Schrock Innovations offers a $10-worth of review at the ReviewMe campaign which I recently accepted. At first, I am confused whether to accept it or not because I feel the price is just too low for my review. But the other side of me told me that it’s already a good way of enhancing my reviewing skills.
This is actually a review of the “how to remove spylocked spyware” page for the anchor text, “remove spylocked“.
From the page title itself, it’s already clear that this page contains free tutorial that will show you how to remove the latest smitfraud infection, SpyLocked, from your computer in 4 easy steps at no cost.
The first part of it contains information that explains what SpyLocked is. It then gives us hint on how will you know that your PC is already infected by SpyLocked spyware, and then explains how did the PC get infected by it.
The tutorial or instructions on how to remove SpyLocked spyware is divided into 4 pages. The first page contains the things I mentioned above. The second page contains the Step 1 to Step 4 of removing the spyware. The third page contains the Step 5 to Step 7 of removing the SpyLocked spyware. The fourth page contains the step 8 and step 9 (final step) .
Things To Learn from These Pages:
I know, I was paid to write a review about the page on removing SpyLocked Spyware. But we are not restricted to write positive things only. So, let’s us examine deeper the pages and learn lessons from them.
(1) Adsense Placement
One thing I noticed is the placement of the Adsense ads and the page navigation menu. Just take a look at the screenshot below.
Actually, based on the latest memo released by Adsense team, this kind of implementation of Adsense is not acceptable. This is actually similar to the problem you learned from our previous review of the Jozzua’s blog. If the owner of this page failed to modify the implementation, then it will end up the suspension of his accout. So, what we can do for now is to tell him or her to email Adsense Team and let them examine the adsense implementation on that site.
Remember to stay at the safe side than earning a little Dollar in a short period and then experienced the banning.
(2) The Trick
Reading the whole pages of steps on removing the SpyLocked spyware, you most likely learn that the author of it offers it for free. The monetization is done through the Adsense ads. However, at the end of it, we’ll notice a trick wherein users will think that what the author recommends to protect themselves from this kind of spyware is by downloading the software as shown below:
It is said that the critical final step in the removal process is by installing the free Google Pack to Protect the computer. Then there’s a “Get Firefox Ad” with the arrow pointing to it. I myself really think that what the author tells us is to download the software as pointed by the arrow.
I think, it’s better if what has been pointed by that arrow is the real Google Pack image linked to the download page of it.
However, the final words of the author says:
As long as you downloaded and installed the Google Pack from above, your system should be safe from reinfection by SpyLocked as well as most other malware programs.
It said that the Google Pack is “FROM ABOVE”. Does it mean that the Google Pack he’s referring to is the Adsense Referral Ad for Firefox? Ohhh! It’s a foolish thing to point the Firefox download as the Google Pack.
I wonder how much the webmaster earns from this foolish business.
Real protection
If you really want to be protected from spywares, maybe you need to install the PC Security Shield into your PC. You can even shoose one from the list I made of the best PC Security software for your PC.
Last Words
Again, this is a sponsored review. I will be paid $5.00 for this review and the ReviewMe will received the other $5.00.
If you want me to review your blog for free, do either of the following:
- Write a review of my blog with the link back to my blog. I love the link with the anchor text, “Dumb way on How to Make Money Online“. However you can also use SELaplana as anchor text when linking to my blog. After that, email me immediately about it so that I can immediately check your blog and prepare the review.
- Mention me frequently in your blog, with the links to some of my blogposts. Join our community and email me about it.
However, if you want me to review your commercial sites or blogs, you need to purchase it here.
| 2.8 |

SELaplana, 16 May 2007 at 




May 17th, 2007 at 5:41 am
Thanks for the review. Actually, Review Me was paid $15 for the review in total.
I find it interesting that you are critical of my ad placement. When I visited your website, my browser was redirected to a pop up telling me that my computer tracks websites and that I should protect it by installing software.
I recommend users install the Google Pack because it contains Spy Doctor, an award winning preventitive software suite designed to detect and remove malware infections.
The Splocked infection comes onto your computer when an unsuspecting user is infected with a trojan. Since the user is not aware of when the trojan infected their system, the user is likely to repeat the same action that got them infected in the first place.
Having the Google Pack installed can prevent this reinfection.
May 17th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
thanks a lot for approving my review although it contains some criticism.
Bythe way, I am now investigating how did it happens that as you visited this site you are redirected to a popup ad…
Thanks for informing me about this…
But to let you know this website is just a blog and it doesn’t contain any malware. However, if that incident was really caused by this website, maybe I will consider examining the scripts of the third party ad services except that of Google Adsense.
May 19th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
[...] at the ReviewMe campaign and published my review with criticism of the reviewed site at “How To Removed Spylocked Spyware, Reviewed” post. If you are the sponsor of it, I’m sure you’ll be pissed by what I was [...]
April 21st, 2008 at 6:53 am
Smitfraud is definelty bad stuff. The first time I came across this I had a ton of problems removing it. Now whenever I run into this I do a system restore first then run the free smitfraudfix tool and then run a full scan with Spyware Doctor. If you have Smitfraud I can gurantee you are infected with other threats as well and that is way you need to use other software besides just the smitfraud fix tool.