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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.
Since class-action suits were used to push de-facto legislation in the sixties, it became precedent to require that all class-action cases require signatures from ALL constituents that will be affected. This might just be here in Texas (I know there was trouble with school busing issues), but if it is at the national level, then signatures from all users who have been deceived would be required.
Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
plz see definition #2 below...
www.m-w.com
Main Entry: hijack
Pronunciation: 'hI-"jak
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1923
1 a : to steal by stopping a vehicle on the
highway b : to commandeer (a flying airplane)
especially by coercing the pilot at gunpoint
c : to stop and steal from (a vehicle in
transit) d : KIDNAP
2 a : to steal or rob as if by hijacking b : to
subject to extortion or swindling
- hijack noun
- hijacker noun
So yeah...if you wanna get technical, it IS "to subject to extortion or swindling"....and thus hijacking.
When in doubt, parenthesize. At the very least it will let some poor schmuck bounce on the % key in vi. (Larry Wall)
aren't they the same ppl that created this wonder of spyware "bonzibuddy" with a little monkey character that would progressively ask you most of your personal info (including Credit Card numbers and the like) for the sakeness of "user - friendlyness" ???
Actually, $500 worth:
In your browser, select the Edit menu and click preferences.
Now go to:
Advanced->Scripts & Plugins
Under 'Allow scripts to:' uncheck 'Open unrequested windows'.
Well, the solution is easy. Download Mozilla 1.2 and when you see one of those pesky banners, right click it and select "Block images from this Server". Your bandwith is reduced and your eyes get a rest.
1. Find out the host name for that URL.
2. Add that host name to your
3. Change the IP address for that host name to 127.0.0.1.
Your hosts file should look something like this:Now, every time a banner tries to pop up, you don't get the extra traffic to the banner site, and you have slayed one more hydra.
I hate everything about him!!! Just read the description of him here(I hope you are as happy as I with the CGI redirect the page forces upon the user).
the illusion of artificial life... Illusion!? WTF? Bonzi becomes more intelligent the more you browse... Just like The CIA becomes more intelligent the more they tap?
This cute gorilla is a good companion for beginners who want to explore the Internet in a fun way. For experienced Net users, it has a certain entertainment value but does not replace more professional tools.
Isn't that a weird way to end the description? It's almost like they're covering their asses or something.
At any rate, there is no concealing or withholding the pure hatred and animosity I feel for this abomination by the name of Bonzi Buddy...Blech, I spit.
Bonzi Privacy Statement
..."
;)
Highlights:
"...we also collect e-mail addresses from users
who send us support mail or request technical or other help..."
"... our servers log your IP address
"... we share web site usage information about visitors to our sites with such company for the purpose of managing and targeting advertisements on our sites. For this purpose, we and our third-party advertising company note some of the pages you visit on our sites through the use of pixel tags (also called clear gifs)..."
"Our sites contain links to sites other than our own. Those sites may not follow the same privacy policies as BONZI.COM."
There is no link from the BonziBuddy page to any of this information. But you'd probably expect that
Fortunately dude, those lawyers are going to sue them. So at least that part of the world *will* work that way if the law suit succeeeds. You see, just cause something happens , doesnt make it right. Fucking over the stupid is not right. Hey what about tricking downes syndrome people with "wallet inspector" routines. That might work, but it wouldnt make it right. We are the technological literates of the world. Most people aint. And thats who the lawsuite is representing.
And as for your question of what if I was the CEO of bonzi? I guess I'd do the world a favor , settle the claim and liquidate the company.
Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
Do you have a domain registered through NetSol? Have you paid your $960 advertising fee to that company yet? You know the one, it sends out an invoice once a year or so.
When I got it, I knew it was bogus (it said my ad would list me under gas stations or something like that), but it also looked like any of the other invoices my small business dealt with. Anyone not intimately familiar with my business dealings would probably have paid it without a second thought. It's only after you carefully read the entire document that you see very small print admitting that it was a solicitation, not part of an ongoing contract... although once you fall for the scam once you'll get real invoices for years.
In that case the issue isn't whether or not they can create business directories and a kilobuck for the entry. It's that their ads are literally indistiguishable from invoices without careful study or intimate knowledge of the particulars.
It the same thing with Bozo Software. The issue isn't so much the product they offer, it's the fact that their advertising is deliberately designed to be look like legitimate system messages. They stand out on Linux boxes, but on a Windows box they can fool even experienced people who don't exercise extraordinary care.
The content of the messages also tend to be deceptive. As others have pointed out, "broadcasting your IP address" is a term of art, popup ads are incapable of checking IP stack performance, etc.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. -- H L Mencken
"Bonzi Buddy" is a pile of steaming sh~t trojan horse program that brings up a fuzzzy purple gorilla on the screen. (It used to be a parrot in older versions.) It tells jokes, acts as an e-mail client, tries to sell you add-ons, profiles your browsing habits, etc.
The scariest part is that some people actually like this trojan horse piece of garbage.
I know you don't want to hear this, but your ad is the equivalent of making a 3-foot orange steel rectange, painting a black border on it, putting the word "Detour" with and arrow, and placing that sign on the road 50 ft. in front of the entrance to your store.
Does the cancel button function? It doesn't appear to. Does the fake dialog do what it said it would? Nope. Are you selling something? Yes.
This all comes under misrepresentation, and, AFAIK, that's not legal, especially if you're trying to hawk your goods.
Just my 2 cents. I really don't care too much about these popups, or yours... they benefit my business (I get paid to remove all this spyware...)
If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
If you do like something that flies all over your screen, all it takes is installing the Microsoft Agent libraries and a few lines of VB Script (just look at the examples from their web page) and you can write your own spyware-free Bonzi Buddy.
This story has hit the major news sites (MSNBC even mentions Slashdot)...
"Security alert" advertiser sued