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Microsoft In Talks To Buy Claria
axonis writes "For the last two weeks, Microsoft has been in talks to buy Claria, an adware marketer formerly called Gator, and best known for its pop-up ads and software that tracks people visiting Web sites. The offer price on the table as recently as Wednesday was $500 million. One person briefed on the deal said there was opposition within Microsoft to the acquisition. Analysts said Microsoft would probably be most interested in the long-term potential of Claria's personalization software rather than its pop-up ads."
...and I got really scared there for a second. ;)
It could, of course, be a good thing, if they can buy the company, and use their software for something other than spyware and popups!
libertarianswag.com
Gatersoft - eats up all the competition.
Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
With any luck they'll buy them and then blow them up.
Microsofts Antispyware's cred just took a dive for no fault of its own. Pity, since Giant (which it was before MS purchased it) was one of the better antispyware apps.
Go somewhere random
This may seem a little tin-foil-hatish of me but what else could it be?
Microsoft will just embed Gator into Longhorn.
What are they thinking, don't they realize what this is going to do to their image? Microsoft, the company cherished for it's warm human point of view and high quality software, associating itself with such a low-life company.
Yes, let's reward these companies for their abuses of the internet. 500 million reasons to be unscrupulous in business. This is going to make spyware/adware that much worse. Yea, let's here it for best business practices!!! /rant
"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." -- Albert Einstein
Just imagine. IE is already the browser most known for succombing to popups. Now Microsoft is going to own the company who makes them. Either Microsoft is doing something smart by trying to buy the technology BEHIND the popups, making them easier to block... (yeah right)... Or soon, MS will launch a Google-like system that sees us running OpenOffice, and pops up a dialog for MS Office. We'll be running Winamp, and see a popup for WMP. Just imagine! Windows popups! How fun will that be. *runs and hides from the evil Windows*
Well, at least deciding which company we hate most should get a lot easier.
as if millions of pcs suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Microsoft should buy whoever made Bonzai Buddy (or whatever that purple guy was called.) The integration of that and Clippy would be revolutionary.
When they combine, they form a new terror, as vast as Microsoft yet as wicked as Claria -- and our weapons will be useless against it. It will destroy all of Meta-Tokyo, unless we can find the Magic Princess in time and give her the Moon Crystal and the Seven Essences! Your quest begins here...
(Press 'B' to continue)
Whence? Hence. Whither? Thither.
The anti-deal group, the person said, fears the move could bring an outcry as critics portray Microsoft as a corporate Big Brother, trying to track every mouse click on the Web and profit from it.
There's that perception with or without Claria's purchase.
Maybe MS will use gator's spyware tactics to improve its Windows AntiSpyware program.
... Popup blocking functionality was stripped from Longhorn, Microsoft announced today.
839*929
> One person briefed on the deal said there was opposition within Microsoft to the acquisition.
;)
Would that be from the AntiSpyware group?
-- OpenVerse Visual Chat: http://openverse.com
Besides, since Ballmer's indicated that they want to "catch Google," they'd better be able to do some very, very clever stuff with ad targeting on the MSN search side. Might as well buy (rather than build) a business unit that already has a jillion-view history, and some people that have waded through all this stuff a million times.
Though, they should take at least a couple of the Gator people out back and wack 'em just on principle.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
Popup ads built into windows isn't something I'm looking forward to
Pop-up security updates, click here to patch XP, "Win an X-Box 360 if you can whack Ballmer" Microsoft ads, Pop-up spam on competitors web sites. It is the beginning of the Microsoft Dirty War.
"I drank WHAT?!"--Socrates
Gator=evil money sucking leeches...
MS=(I'll let you figure that one...)
So let me get this straight...in its attempt to 'catch Google' (one of the most beloved companies in the business), Microsoft is persuing the acquisition of Claria (formerly Gator, one of the most reviled companies in the business).
