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Spamford Wallace Draws A Restraining Order
Steve Rock writes "According to an article in the Associated Press, a temporary restraining order has been issued by a judge against Stanford Wallace and his companies. The case marks the first anti-spyware action taken by the Federal Trade Commission, and while there is some argument about permitting unsolicited commercial e-mail because of free speech it appears a tougher approach will be taken with alleged spyware distribution."
I've got some great spam here on cheap legal services.
Really? Well, me personally, I'm not so sure what the problem with spyware. It's just another legitimate way of doing business. They did agree to the EULA allowing it after all, didn't they?
Take me for example. I sell preassembled computer systems. As part of the package I include a short, 83-page EULA that fires up when they first boot the system. After accepting the EULA (which they don't see until after I've cashed their cheque btw) I drop around to the customers house and install a series of automatic pop-up rock flingers in their front garden. At 3am the rock flingers pelt their bedroom windows with small rocks... generally not enough to break the glass, but I'm working on it. When they come out to see what the problem is, a hidden speaker blares out "Buy computer hardware from OverflowingBitBucket Inc!".
Thankfully the supplied EULA allows me to do this, so it's all legal. In fact, I'm anticipating an increase in business, as several customers have called me _personally_ and said they'll be dropping around to see me real soon now.
You can fix social problems with laws; just enforce the law of natural selection.
Do they even know that they're bad guys, or do they have themselves fooled?
I'll just need your email address, and I'm sure that these poor, confused gentlemen can explain themselves to you.
The thing is most spyware installs itself *without* you knowing...
Funny you should mention that. I've been thinking about branching out into a lawn-mowing service. The plan is to offer free quotes, all the customer has to do is send me their address. When they do, after dropping around and giving them a quote (I am a legitimate business after all), I come back later that evening and install the pop-up rock flingers anyway. I just have to come up with a suitable message for the hidden speaker for this market. I'm thinking something like:
"Buy computer hardware from OverflowingBitBucket Inc! OverflowingBitBucket Inc. is a legitimate business. You have been added to out rock-flinging list by some unspecified action you might have performed in the past. If you would like to to opt-out of future rock-flingings, please write a letter to our office in Heremettica."
Of course I don't actually _have_ an office in Heremettica, since I just made up that name then. But that's okay, I don't plan to respond to any mails there anyway.