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WhenU.com Enjoined From Competing Pop-Ups
Frisky070802 writes "The NY Times reports that a preliminary injunction has been issued against WhenU.com, a company that distributes software that performs certain tasks for users but also intercepts their website visits so that, for instance, a visitor to Expedia would see a pop-up ad for Orbitz. Now if only we could get rid of all the rest of the pop-up ads."
Star light
star bright
first star I see tonight
I wish I may
I wish I might
see all spammers and pop-up software writers be sent directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars.
I have been pwned because my
We are scheduled to get rid of pop-up ads right after we deal with SPAM once and for all.
Don't hold your breath, please.
Hopefully I didn't put any [] around my words.
For the unfortunate friends and family that run Windows, I always install adaware and do a scan of their computer every once in a while.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
It seems to take care of the adware kazaa installs, and most others.
Reccomended for every windows user, should be "mandatory" like antivirus software.
My favourite pop-up blocker with Mozilla, with Opera a close second. I'd go with Opera if it weren't for Adblock from Mozdev.org.
Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
The internet seems to become more worthless every day, as more and more of it is hijacked by spammers and other commercialization.
How can we take it back? If we can't, how can we replace it with something more resistant to these electronic malignancies?
I want instant communication with friends and colleagues all over the planet, but I don't want UCE. I want instant access to the world's knowledge on all topics, from crucial news to movie trivia, but I want it without viruses, interstitial ads, popups, spyware, and all that other crap.
By using Linux with some other specialized software, I have erected a defensive perimeter around my internet existence, so the tidal wave of garbage largely passes me by. But the walls need maintenance, and there always seems to be some new leak that needs plugging.
It's regrettable that we need to take such drastic measures, but what really worries me is that the need is increasing with time. Can you imagine the situation where 99% of your email is spam? Is there an alternative to giving up email entirely at that point?
According to Webster, "Enjoined" is how you say forbidden / prohibited when you want to sound like a lawyer.
Use Mozilla. Tell your friends.
Mike Hoye
"I doubt WhenU held a gun to people's head forcing them to install the WhenU client."
No, but I have suspected them of using an IE exploit to install their client without the user's knowledge or consent. I can't prove it, of course, and I'd imagine it would be a big stink if it were true (e.g., felony computer crime for each violation, one would think.)
They don't literally force anyone to install their software, but they certainly do it clandestinely and without a clear affirmative decision made by the user. It doesn't fall in the same category as literally holding a gun to the user's head, but that doesn't make it ok.
"To say it plainly, if it's MY computer, I'll install what I choose, and if I'm not happy, I know exactly where the uninstall is located."
This kind of spyware sneaks in. And without a certain amount of knowledge, such as knowing the registry inside and out, they are very hard to remove. I don't need help with this stuff either, but I know a thing or two about computers. That does not diminish my concern for a victim who cannot say that.
So instead of holding a gun to your head and making you talk, they sneak into your apartment while you're at work and bug the place. Does that make you feel better?
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
However, the installation for the Google Toolbar clearly states that this will happen if you enable the advanced features. Secondly, those "advanced features" are optional, and not enabled by default.
Different method, completely different use.
The injunction against the company only prevents them from using a particular pop-up ad that is triggered when a user visits the webste of one of their customers. So I think the main issue is it ethical to draw people away from your competitor by taking advantage of the fact that you have some software installed which "knows" when you visit your competitors' site?
One of the things that annoy me the most about pop-up ads, is that they have destroyed an otherwise fine tool. I'll a couple of home-pages and sometimes it would be really nice to be able to do a pop-up. Like for telling people that, if they have to keep on getting the news letter they will have to blah blah, blah... or warning them that there's only two days left if they want to join the competition.
But people are so negative about pop-ups that if they aren't using a blocker (I'm using Firebird), they certainly aren't reading what's in the pop-up before they close it.
Yes, most pop-op blockers have a white-list function, but most users are totally clueless on how to use it and will not white list anything. Even if you give them a clue, they will revert to cluelessness in a few minutes. I'm not just guessing here. I installed Mozilla on every workstation here (15 WS's), changed the default browser to mozilla and demoed it, include the white-list function (our intranet uses pop-ups). So they all had the intranet white-listed "out of the box" and they all know that if there's a small blue question mark is means that there's a pop-up that they might be missing. How often do you think that they come to the me, complaining about home pages that doesn't work "in that stupid mozilla browser..." ?
The only solution that I can see is a global/central white list function. If it was possible to register my site as a "good practice pop-up site" at the various pop-up blocker suppliers, that would could us the pop-up back as a useful tool.
I imagine the rules for getting on the white list should be something like this:
1. Only display a pop-up once to each visitor. Use a cookie or something to make sure that you don't do it again.
2. No ads in the pop-up. The pop-up must be related to the site visited.
3. Make it clear if clicking a link will result in a pop-up (we need a common icon/symbol for this).
4. For the extra strict: Only pop-up to registered users who have signed up for the pop-ups. Like phpBB2's "news personal mail" pop-up box.
I'm unsure if it could be automated, either by analyzing the site with a robot, or through analyzing the manual white-listing done by the users of your blocker software. Otherwise it would have to be a manual process... (which means that it probably would become a paid for extra service).
TC - My Photos..
WhenU pales in comparison to CoolWebSearch. If yo udon't know what that is, it's a Trojan that drops files on your computer that change your IE settings, slow down/crash IE/your system, and can download and execute arbitrary unsigned code, and one version (CWS.ehhtp) tracks everything you do on the Web that begins with WWW, as it changes the prefix "WWW" to "http://ehttp.cc/?". Over 23 variants of it have been documented in _five months_.
WhenU is at least installed through legal means. CWS installs through holes in the MS Java Machine.
If the courts wish to create injunctions against spyware/adware, why don't they just go against these first?
(For more information on CWS, if you're interested, check out Merijn's section on it. His CWShredder tool is quite nice.)
Striking fear in the authors of godawful fanfiction, I am here, appearing in darkness, Tuxedo Jack!
I know a lot of people are going to mention mozilla. And for good reason. It just works. But I'd like to mention that pop-ups represent a golden opportunity to introduce opensource software to your non-techie friends and family.
The non-geeks have a difficult time understanding the whole concept. But if you solve a very visible problem for them, like pop-ups, you earn a chance to tell them why mozilla exists. Don't beat them on the head with it (i.e. don't preach), just feed them a little. Next time they have a problem, they'll come back for more.
So while pop-ups are a curse for your average folk, we geeks can make a little use out of the situation.
jef