Gator Examined

Ben Perry writes "News.com.com has a story about a Harvard researcher's study on how Gator operates. The report 'provides some data as to how much advertising Gator is showing and to whom it is targeted' and focuses on where Gator replaces a site's ads with Gator's ads. Gator is facing several lawsuits because of this technique."

Comments

Re:"Don't Ask At Startup" Broken?

[fredrikj]

I mean I thought it was proven that internet advertising doesn't work.

Hey, some ads work! I've clicked lots of ads on Google and a few times found really useful stuff.

Re:Ads are easily blocked

[genka]

I just tried Password safe, and unlike Gator it offers no automatic password entry and form fill. I will be glad to switch to a non-spyware based solution, but I couldn't find anything doing the job as well as Gator does.

What does using Gator have to do with using IE?

[Andorion]

Why would anyone be using IE these days unless they were forced to by their employer?

I like IE. I like the way it works, I like its integration in Windows, and I don't want to bother with anything else. I don't need password management or form filling... so what's the problem with me using IE?

Get off the horse, please.

~Berj

Re:What does using Gator have to do with using IE?

[xanadu-xtroot.com]

You are the exact kind of person BillyG is looking for (and has proven exists in large masses). Someone who can't think for themselves, so he can tell you what to think, since you have no clue otherwise.

Re:Gator by Choice, WTF?

[DeusExLibris]

OK, I am sorry, but this is just willful ignorance. I know several people that use Gator on purpose (in fact, they *love* it). From my admittedly small survey, non-technical Internet users do not place the same stigma on Gator that we in the technical community do.

Personally, I avoid Gator software as I find the pop-ups (or unders) extremely annoying as many in the /. community do as well. However, to generalize from the relatively homogeneous and specialized population that reads /. to the entire Internet user population is completely unreasonable.

The fact that there are alternatives to Gator for password management is also irrelevant as the whole idea of a marketplace is that there be a number of competing products and that consumers choose the solution they like best. Clearly, enough people are choosing Gator's software to make it financially viable for Gator to stay in business.

Finally, I think it is inappropriate to classify Gator as "spyware" any longer. I challenge anyone to find an instance where Gator installs itself surreptitiously on a users browser any longer. Whenever I come across Gator, I have been very clearly asked to allow it to install and have been given the option to uninstall (by uninstalling the partner application) with little difficulty. While I take issue with some of Gator's early business practices, I applaud them for finding a viable ad supported business model in such dismal economic times.

Re:How does Gator operate?

[Xerithane]

Gator operates by preying on the stupid, uninformed, and lazy in order to push a business model for which there is no proof that it actually works one bit, in the face of a mountain of proof that it generates ill will towards any company that uses it and its clients.

This is just bullshit. Gator is cash positive, and a lot of people actually like Gator. They advertise every little thing they do on their website, and if you download and install their software and don't read it and then don't like what it does than you are an idiot. You also have no right to complain.

Gator doesn't come in sleep with your wife, drink your beer, and install itself on your computer. You have to do it.