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Spyware Fights Back
sparcv9 writes "According to the latest issue of Spyware Weekly, the Radlight media player not only searches your hard drive for Adaware, but will uninstall it if found. How do they attempt to legitimize this? By including a clause in their EULA that reads: 'You are not allowed to use any third party program (e.g Ad-aware) to uninstall application bundled with RadLight. Such programs will be removed. If you want to uninstall them, you may do so via Add/Remove in Windows' Control Panel.' Yes, that's right. Not only do they say you are not allowed to use Adaware to remove their bundled apps, but they will forcibly remove Adaware for you to make sure you don't!" There's also a Newsbytes story.
I love the smell of karma burning in the afternoon, it smells like idiocy...
IS this a joke? Your software is garbageware. People who know what garbageware is generally don't want it polluting their computer. People DEFINATELY don't want any program uninstalling any other program on their machine. You can excuse yourself until you turn green, but there is no reason for anyone to feel sorry for you, or for them to have your software installed in the first place! Ad-aware is a tool that users install to help them remove your garbage and other programs like it. Your program isn't even a tool, it's crap.
People like you help make the world a more disgusting place to live in. If I ever find your software on my machine, I'll fly to Russia (or wherever the hell you are) and personally KICK YOUR ASS!
Bitch.
What a pure, unadulterated piece of festering, steaming horseshit. It's *MY* computer you fucking moron. You have absolutely NO SAY WHATSOEVER as to what I can and cannot install on my system, or what software can co-exist on it. Once I download your shitty pile of bit-rot I can do whatever the hell I please with it within the confines of my own system (not that any creature more sentient than a sponge would ever download it). You are an arrogant prick without the slightest notion of morality wafting through the pustulent mass you call a brain. There ought to be laws against shitstains like you having computers.
-Vercingetorix
"Necessitas non habet legem." -St. Augustine
Newsflash, you scum-sucking sack of pus, AdAware wouldn't even exist if morons like you didn't install privacy busting crap in the first place. It's my machine, I paid for it, I get to say what does and doesn't get installed on it. Capisce?
Oh, and one last thing, Ibore "NadSuckon" Anus, if you think your smug, semiliterate attempt at an "apology" is going to make even one user even one tiny bit less pissed off at you, then just take the crackpipe out of your hole and listen up. Just like a helluva LOT of people, I not only never heard of your pissant product before this, I now wouldn't use it if it was the ONLY media player out there. Sucks to be you.
You know, this whole point would be moot if people would JUST GO AND FUCKING *BUY* SOFTWARE!
If they place only charged, hell, $5 a head, at 750,000 downloads, that a good chunk of change for the company, and you wouldn't have to put up with/bitch about ad-supported software and spyware.
But, hey, they're about as apt to give up the spyware stuff as you are to actually *pay* for software, so I guess it's a standoff.
*sigh*
Ed R.Zahurak
You know, oblivion keeps looking better every day.
You're so full of crap...
:wouldn't the reason here be that the other application is going to uninstall a core part of my application?
:Please define core functionality... it would seem to me that if I put adware into my application to pay for my development cost, and so that I could provide my app to you for free, then that adware is core functionality
:What's not fair about it. I give you choice, their software or mine. you are aware of the choice before the uninstall is started. I fail to see how this is meddling, and now the environment that my application lives in is none of my affaire. Can I not say, "This application is not to be used by those who produce child p0rn"? Guess what! I do have that right, and I also have the right to say, "this program will not install if winword.exe exists on the system. Same principal.
: I guess you can't see the part where it lets you choose if you want to uninstall adaware. this is not about someone trying to sneak the other app off of your box, this is about one app refusing to install until another is gone.
:I agree!!! Now let's define valid technical reason, shall we? Let's say that I'm a developer that uses the TCP/IP stack included with the adware app to send and receive usage data about the app you are running. Ok? If the adware gets uninstalled, then I lose the connection, and the application is not operating as it was designed. Thus there is a technical reason to not allow my app to run with adaware. Next....
: Let's see.... I ask you if you want to do something, I help you start the process is you click on the affirmative button, I check after the uninstall process to make sure everything looks the way I want. How exactly is that illegal? When you figure it out, let me know. (BTW: every browser I have ever used prompted me before a plugin install... is that illegal too?)
:you have bigger issues. Check the law! The 'click to agree' EULAs are binding in court.
:There is such a thing as an unbindable contract, but ask the EFFif EULA's can legally bind people to stupid things.
:I'm so very glad to have your permission to write my damn code the way I want to.
is some valid, technical reason
not perform its core function properly
you don't have any reason to meddle...it's simply none of your affair
does not mean it's ethical to remove it, even if you are prompting the user
but I think initiating the un-install for the other product is probably not kosher unless for valid technical reasons
legality of this is questionable at the very least
'Click to agree' EULAs are questionable in the first place
I doubt it would hold up in court
, I guess you can continue to labor under the assumption that you have complete control of your product in all circumstances
I may be a fscking moron, but i'm a fscking moron that can refuse to allow you to install my app. I can refuse the service of my application all day, every day. And I can refuse it on ANY grounds I want.
Please take a moment to get over yourself.