Slashdot Mirror

http://consumerist.com/5008441/watch-for-baloney-reservation-rewards-charges-on-your-credit-card

http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/dynamic/ecommerce-investigation-webloyalty.cfm

http://adam.rosi-kessel.org/weblog/2004/12/24/webloyalty_aka_wli_reservations_is_a_scam

http://ask.metafilter.com/76535/Scammed-by-WLI-Reservation-Rewards

http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0&submit2=Search!&q5=WLI

Not surpising that Consumer Reports got it perfect. Their host organization, the Consumers Union, published a set of guidelines they think all online sites should follow in order to promote online credibility. It's http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/consumer-reports-w ebwatch-guidelines.cfm.

They've also compiled a list of every site that's pledged to follow the guidelines. (PDF) http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/images/praiseworth y3.pdf.

Not surpising that Consumer Reports got it perfect. Their host organization, the Consumers Union, published a set of guidelines they think all online sites should follow in order to promote online credibility. It's http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/consumer-reports-w ebwatch-guidelines.cfm.

They've also compiled a list of every site that's pledged to follow the guidelines. (PDF) http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/images/praiseworth y3.pdf.

But if you go to download.com or any other somewhat reputable source of apps, your Windows PC won't get infected

That's just not true. You can't make any such guarantees. Nothing prevents a programmer from making a trojan that will only activate at a later time, once there have been enough downloads. Even Apple, as reputable as you can get, recently distributed a Windows virus with iPods.

In reality, you don't get infected by downloading stuff.

No, in reality you do: Spyware Everywhere. Another example is: zCodec Video Codec is a TROJAN (and you can google for more). Any piece of softare can be malware. The more software you trust, the greater your risk.

So the security of the Mac (and the general quality of Mac apps, and the intolerance of Mac users for crappy apps) is the reason why Mac users aren't afraid of downloading stuff.

No, I think the dominating factor is that the Mac is niche market. If the market shares were reversed between Windows and Mac, the Mac would have just as many problems and your "free love" days of downloading anything you wanted would be over.

Who in their right mind would be able to read a site with that horrible tone of blue? And they aren't using PHP so we know the report is bogus, right guys?

Yes, if you invite mindless sheep, it is quite likely that it is reflected in your results. In this case, it turns the whole study into a very good case of black humor :)) From here.

We began recruiting participants in May 2002 by contacting nonprofit groups, such as the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation, and offering a $5 donation for each supporter who completed the study

*** Why not read an analysis of the Slashdot Effect instead :))