How do I remote wpmudev.org spam?

  • voopress

    (@voopress)


    11 years, 3 months ago

    After installing a free plugin from wpmudev.org, I found that my server started nagging me to install a plugin which would give me more spam about their products.

    Even after uninstalling their garbage, my server is now stuck with a banner which reads…

    “Please install the latest version of our free Update Notifications plugin which helps you stay up-to-date with the most stable”

    Not only do I find this insulting that an author would add something to my server without permission let alone spamming me but that even after getting rid of their plugin, the spam remains.

    I’ve looked around a lot, have come across a lot of posts but none that explain how to remove this nonsense, only how to hide the spam banner.

    Talk about unfair practices, it may as well have been a Trojan or virus since there is no obvious way of getting rid of it.

    Perhaps wordpress.org should post a bulletin for others to know about their practices and decide for themselves if these bullies are playing fair or not to use their products. I never will.

    These are not good practices and any author using them should be avoided. Now we have what used to be a nice which was coming along very well which now has code that we do not want installed.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
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  • Christine Rondeau

    (@crondeau)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    Hi Voopress, thanks for posting this. I’ve never come across these guys and don’t know much about them, but I will inquire.

    Have you tried asking on their support forum if they can assist?

    leejosepho

    (@leejosepho)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    @christine: What you are hearing here is accurate. Those folks “bait” with a free (or in my own case, a low-cost) plugin, then you cannot get away from their nagging you to purchase their premium service or whatever. I saw my own error within minutes and opened a dispute at PayPal, and PayPal decided that matter in my favor two days ago. Also, that company has a no-refund policy for digital goods, but cases like that are one reason I use PayPal!

    @voopress: The only way to get rid of any of their stuff is to get rid of all of it.

    leejosepho

    (@leejosepho)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    Even after uninstalling their garbage, my server is now stuck with a banner which reads…

    “Please install the latest version of our free Update Notifications plugin which helps you stay up-to-date with the most stable”

    You are still getting that after removing everything you got from them?

    PhoebeS

    (@phoebes)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    Hello. I’m having the same issue. I wasn’t even aware this message wasn’t from WP itself, at first.

    I checked all of my plug-ins and none and none seem to be created by this company, so I’m at a loss. Any suggestions?

    Thanks.
    -Phoebe

    Thread Starter voopress

    (@voopress)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    Thanks for the input folks. For some reason, I never got any notice of this thread getting any replies.

    Yes, the banner still shows well after uninstalling their free software.
    I have to use a snippet just to stop the banner from showing which feels to me like my WP site is now compromised.

    WP should advertise such companies in the plugins screens to help others not get caught this way. I find this completely intrusive, virus like and am frustrated that I now have code in my system that I cannot remove.

    No, I didn’t post anything in their forums because there are countless others who seem to be stuck just like me and others.

    Thread Starter voopress

    (@voopress)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    I also notice I typo’d and write Remote instead of Remove

    wordOne

    (@wordone)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    So, no one has found an answer? Is this not simply some code put into a db table or something that could be removed?

    I am surprised that WP dev’s aren’t more interested in this. This is a terrible practice.

    Thread Starter voopress

    (@voopress)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    Christine, should I have posted this in another forum? The problem is still there, there is code installed on my server by that company.

    I would have to believe that wordpress authors would be more concerned?

    leejosepho

    (@leejosepho)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    I have found this from Ipstenu (Mika Epstein) in another thread about reporting plugins:

    Email plugins@wordpress.org with a link to the plugin…

    Maybe try that.

    Clayton James

    (@claytonjames)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    @wordone, @voopress

    Plugins made available (for free, or by commercial licensing) by wpmudev.org, are not something that are necessarily made available here in the wordpress.org plugin repository for download.

    The behavior and – or – the perception of unethical/undesirable behavior of those plugins, is not under the control of WordPress developers. Any issues with a plugin(s) provided by wpmudev.org needs to be addressed through the support method provided by them; as Christine has already advised.

    That being said, I don’t see the name of the problematic plugin mentioned anywhere (unless I overlooked it) in this discussion yet, so it would be difficult for anyone to provide any insight or advice on how to properly resolve the issue.

    leejosepho

    (@leejosepho)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    @claytonjames: Here is where this all began:

    After installing a free plugin from wpmudev.org...

    And I believe you are correct: wpmudev actions are “not under the control of WordPress developers.”

    When making my own complaint to PayPal while requesting a refund, I told PayPal the wpmudev company is not actually doing anything wrong, just being an overbearing nuisance while offering free WordPress plugins that include their obnoxious, solicitous banner.

    Other than warning others as best we can, I see no way to stop wpmudev…and my own experience suggests it is pointless to try to talk with wpmudev.

    Clayton James

    (@claytonjames)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    I think Ipstenu’s comment in this discussion sums it up in an extremely concise manner. http://wordpress.org/support/topic/premiumwpmudevorg-reliance?replies=6

    leejosepho

    (@leejosepho)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    Agreed (in my own words): There is really nothing that can be done, and I can only hope others do not fall prey as I had.

    wordOne

    (@wordone)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    I don’t expect wordpress devs to take any action but what I am looking for is some direction on how to remove this code from my otherwise clean installation.
    It is not fair that a company has installed code I don’t want on my site and worse, that I need to run more code just to hide an annoying banner.

    That said, perhaps devs should look at adding something to WP in the form of ‘containers’ or very well spelled out API which includes a complete 100% removal of code when something is uninstalled.

    I don’t have the answer, all I know is that this practice is unfair to non programmers who are using WP.

    kmessinger

    (@kmessinger)

    11 years, 3 months ago

    This might help,
    http://blogs.lizardwebs.net/2012/06/wpmu-dev-nag-screens-and-how-to-get-rid-of-them/

    Remember search is your friend.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
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