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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?"
Is this another reason to approach management to choose only open source alternatives?"
Yes.
Next question?
It's a reason to quit bitching that commercial software companies are giving away their shit for free. If they stripped the ads and shit out of AIM and Weatherbug, then charged $25 for it, who the fuck would buy it? In the Linux world, software is free. In the Real World(TM), it isn't. Deal with it.
'Standards' in computing only impress those who are impressed by things like 'standards'.
You have to bare in mind that alot of companies have invested alot of money into there Microsoft Windows Network with all there fancy graphics packages and what not. If you have just finished signing a checking for nearly the value of the company on software licenses for your machines would you want to go to an open source operating system because some guy who works for you is moaning about spyware being stopped by the firewall. in my opinion the best way to scare somebody into changing to open source software is to tell them about the spyware that is NOT being stopped by the firewall
I never even realised there was an Open Source Spyware project.
Meine Schwester ist sehr, sehr reizvoll - Nietzsche
and recently my browser was getting hijacked by spyware. Sigh, even we are not safe anymore. I found a guide on how it works and how to remove it HERE
There is no god
I know everything you can download for free isn't really that, but on the same hand as many people want to know if they have drm-crippled CDs that they purchase, wouldn't one also want to know what 'extras' get installed with a program and not just an [install] button to start and an [ok] button when finished?
Gaim
Just a friendly reminder in case there's anyone out there in slashdot land who still doesn't know about it. Works perfectly with AIM/ICQ and Jabber (and those other services no one actually uses ^_~) Even has a Win32 installer.
GeekNights!
Late Night Radio for Geeks!
I use gaim instead of AOL instant messenger. It's got just about every feature that AOL instant messenger has, plus a slew more (plus it can consolidate chat clients). It is easy enough to use for non techies that all my friends and family are on it instead of the AOL version. There are OpenSource projects out there for everything. Check out Sourceforge. And, if you really like the product, and it saves you some money, donate some money to the project so it can get even better.
You know, if you install something called WeatherBug, you're kinda asking for spyware to be installed. It's practically in the name.
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
from the it's-so-damn-obvious-why-are-you-even-asking dept.
Do virus writers target more popular operating systems?
Do people with experience using popular programming languages have an advantage in the job market?
Are people more attracted to attractive people?
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.
I know older versions of Weatherbug included Gator, but my understanding was that they had stopped bundling this garbage in favor of a more unintrusive ad-only revenue model. At least the last couple of versions I scanned with Spybot S&D and Ad-aware tested clean.
Did I miss something?
Oh, and more on-topic, YES. Spyware is a big reason why I use open-source software whenever possible.
"Lawyers are for sucks."
- Doug McKenzie
Your company specifically allows people to play web games on company time? Make it against the rules to install WildTangent stuff. Why bother with an open alternative (if one even exists). Unless you're an entertainment software developer that needs to look at WildTangent based stuff there is *no* reason for it to be on a business computer.
You are the most illiterate and incoherent person on Slashdot (excluding the editors, naturally).
I'm so sick of the shit written on this site about "spyware" or Directed Advertising as I prefer to call it.
There is nothing wrong with Directed Advertising, get it?
But it steals personal information
No it doesn't. First of all, how is it stealing when we clearly state in our EULA what we're doing? Is it stealing if I come up and ask you for 10 bucks and you give me it? No.
Secondly, users want our softwares functionality They like our little monkey. They want a useful search bar. Now we can 1)charge them $ for it or 2)"Charge" them no money, but rather ask them if we can use their data to make adverts which are more successful. We go down the second route. So they pay no money up front, and get better adverts about stuff they might be interested in. So everyone wins, except those arsehole privacy advocates who can't believe people might actually like and want our software. It's their choice. But you feel the need to impose your choice on them. To fill their heads with horro stories. Never mind that this is totally unconstituitional.
The GPL is a license which makes use of the same principle. Instead of charging people to use GPL'd software, you "charge" them by agreeing to set free their own personal hard work and sweat. Thus anyone who supports the GPL understands and supports this "intellectual currency". But when we do it, it's bad. Hypocrites.
Hey - wait, it also breaks my computer
No shit. I bet I could point to 100 times as many Open Source projects out there that could severly fuck up your computer. But that's OK, is it? Slashdot continually presents the extremely bad directed advertising programs as the norm, like telling ghost stories to kids, just to give us all a bad name. None of our software breaks anything. One or two real amateurs way out on the fringe do fuck things up. But don't tar us all with the same brush.
My company, who I've been working for for the past 6 years, doesn't do that sort of thing. We're up front, and we're rewarded with a huge database of information that people have chosen to give us as a result. So stop spreading the FUD. Let's face it, if we offered you a job, you would jump at the chance. And who exactly is writing all this shitty code? Hypocrites.
Note to mods: -1 Not Groupthink. 'Kthnks
Meine Schwester ist sehr, sehr reizvoll - Nietzsche
for ad-supported software which states the following:
Hey, we're going to install software on your machine that pops up advertisements whenever you do anything on the internet, and sometimes when you're not! Also, we'll record all the sites you go to. Hope you don't mind!!!! LOL
THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
I use some older 4.x version of AIM. Not at my desk so I couldn't tell you the exact version.
It was one of the first ones that let you store your buddy list on the server, but it doesn't have any annoying features that suck up bandwith, along with memory/cpu cycles.
Don't click the link.. disgusting GNAA troll.
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).
Implicit in your argument is the premise that there do not exist many free application programs for the Microsoft Windows platform. Can you show evidence of this premise?
Does Trillian support it as a plug-in?
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
There is no easier way to fight the paranoia about open source s/w , if you work for PHB.
for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
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.
HOWEVER, I've bought software only to get ticked off because it wants to installed crap like Gator or worse on my system. Many times, this isn't part of a EULA (if there is even one). That's one way to get me ticked off. I PAID for the software to NOT be bugged! In particular, this was selfware that looked cool (puzzles and card games) and that I picked up at Target. I'm sticking with "download before you buy" stuff.
SPAM solution made easy: 1 spammer, 5 cords of rope, 5 hourses, and fireworks. Be creative.
Its easy enough to change a few values in some of AIMs files to strip out the adds.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
There are quite a few multi-protocol messengers.
Did anyone compare them?
That reminds me... some joker at our school is out to install as much spyware as possible. Weatherbug is the latest trick, but earlier I saw GAIN (Gator) installed. Standalone. I bet it's the same person who has pulled the fire-alarm four days running...
It took me a while, but I finally found Weather Pulse. It scrapes data from weather.com, displays a systray icon, and shows detailed forecasts. All without any spyware or ads.
Two words
Reverse Engineer.
That is what I did to AIM, after all pop-ups and adverts in my IM I don't like. There was no mention of that in the EULA.
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
If the Spyware and Adware software makers told the users what the software will be doing on their machine, the users most likely would not install it.
I recall there was a plug-in for Kazaa that removed the Spyware/Adware and kept Kazaa working. Diet-K was the name I think.
By my definitions, Spyware and Adware are malware and unethical to force the users to install with the free or shareware software.
Many PHBs confuse free or shareware with open source software and claim that open source software contains spyware/adware. I've ran into that before, they need a clue-by-four upside their head to convince them otherwise.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.