Cullen Disorder" etc. etc.
4. As said before, too much color, different font sizes etc.
5. Spam. Everybody simply HATES those huge "Sale!", "Vote me CoverGirl!", "Visit My Blog!" stuff.

I hope this helped!

Proxies

Lately, to get free stuff and access to hidden pages or items on Stardoll, a proxy is needed. But... what is a proxy? Is it safe? Read more...

Question: What is a Proxy?

Answer: A proxy is a server in which a client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service (such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource) available from a different server. The proxy server will forward your request, but under its own IP adress. For example, if a proxy is located in Australia, it has an Australian IP. If you use this Australian server, you will browse websites with an Australian IP.

There are two kinds of proxies: manual proxies and web site proxies.

Q: Why do I need to use a proxy?

A: Lately, Stardoll has been giving free stuff only to specific countries or regions, which have their own IP adress. To get the free stuff, you’ll need a specific IP, and you can get it with a proxy.

Q: Where can I find a website proxy?

A: Just google “free proxy + x”, in which x is a specific country. For example: “free proxy + France”, “free proxy + Brazil”. On Club Free Stuff you can find some proxies at the sidebar.

Q: Is a proxy safe?

A: Yes and no. Sometimes, website proxies aren’t safe for your computer and might damage it, so we suggest having an anti-virus such as Norton or McAfee installed before going into web proxies. We cannot guarantee that the proxies we provide you are 100% safe. BUT, Manual Proxies are safe.

Q: How can I use a Manual Proxy?

A: - If you’re using Internet Explorer, go to Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings, then check the box that says Use A Proxy Server for your LAN. Then, write the manual proxy’s IP and port.

- For Google Chrome, click on the Tool Button, then click Options, then Under The Hood, then click on “Change your Proxy Settings”. Then click “LAN Settings”, and then check the box that says Use A Proxy Server for your LAN. Then, write the manual proxy’s IP and port.

- For Mozilla Firefox, click on Tools/Options/Advanced, then click on “Settings”. Click on the Manual Proxy Configuration button, and then write the IP and Port for the manual proxy under http Proxy.

Q: Are there any differences between a Manual Proxy and a Web Proxy?

A: Yes. Most times, Web Proxies do not play Flash and have lots of advertisings.

That's all for now. If you have any questions, just comment!