I wonder if Steve Ballmer has any extra pot he can sell me...
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
One division of M$ will infect software from another divsion while a 3rd division tries to clear it off. This sounds like M$ has some serious inner turmoir going on? Talk about not being able to make up your mind.
I really want to see how the PR people market this.
Evolution or ID?
... like the one that keeps popping up about the fact that my MSN messenger is out of date - and that I can get a MSN Hotmail account for free.
...Just my click-here-for-a-free-pc's worth
What's next - clippy popping up from MSIE - "It looks like you're trying to find airline tickets..." and having it redirect me to an MSN branded site???
-RickTheWizKid
True, BBSpot came up the title, but isn't is strange to see Fiction become Fact?
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
Let's speculate :
Taking the analogy from virii (or viruses if you prefer) we can suppose that Longhorn will include a builtin adware, and then will propose a costly anti-adware solution.
Or maybe the adware will be used to discourage the use of legacy, non-trusted apps ?
I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of killer sig, which this margin is too narrow to contain.
I wonder if this buyout is just a way for Microsoft to kill off a whole slew of spyware? Seems to me that 500 million is a fair price to rid us of Claria's crap.
Gorkman
You mean Claria, not Microsoft.
What in the world is going on?
First, the senior level executive from Gator goes to work for Homeland Security (head still spinning from that one).
And now, Microsoft is in talks to buy Claria?
I smell something fishy. Suddenly, the HSD will be buying all things Microsoft, in the name of anti-terrorism and patriotism.
I actually support Microsoft (Or any industry giant) buying yet another company in the same industry. Claria also owns GAIN Publishing which has some of the most annoying ads. Also, I must say that Claria software, seeing as they own an advertising agent, is seen around the web more often than much of the other annoying programs we see out there.
do.what.promptcmds
So let's see here. After building a popup blocker into IE, they've now realized that if they purchase a popup/adware company they can be the only ones to have popups that work with IE?
I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
Looks like Longhorn is going to ship with Spyware installed out of the box. Now thats innovation for you!
This rumor defies logic. By acquiring a spyware maker, no matter whether or not they intend to use the spyware themselves, Microsoft would seriously endanger their efforts to gain credibility among technical users.
Claria is 'fruit of the poisoned tree'.
Typically, acquisitions like this are done because it's cheaper to buy target company A then it is to develop a solution internally, and any competent business manager should be taking into account the 'cost' of associating Microsoft with a company with Claria's history.
I would guess that the story is a plant, and that someone fell for it. Was the purpose of the plant to expose leakers? Or was it a well orchestrated prank? Either way, it seems contra-indicated for good business, and successful business is Microsoft's #1 product.
Microsoft announced that its anti-spyware solution will be handed over to Claria for further improvements...
Seriously, look for alternatives to be on the safe side (English version out soon).
Slashdot: stuff for news, nerds that matter, matter for news, stuff that nerd
Maybe MS will have a feature where Bonzi Buddy and Gator will duel.. kinda like Godzilla and Mothra!
Crime really *does* pay.
Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
i'ts more about R&D in the spyware area. "Oh, so THAT's how they sneaked into our security!"
:P
If you can't fight them, buy them
What's the difference between MS and their newest subsidiary? One's a bunch of scumbags who trick old ladies out of their money with a product that promises to do one thing but actually does something different and unpleasant, the other's - oh, nevermind.
I am trolling
Five hundred million dollars. Five hundred million dollars. Half a billion dollars. In all seriousness: for what? I can't see where there's anything of any value to buy.
Cantankerous old coot since 1957.
So instead they buy adware/spyware companies... Clever move !
\u262D = \u5350
i already get spammed by m$ and its various subsidiaries as it is. i really don't need them to get any better at it than they already are.
Now *THIS* is a useful application of Microsoft's buying power. Forget about buying just Claria though... buy a BUNCH of them... buy'em and shut'm down. (Making every last employee sign a no-compete agreement so they don't just go off and start another one...)
