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Spyware More Common in Popular Software?
Keith Young asks: "Over the past month, we have seen a 1500% increase of spyware denials on our firewall primarily due to WildTangent 'spyware' installed with AOL IM 5.5 and adware installed with Weatherbug. Since many of these widely-installed types of applications have an automatic upgrade feature, how can these be tested for license agreements, spyware, and security 'irregularities'? Is this another reason to approach management to choose only open source alternatives?"
Unfortunately gaim doesn't support AIM's video chat.
Is there something out there that does? I was looking forward to AIM 5.5 connecting with iChat to do video chat with my dad and friends; now I may have to avoid that if the AIM spyware is bad (sigh)
GPL Deconstructed
I recently discovered that screensaver.com is distributing screensavers that I wrote with their own custom installer that includes several spyware programs, some of the worst I know of, hijacks their home page, puts advertisement links all over their computers, and requires them to agree to receive spam before they're finally allowed to install my screensaver. I've dropped their affiliate commission and demanded that they stop distribute my screensavers with spyware, particularly because it hurts my reputation and is responsible for some of my support email, but so far no response (I'll give them another day or so). Spyware bundling was not a problem I had anticipated when I wrote the EULA. Next I'll be contacting other authors I who's screensavers are being distributed in this fashion.
Also, GAIM doesn't have AIM Talk. I use AIM Talk regularly to talk to someone who is running AIM on a Mac OS 9.0.4 machine. (her machine can't run OS X, and OS 9.0.4 is the last stable version)
You'd be surprised how few VoIP proggies exist for OS 9 machines, and even rarer still, proggies that also have Windows clients...
Apart from MSN Messenger (which requires at least 9.2.2), AIM seems to be the only solution.
I've recently become a fan of WinPatrol. It's shareware, but will do pretty much all you need indefinitely in its trial version.
Most spyware tend to set themselves to run automatically on startup, and WinPatrol's watchdog will bark at you whenever a program does that, and let you confirm or deny. (If you register, they'll give you information about tat program to help your decision).
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There is nothing wrong with Directed Advertising, get it?
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Nothing wrong with door-to-door evangelists stopping by during dinner either.
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First of all, how is it stealing when we clearly state in our EULA what we're doing?
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A jerk that hides behind an EULA is still a jerk.
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but rather ask them if we can use their data to make adverts which are more successful
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As long as you specifically ask me for each and every piece of data each and every time you want it and give me the option to say "No, and don't bother me ever again" then I'm okay with it.
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and get better adverts about stuff they might be interested in
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I know what I'm interested in. I don't need to pay you to figure it out for me. Directed advertising works for advertisers and for sheeple. Don't hold up a zombie citizen as an example of how you're serving _ME_.
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But you feel the need to impose your choice on them.
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Funny. You were just talking about telling consumers about things they "might be interested in". You're selectively forcing your choices on them.
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Instead of charging people to use GPL'd software, you "charge" them by agreeing to set free their own personal hard work and sweat.
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Darn sure of it. Don't be mad at me because I've ditched your little monkey for my OSS alternative. Groups that lobby for laws such as TCPA/DRM which make my OSS alternative impossible to achieve only prove my point about their character.
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I could point to 100 times as many Open Source projects out there that could severly [censored] up your computer. But that's OK, is it?
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Yes, it's okay, because the OSS projects aren't charging money, they aren't gathering info and collating databases, they aren't selling my name and info to any clearinghouse with a dollar. At the same time, because it's free, I don't hold them accountable. If you charge me money or make use of my information then I should be able to hold you accountable for anyone who misuses my data which you sold to them.
The fact that "directed advertising" hides behind multiple levels of database clearinghouses makes me sick. See my statement about the EULA.
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Let's face it, if we offered you a job, you would jump at the chance
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You're right. The same guy that's milking our society dry is funding directed advertising because it feeds his profit margin and helps him figure out new ways to milk the economy dry. Nice vicious circle which keeps me scraping for any job available.
+++ATHZ
Funny that AOL's own AIM Virus/Trojan Help page instructs the user on installing and using Ad-Aware (steps 5-8).
Of course, that was probably posted long before Ad-Aware would actually remove parts of AIM itself.
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Is that your Mom's computer you're using, or something?
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Flamebait. I build and maintain my own systems. I put in my hard work and research time.
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I guess they're all jerks "hiding" like me. Nothing to do with lawsuits from assholes after a quick buck.
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They're using the EULA to cover their tracks for doing something they know is questionable at best and more probably illegal. In the end the consumer's ownership of their personal information might be affirmed but who can afford to press the issue if the consumer signed the EULA? It's easy dismissal for those taking advantage of a public that largely doesn't realize the trap they've set for themselves.
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You know this would make our software such a pain to use as to be useless
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Spyware is useless to everyone but the advertiser that gets to charge for the database and the people who need a gullible customer base for useless gizmos. Can you name any useful product that was brought to the forefront by directed advertising? Everything that people really want they'll find for themselves.
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Who's paying for the bandwidth on your favourite sites?
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I pay for my connection. Most startups get capital from loan sharks. Most loan sharks are involved in banking and insurance. I pay insurance premiums and I pay the $25 for a book of 150 pieces of paper and deal with the horrible interest rates that the bank gives me. Government business loans are backed by my taxpayer dollars. I pay the taxes on my electrical bill and on my network connection. I paid for my hardware and many hardware manufacturers support their corresponding software sites. I pay the taxes which support universities and research institutions. I don't need you or your directed advertising to pay for anything.
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Does OS lobby?
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The open source community lobbies to prevent the restriction of their right to produce. The closed source community lobbies to secure their position by restricting anyone who's not in their defined club. There's a big difference in the goal.
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Neither are we. We just want to help you
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I believe you. Really, I do.
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I generate wealth. You simply steal the market from propriety software solutions for your own ideological reasons
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You generate wealth by taking nickels and dimes from the parents' change jar when they're not looking. That's hardly an honest living. Closed source hasn't created any software that wasn't created by open source back in the 70s. Databases? Written by college students on punchcards. Word processors? Written by original authors like Jim Butterfield who published in open magazines. Games? There isn't anything in the gaming field that doesn't have a predecessor in public circles from the early days. Connectivity protocols? Pioneered on terminal software at universities long before the first patent was filed.
A parasite takes from the host without asking. That fits spyware and adware 100% unless you're asking each and every time.
+++ATHZ
I have not come across any major apps I use on OS X that have a built-in "Spyware", much less have tried to hijack my browser (Safari). There are the occasional free/shareware games etc. that I have downloaded which try to call home when they are launched. Any thing that displays such behaviour is trashed immediately.
A suggestion to OS X users: get a copy of Little Snitch. Any time an "unauthorized" connection is innitiated from your Mac, Little Snitch will "blow the whistle" on the offending app. It is also vey easy to set up a list of un/authorized apps and the port(s) they are not/allowed to talk on.
After I started using it, I was a little surprised at how many junk/spam email I found calling home either to pull in some content or to log which email@address had actually clicked on the spam. Previously, I knew this was going on (email/web-bug), but I was just surprised at how prevalent it had become.
cheers- raga