Boggled Mind

This thread details has been added here as read in ghacks.

gHacks thread

Web Fingerprinting gets frighteningly good: sees through VPNs and Incognito Mode

Local tests done in several web browsers confirmed the accuracy. The website identified three visits using Firefox, Firefox with private browsing mode and Firefox with private browsing mode and a VPN connection, as coming from the same user.

How to protect against fingerprinting

Internet users have two main options when it comes to protections against fingerprinting-based tracking. Either use a browser with proper protections against these types of tracking, Tor Browser or Firefox with privacy.resistFingerprinting set to TRUE are two valid options, or use different web browsers for different tasks.

Extensions that block the execution of scripts on websites may also protect against fingerprinting. Browser users may check out NoScript for that, which may be configured to block scripts by default. The popular uBlock Origin extension may also be configured to block all JavaScript by default.

Rest in the gHacks post, in the URL above.

Just read through that ZippyShare is shutting down completely by the end of this month, and that they have asked users to backup the individual data. There is only a banner at the top of the site, but the following blog post makes it open as to why the reason to shut completely: https://blog.zippyshare.com/?p=1211

Information about the closure of the project March 19, 2023

Hey Folks,

We’ve decided that we’re shutting down the project at the end of the month. Please make backups of your important files, you have about two weeks to do so. Until then, the site will run without any changes.

There are several reasons for the closure:

– Since 2006 we have been on the market in an unchanged form, that is, as ad financed/free file hosting. However, you have been visiting in less and less over the years, as the arguably very simple formula of the services we offer is slowly running out of steam. I guess all the competing file storage service companies on the market look better, offer better performance and more features. No one needs a dinosaur like us anymore.

– All sorts of adblockers, whether built into the browser, as add-ons, or in the form of DNS services. Sure, we all use them, but they take away any control the site owner has over the site. Eventually we get to the point where a vicious cycle begins, in order to pay for the server infrastructure you are forced to place more and more ads, then users fire up more and more adblockers and we get to a point like today.

– Rising electricity prices. Over the past year, electricity prices have gone up 2.5 times, which, with a large number of servers, gives a significant increase in costs that we have no way to balance.

There are still a bunch of smaller reasons, but we could write a book on this, and probably no one would want to read it.

To sum it up, we can no longer afford to maintain the site.

You can send us any comments to (we’ll read them all, we’ll probably respond to just a few): support@zippyshare.com

Thanks for being with us over the years.

See you in the depths of the Internet. o7

I have raised a ticket with them to see if I can buy it out, of course if my budget allows. Let us hope it is within my budget, as I really hate to see something like this go down for such a small reason.