If they did that, I might like Microsoft again... maybe...
"...the company cherished for it's warm human point of view and high quality software..."
I think you misspelled "crap."
It's a common typo, they keys are like, right next to each other.
(with apologies to bash)
Or maybe he meant China?
The first thing I thought of when I read that was that Microsoft was going to buy the company out, then just let it rot away.
An interesting idea...but I doubt they'll do that.
Would you kindly mod me +1 insightful?
Almost two years ago Gator changed their name to Claria in an attempt to distance themselves from their scummy reputation. It's encouraging that the media still refers to Claria/Gator by both names -- it keeps the name association going and lets people know exactly who they're dealing with.
If they are buying them to eliminate a big spyware creator, wouldn't that cause a new business model for spyware startups to open up?
Someone could just start up a spyware company that annoys people enough that M$ would just buy them out.
1. Startup new Spyware company
2. Annoy users until Microsoft buys them out
3. Profit!
DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
...And they'll shut the company down and have all the spyware developers skewered in the public square in Redmond...
Well, it's a beautiful dream anyway.
Who did what now?
This is Microsoft we're talking about, so its most likely done to attack its competitors rather than any useful purpose. (Who would pay silly money for something they don't want?!).
The only thing I could find that might be it is Relevancyrank (patent pending) which might allow Microsoft to attack Google and Yahoo for personalised search (I haven't studied the patent application yet).
http://www.claria.com/relevancyrank/
Number of times in the entire history of the world that buying off thugs has ever made them go away: 0
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
NWO : "For only $29.99, we won't tell the wife/DEA/Homeland Security!"
Oh damn, forgot to click "Post Anonymously"...
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Maybe they'd reintroduce the spyware as Gatesor!
500GB of disk, 5TB of transfer, $5.95/mo
don't make a good...
So picture this: two years from now you're surfing arond on IE when an ad pops up "Click here for a free vacation to Bermuda" suddenly another ad pops-up on top of that one "Pay no attention to the previous ad, the prevsious ad was not authorized by Microsoft. If you click right away, you can buy Steve Ballmer a new golf club"
Seriously. Does Microsoft have so much cash sitting around they need to buy things? It doesn't even make sense. You would think they had an acquisition strategy, but instead it looks like "Have money, will purchase"
Worf was right!
I think MS is looking for a way to identify alternate OS and browsers in order to block them from content. This could give MS a way of following all surfers instead just the folks who visit MSN and microsoft.com
IF Browser = M$-IE THEN show_small_banner
GOTO content
ELSE show_huge_banner
delay_delay_delay
try_fullscreen.swf
show_longhorn_ad
tell_george_bush
tell_CIA_ATF_MPAA
trample_civil_liberties
FI
(I know, web pages aren't a mix of basic and sh. so sue me.)
The government which is strong enough to protect you from everything is strong enough to take everything from you.
We're getting very close...
Ben Hocking
Need a professional organizer?
In other news, the number of reported calls to MS and other vendor support centers has been seen to plummet after MS purchased the leading spyware/adware vendor and ground all the bits into dust.
Who is general failure, and why is he reading my hard drive?
When I first saw the headline, I read, "Microsoft in talks to by China."
Evil is the money of root.
...that there's someone who's in the dark on this:
Linky
--------
This isn't the sig you're looking for. Move along.
What the hell does this have to do with Nazis?
Gator gets integrated into future versions of Windows or service packs and everytime users visit MS's competitors' sites 100 pop-ups appear. They now have the arsenal to really destroy google now.
Jump ahead five years, Microsoft is taken to court for yet another anti-trust hearing, where the EU is trying to stop Microsoft from shipping its own adware with Longhorn, thereby stamping out competition from other adware/spyware companies.
"Yes, Master Gates! We scurry to obey our Lordship's fearsome wrath!"
