We get questions daily from user's who are having browser issues and blame these problems on fubar.

The first thing you should do when you are having trouble with using the site is to assume it is your browser.

I could write a book on reason's why and how this happens. To put it in fubaraian terms, browsers fail, browser addons can fail or overide normal browser functions, browsers need updating, browsers need refreshing, user's spy ware can overide functionality, running multiple tabs on a browser, slow connections and the list goes on. Browsers are not hard to understand, but if you think that something you downloaded two months ago is current, then you should read this closely. Browsers upate weekly if not more often. Getting the latest greatest is not always the best choice, but making sure you have a few things updated will help you avoid user error a.k.a browser errors......

The following tips should help you.

1. Dumping your browser history and cleaning your restarting your browser is the first step.

2. Also, make sure you update your browser, java and flash plugins. Most of this stuff will update itself, but in many cases simply updating your adobe flash plugin and your java will correct your problems. You can find this under your tools or settings. Each browser is different.

3. Make sure your anti virus, spyware or security settings are not filtering fubar.

4. Make sure you do not have 10 browsers open with 10 tabs. This will slow you down.

5. Make sure you are not running add-ons or some third party software that is conflicting.

6. If all else fails, download and reinstall the original browser and reset to the default settings. Make sure to restart your computer between uninstalling and reinstalling.

The best rule of thumb is to keep it simple. Use chrome, firefox, IE, Safari or whatever your personal preference. Download another browser as a back up and a sanity check for when you encounter problems. If you can't seem to figure it out, stop by the support lounge and have a bouncer walk you through.

You will save yourself a lot of frustration and heartache by keeping your browsers updated and having a back up browser.

With all the new browsers out there, everyone seems to have their favorite. I use firefox and chrome and bounce to Opera and IE when I am testing stuff. I am not an engineer when it comes to browsers, but I do know they get jacked up often. It happens for various reasons. The following are are few of the things that can turn your browser upside down.

1. Make sure your frigging internet is up. I know it sounds stupid, but check your connections. It happens to the best of us.

2. Have you installed any software lately. Maybe the software you installed screwed the boot. You will have to uninstall the screwed up copy. Restart your computer and install the new copy. Restart your computer and see if that fixes it.

3. Addons are huge reason for browser malfunctions. I can't tell you how many times this is the culprit. Make sure you know your addons or extensions. There are some seedy companies out there who use them for not so nice reasons. Be sure to check out the history of any browser extension or addon you add to your browser. With that said, try disabling any new addon and restart and see if that helps.

4. Dump your browsing history, cache cookies often. Do NOT save shit in your browser unless you know it is in a secure place. I am not some technical engineer  who can explain scientifically the risks out there, but I do know they are there. Everything you do, see, download, etc is tracked or cached one way or another. You have heard of cookies. This is the "spyware" companies use to track your behavior. Not all cookies are bad, but some are. Another thing to note is there are many exploits with different browsers and programs such as flash. The bad guys always figure out ways to basically fuck you. I wrote this blog to give you a few tips on how to fight the good fight and keep your computer clean. I have used the typical tools>Options>dum history, but that is not always effective.

There have been some add ons developed by various companies. You can search the addons and extensions and find dozens. I found this little gem and I have added it to both chrome and firefox and been impressed. I am into keeping things simple. Within in two clicks I can clean out my browser. It even dumps flash cache. http://www.hotcleaner.com/.

The download is simple. There is really no set up. You will see a little toilet paper icon after you install the the addon. Hit it and you will be surprised. You can download firefox here. Download Firefox 3.6 List of Browser Cleaners for Firefox.  You can download chorme here. Download Chrome List of extensions for Chrome (search for browser cleaners) I usually clean my browser daily. I am a heavy internet user. I would suggest at minimum once a week. The last thing I will leave you with is to make sure your local firewall or antivirus is not the culprit. I hope this helps.

I found this article about people phishing LIKES on facebook today and had to laugh, but it is no joke. These type of schemes jack up hundreds of people a day. I think of my mom or poor grandma getting phished this way. I have seen a few attempts to do this on fubar, but we have things for the most part locked down. The scary part is these schemers are always scheming.

Golden Rules to not getting phishesd! 

1. Don't be a tight ass and let your anti virus expire. Go to www.zdnet.com and download FREE antivirus and anti spyware.

2. Use a good email provider. Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc are all good and can be trusted.

3. Don't click into any email that looks suspicious. If out of the blue, a bank or paypal or any site sends you an email or redirects you to a page to enter your information, DON'T do it. Take the extra minute and log into that account and see if there is a message from whoever you are dealing with. Most likely there wont be.

4. If you do get hacked, change your password immediately. It woldn't hurt to contact the service either and let them know there was a security breach.

5. This one is VERY important. Do NOT be a dumb ass and leave your passwords stored into a browser. If you happen to use a friends browser, make sure you clear all the history, etc to avoid your personal accounts being compromised.

6. Change your passwords regularly. When you do, make sure you encrypt them better than the name of your favorite pet.  Fidothedog is not going to help you fight against security threats. Try F1d0th3d0g  and see if someone can hack that one.

I deal with people everyday who make the same mistakes as the people mentioned in the article below. The best advice I can give you, is do NOT be a click happy fool.. Do your homework. Inspect the link or the header of the email. If it looks suspicious, it is.  

Please read the article below. I did not write it, but felt it best illustrates one of the biggest security threats against the not so savvy internet surfer.

Hey crew:

We have a small percentage of people having problems with credit cards and purchases for: bling, vip, blasts, HH's, etc.

The problem is USUALLY associated to GIFT or PAY AS YOU GO Visa/MC debit card. For example: Walmart Gift Visa, Walgreens Gift Visa, TMobile Gift Visa, the list goes on. Some of you have a CC that is a pay as you go.

The problem we are having is that our merchant account has NO way to verify the security of the card user. Because of this, the card is denied. So, if you do not enter the correct phone number, mailing address, security code or 3 digit pin on the back, you will be declined and get an error message. This can ALSO happen with normal credit cards in some cases.

What will happ is your card is charged and shows a PENDING AUTHORIZATION on your card and it appears your funds have been removed. Unfortunately, and this is NOT our fault, the credit card company puts a hold on the funds. The funds will be restored to your card in 10-30 days. Yes, it will appear they are gone and show a charge to fubar. Reality is it is an AUTHORIZATION. You can look up AUTHORIZATION on google and read more about how they work. Unfortunately, there is NOTHING we can do.

Yes this is annoying and I apologize that many of you are getting caught up in this. Due to multiple fraud issues, we had to increase our security with our merchant account. We will NO Longer accept CC card unless you can verify the security information.

Ways around this?
1. Use a different credit card that is secured and is associated to your billing address, phone number, etc.
2. Use a paypal account
3. If you do use paypal and your IP is out of country and yet your account is in the country, you will be denied.
4. Use paypals credit card terminal. We have heard it works with most gift cards.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me. Also, please realize your funds are not gone. They are sitting in with a bank hold and will be restored to you. If you do have a receipt that shows where transactions for payments have gone through, please forward me the receipt.