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Class Action Filed Against Bonzi Software
An anonymous reader writes: "A nationwide class action lawsuit was filed on November 25, 2002, in the Superior Court of Spokane County against Bonzi Software, Inc. Bonzi is among the world's most prolific issuers of internet advertising banners. Bonzi's website has been ranked as one of the most frequently visited websites in the world. In case you are wondering Bonzi is the company responsible for those irritating popup ads which say things like 'Your computer is broadcasting an internet IP Address...' and 'Your internet connection is not optimized ...'" The attacking lawyers provide some samples of the ads they say are misleading.
My boss DOESN'T know that I'm looking at porn while I'm at work? That's a relief.
That's the problem is so many people think it's a great thing, and so they install it only to wonder why they're system's messed up later on.
I vote we just declare open season on these guys.
*looks around for LART*
Yep. Just the other day I watched a sysadmin talk down a user who was freaking out over his computer not being safe for the internet. It was quite sad.
He's so cute, he can speak and sing songs while you're trying to code, and help you in your internet searches by reporting everything you do.
Who needs friends when you can have a BonziBuddy?
True warriors use the Klingon Google
Yeah right. And you never clicked on a goatse link either, huh?
It said I was broadcasting the IP address 243.65.42.656
It's almost as though they think we're retarded...
www.goat.. ah screw it.
The ads click on you.
and
the boss makes porn by looking at you while you work.
(yes that IS improperly formatted, but I think it's funny so stuff it)
Not much use if they are a Windows software company though.
I'm going to log it in my firewall, then join the lawsuit, with my logs as proof that I was deceived by these scoundrels.
You want to show them you logged them on your own firewall (probably self installed, running a hard-core version of Linux like Slackware or something similar non-intuitive), and then you fell for their stupid trick of Windows-lookalike silly error messages?
Like this:
Your honour, I tracked down their IP address using tools like nslookup and dig, entered it into my self-installed firewall running Linux using iptables, marking those packets and sending them to metalog (which if I may add, beats sysklogd hands down), so I have a proof that I fell for their ad. Here is my printout of my Gnome desktop (made with xwd and xwud and gimp just because I can). They deceived me! See!A better analogy would be billboards disguised as traffic signs... "Roadworks ahead, bypass to the right", but the "bypass" is a cul-de-sac leading to some cheesy sexshop.
Of course, if roads were Slashdot, you'd see traffic signs pointing to some hick's backyard who'd spend all day mooning passersby.
And so I clicked an banner that said I could optimize my internet connection but instead a porn site came up, my mom came into the room and went like beep beep beep.
Fellow /.ers, this item has given us the opportunity to /. a lawyer and they're STILL UP!.
Must try harder!
Am I the only person that thinks this is funny? I torture the crap out of our IS guys with it. We'll be getting to the end of a marathon meeting and I'll ask them if they finally stopped broadcasting our IP addresses for just anyone to see and connect to.
I think they're getting back at me with some weird HTTP proxy filter. For some reason, when I go to Slashdot, I see every story twice.
You mean my computer isn't broadcasting an IP address? That really scared me. I went out and bought $3000 worth of networking hardware to create a DMZ with border gateways and traffic shapers. Every single packet has to be personally approved by me to get out of my house. Ain't no hacker gonna hack my computer!
That is why you don't see as much porn-banners/popups/spam as there used to be a few years ago...
No. I don't see as many porn-banners/popups/spam as I used to a few years ago because my eyesight is shot to bits.
Comes with the territory...
Prosecutor's initial request: $500 / person affected
Jury awards damages: $2,000,000 / person
Judge reviews jury's decision: $300 / person
After attorney's fees, court costs, bancruptcy claims, etc: $0.02 / person, paid out over ten years.
C'mon give them a break... maybe there arent any chicks there for your first Bud, by the tenth one the place is packed with stunners. It just takes Bud HQ some time to round them up and send them over. :)
indecision
I'm sorry, but did no one else read "FUI" as fooey?
So you're saying that running into a packed theatre and yelling FIRE!(in my fireplace) isn't deceptive?
Wax-Museum Fire Results In Hundreds Of New Danny DeVito Statues
Hope you filed a patent for your idea :)
- Raynet --> .
I can just see a server running your suggestion now:
"Hmmm. Mozilla on Linux. Crap! what theme is he running. Well, I can guess it's not KDE, since he's not running Konq. But is he running Sawfish, Blackbox, or TWM95? Crux, or one of those themes from Bowie Poag?
Screw it - he's probably blocking me anyway."
www.eFax.com are spammers
My boss, the "LAN Manager" where I work fell for this one. She had a printscreen of it and was asking me if I had ever seen the error message before. I almost died on the spot.
Working at a call centre helpdesk I can't tell you how many times I would take a call and low and behold the user on the other end doesn't say hi, doesn't let you greet him, all that you hear is "YOu have to get rid of this f***ing purple monkey!!!" I am all about suing Bonzi. Isn't that the American way? If you don't like it...attack it!
The minute they see Mozilla on Linux they could just pop up one of two ads for a click:
1) MS dissed on SlashDot! Read all about it here!
2) 1337 H4x0r g1rls h3r3!!!
--- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
I think it's 192.168.1.54. I spent a lot of money on it and the guy who sold it to me told me that it's really prestigious and that people would know how sophisticated I was if I told them my IP address.
I actually watched a classmate get tricked by one of these fake Windows messages. The sad thing is, she was on a Mac.
Long live the Speaker Bracelet
Rolo D. Monkey
I love the image in section 4.8 of the complaint. "Cannot delete KERNEL32. The specified file is being used by windows"