"Minion, it's been more than a month since I found a way to make myself more evil and I'm completely out of ideas! I was wondering if your abject, toady self could come up with anything better."
"Errrr, Your Worship could turn his steely fist of retribution to the task of creating more Windows security holes, oh Instigator of Mandatory Overtime?"
"Bah, that's an automated process now! Try harder, you pathetic cringing worm!"
"Ummm, you could always give more money to Darl McBride, oh Slayer of Open Source!"
"That idiotic bungler! We were cought faking evidence in the middle of our trial and still came out on top, and he can't even drag his pathetic little farce out three years?"
"Create an iPod clone, oh Exterminator of the Jobsian Herasy?"
"Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Next!"
"You could get William Hung and Billy Ray Cyrus to collaborate on a new version of "Achy Breaky Heart."
Gates fixed his minion with a steely glare. "Even I have limits."
"Well, then what about buying a spyware company, oh Vengeful Wielder of Billiions? One with really annoying popups and tracking software that's impossible to remove."
"What, like RealMedia?"
"Well, that would work, but I was thinking about Gator, oh Bringer of Viruses."
"That's it! Great idea! Good thinking, minion! Tonight you get extra fishheads in your gruel!"
Crow T. Trollbot
Perhaps microsoft just wants to aquire a group of programmers who have proven their capability for evil. People who won't let bad karma get in the way of making a buck.
Next, they'll be buying SCO for its executives and legal team. These are the staff they need to fight open source.
(it's a joke people, don't take it seriously)
Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach either, do tech support.
Mr Gates has tons of quoted missives, but this is a doozy... And I quote "Longhorn, the next version of Windows operating system, will make malicious software (malware) that gets onto computers without the users' knowledge 'a thing of the past'." If he actually intends to make this so, buying some blackhats to do the internal testing of Long(wait)horn just might be smart. Let them sit around and crack on longhorn now, so by the time the public gets a copy of it, it will have already been patched 43,000 times in the development cycle.
Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
Think about it: ever since SCO started playing silly bugger's a couple of years back, Microsoft's position as Slimeball #1 has been under seige. Combined with increasing pressure from other sectors of industry, Microsoft were facing serious problems of the lack of ethics front.
In that light, this is clearly a strategic move aimed at firmly re-establishing MS' position as the world leaders in sleazoid corporate tricks.
Of course, if they hadn't been blocked from merging with the RIAA by those ridiculous anti-monopoly laws, they'd never have been in this postion in the first place, but that's another discussion entirely.
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
It looks like you're trying to browse the web. Would you like me to:
* Throw up annoying windows promoting competitors sites
* Redirect any domains that don't actually exist to MSN Search
* Tell Microsoft where you've been
* Suggest Microsoft products designed for totally unrelated tasks
* Insert banners bagging OSS and linking to bogus Microsoft funded studies
* All of the above
See also Neville Chamberlain, and "Peace in our Time".
Ben Hocking
Need a professional organizer?
I initially read the headline as "Microsoft In Talks To Buy China", and I thought, "WTF? That's ALL we need." Off to caffeinate.
--You're BOTH right. It's a floor wax AND a desert topping!
Just because you buy a company doesn't mean that you have to keep that shop running. There have been countless instances in the past where large corporations (MS included) have bought the competition just to eliminate it.
MS is in the anti-spyware game, so it could do wonders for their image to purchase-and-dispose-of the most infamous spyware brand in the business. Also, software like Gator threatens to make Windows just plain look bad when compared to, for instance, OS X.
Besides, who wouldn't pay $500 million to get rid of Gator.
Oh, God! No, please! It's bad enough to have a pop-up Clippy just from MS Office! But I refuse to tolerate a Clippy on the desktop!
Hi! I'm Clippy! It looks like you're visiting a Linux web site! I am compelled to erase your hard drive right now! Would you like that?
* No, close the evil Linux window and open an MSN window.
