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Let's take this a step further. Software developers obviously are greedy people. I personally believe in free software and I think that there's no alternative to the quality and warranty guaranteed by it. These people who develop free software obviously make enough money off of it to not have to resort to commercial software

If you work at a commercial development software, I suggest you leave immediately. Open Source Software has been shown to increase profits ten-fold and guarantee business security. To those who call software dirty GNU hippies, well I have four words for you:

LOOK WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!

http://www.gator.com/contact/index.html

Simple web comments form. I informed them that I work for an ISP, and I inform almost every user of Gator, their advertising practices, and provide assistance to uninstall the software.

Also, keep in mind this isn't entirely Gator's fault. If you see a site that does this, I think the site needs to know as well.

Actually I just went to Gator's site to see what this auto-download looks like -- visit http://www.gator.com/download/msie.html -- and it looks like it is signed by Verisign. Maybe we can get their certificate revoked. What good is the certificate if it isn't protecting you from malicious code? Alternatively, can you create a list of certificates you will NOT accept? Just wondering.

People are still complaining that Gator is getting installed on their computers with little advanced warning and in many instances, people do not know that Gator is being installed until the next time they turn on their computer. The user should always have the option to click on a download link but instead Gator partner sites use the automatic ActiveX download/installation program.

Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)

Maybe I'm missing the point, but hasn't Gator been doing this for years? I'm not sure about it's backend and whether it encrypts your data or not, but it keeps your information on your computer and fills in forms semi-automagically. Despite it's reputation as spyware I know a lot of people who use it to simplify their online lives.

Microsoft doesn't give a rats ass about tracking devices. There will always Marketing firms pounding at MS's door for their 'feature' to be implemented in a MS software, but compared to some of the companies whos entire business hinges around spying on users, Microsoft doesn't even come close to being evil when it comes to user tracking.

Recent customers include Dell, Enterprise Rental Cars, ESPN, Priceline.com, FTD.com, People magazine, Intuit, Sears, Foot Locker, H&R Block, Eddie Bauer and Earthlink. Just in case you want to know who's behind these shenanigans.

Recent customers include Dell, Enterprise Rental Cars, ESPN, Priceline.com, FTD.com, People magazine, Intuit, Sears, Foot Locker, H&R Block, Eddie Bauer and Earthlink. Just in case you want to know who's behind these shenanigans.

...but it does absolutely nothing about the illegal harvesting of the user's privacy rights online. Is Netscape above the bounds of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (18 USC Section 2510) or the Computer Fraud and abuse act (19 USC Section 1030)? The Honorable Hellerstien didn't address that in his order.
If by some chance when the court addresses this issue, it might have an impact on 'spyware' that is out on the internet right now (like Gator).

By Monday, tho, My bet is that the Smart Download will have quite a prominate click-wrap license agrteement on their webpage where the software once was.

IANAL...yet.
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Ian