* Yes, I must be punished for going outside of Microsoft.
or maybe...
Hi, I'm Clippy. I'm tracking every place that you go to and reporting it back to unscrupulous marketers. (Sorry for being redundant there.) Would you like me to keep tracking where you go on the Internet?
* Yes, and automatically install software that I don't want
* Yes, and automatically install software that I don't want
* Yes, and automatically install software that I don't want
The Overrated mod is for reversing inappropriate, positive mods, not for voicing disagreement with a post.
Holy fagioli, talk about "evil conglomerate"! Will the Microsoft headqarters transform into something ominous and purely evil like the Event Horizon ship from the same movie?
So evil, your eyes melt.
Sigged!
IF MS was smart, once taking over Claria, they would have them port to Apple and Linux (via Firefox and konqi).
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
It is reported that the acquisition was targeted at a certain "goatse" technology, which will be incorporated into Longhorn's Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) scheme.
~~~
Being an IT guy and having to have had to clean Gator off of dozens of computers *twitch* it does sadden me that M$ would aquire such a company.
M$ is like the Empire from Star Wars, you hate it, but you love to hate it. They are just that kind of evil.
Gator is the type of evil where you want to drag to some dark alley and use a MAC-9.
Any estimations till when we shall see Gatorsoft coming out?
I heard the deal is going smoothly because Bill Gates used Gator to fill in his credit card information and address into the Claria buy out form.
Don't blame me, I voted for Cthulhu.
I mean Sudetenland. Neville Chamberlain made his "Peace in our Time" speech regarding the Munich Conference.
Ben Hocking
Need a professional organizer?
Man, Looks like the dot-com boom is starting all over again.
I've got to get off my ass and write some piece of crap spy-ware so I can sell it for $100 million in 12 months.
Sam
Make software against us, you will be assimilated.
The empire has struck back. Rejoice!
----- You know you have ego issues when you register a domain in your name.
Your forgetting that one of every 5 mod points must be used for a TripMaster Monkey post. Pity the MOD who fails in his/her civic duty.
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
It is so predictable:
Headline: Bill Gates buys Al Quaida.
Shill: They're doing it so they can shut down terrorism! They're protecting us!
Headline: Engineer lifts comp room floor tiles, discovers bodies of 100,000 refugees, victims of genocide.
Shill: That's a frame! Saddam sneaked in and hid them there! And some Linux users helped!
Headline: Bill Gates seen rampaging the streets, biting the heads off small children, stabbing people with hypos full of AIDS virus, and drawing pentagrams on the ground in order to call up Satan himself to rule the Earth.
Shill: They're testing Longhorn!
*sigh* I could write a shell script to do this...
When I heard MS was going to get adware and spyware under control, I thought they meant with a program...not by buying the whole adware companies!
Don't take life so seriously. No one makes it out alive.
What are the odds they acquire Claria and then just shut it down, doing the world a favor?
I basically see them as an adware company now. I've only been using this WinXP thing for a few weeks, but every time I log in or start up I get a nagware dialog trying to convince me to install their antivirus program. I don't want their damn antivirus program. But there doesn't seem to be any way to turn the OS's self-advertising dialogs off.
Then there's Outlook Express. I used to rather like Outlook Express. Except now apparently it launches MSN messenger or something every time that you start it, without asking you, without telling you. I kept being totally baffled to find the program open and sitting in the start bar thingy, and going, how does this keep opening? Before I finally figured out Outlook was doing it. This of course isn't a problem anymore, becuase I've already switched to Thunderbird. But how the heck do I turn off this virus protection nagware screen? And how does Microsoft not implode from the irony of using adware techniques to get users to run a program reportedly designed to defeat adware?
And what's the difference between Windows or Outlook Express starting up and running ads for Microsoft, and "Snood!" starting up and running ads for Gator? Not that much, I don't think. So what's surprising here?
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
Buy em!
The new and improved AntiSpyware policies!
Much as I don't like Microsoft, I have to admit they would to a better job of governing China than the current leaders of China do. Sure they would force everyone with a computer there to run Windows, but they would also shut down all the slave and child labor there. Overall it would be a win for everyone.
Could it be the sound of boisterous laughter coming from Apple headquarters?
If Microsoft buys Claria, they'll effectively be holding both sides of the pop-up/under problem.
Maybe they'll be able to develop a pop-over/under technology that CAN'T be blocked by browsers by controlling both sides.
I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
Well, you're right, of course. Search engines, including MSN and Google, should always operate at a loss, preferrably until they go out of business. And if they do decide to do something as tasteless as run side-bar ads to pay for what everyone uses millions of times a day, they certainly shouldn't use any sort of technology to make those ads actually relevent or attractive to the people that the paying advertisers want to reach. Definately not. I know that the almighty, completely benign Google will surely lead the way in first abandoning any sort of contextual/visitor awareness in their ads, and then stop running them altogether and drain their shareholders' money until it all dries up and goes away.
Wait... I've got an idea. If you don't like MS, don't use their free search engine, and don't patronize the thousands of merchants and other entities that choose to advertise there. Gosh, that was complicated.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
Here's an idea, instead of fixing their crappy software M$ buys and patents all the pop-up/adware software and sues the crap out of anyone who uses it
The only good that will ever come from software patents...
The Answer
M$ creates Spyware tool, then buys the biggest offender of Spyware. Does this mean they will detect and remove themselves?
I'm not a troll, but I play one on Slashdot.
Microsoft buying Claria has nothing to do with Gator, spyware, blocking popups (oh my). What they are after is Gain, which is a Claria product. The reason why? Might have something to do with Gain being the most advanced targeted advertising system on earth. Think about it, Microsoft want to extend MSN and have it compete with Google. The main Google attraction at the moment is the advertising model, you get specific ads, and retailers can tailer their ads to only the users who want to see them. For Microsoft to get here, they can either try to re-produce such a system themselves, or go and buy the *best* system for targeted advertising that exists at the moment, so they go to Claria! The net result is that MSN offers extremely targeted advertising, much better than what Google can offer, which increases the value of the ads meaning less ads are required! Quiet the opposite of the scenarios being discussed here thus far. From the Gain site:
Taking into account buying cycles for ads? Unheard of anywhere else (many other features such as this that Google currently can not match). The one disadvantage that Gain does have is that it installes software (smileys, free screensavers etc.) that are used to collect the information to tailor the ads. What Microsoft will have to do instead is use their MSN services (Hotmail, MSN messenger etc.) to get this data from the users. By extending the collection of data across the whole MSN install base, the value of reaching this network for advertises is orders of magnitude larger than anything else
End result? We all benefit.. MSN gets better advertisements, and if they follow Google's lead site owners will be able to integrate this technology into their own sites, and at the same time they drop all the crap that Claria used to carry because Microsoft will use their own software to track what ads it should send you.
These sleazy pop-up ad makers are a public nuisance. They are a major source of pollution in the internet experience. Microsoft should have just bullied them out of the way.
The previous poster was right about making have these shitheads in the kernel. Microsoft would never pay $500 million to buy a company in order to get them to stop harassing people. It's most likely that Microsoft is buying this technology to constantly check if the individual copy of Windows on a PC is registered with them. If not (or if the registration number doesn't match the microprocessor ID number secretly included in the registration process), then the pop-up message routines embedded in the Windows kernel will incessantly blast the user to transfer the full list price from their checking account to Microsoft.
But, like all Microsoft stuff, it won't work completely right and even after paying, the poor schmucks will continue to be blasted with annoying messages. Microsoft will charge them a service fee for problem solving, an activation fee, a supplemental fee for having used an unregistered copy of windows, a fee for having been born, etc...
This could be good for Linux if Microsoft if Gates finally makes good on his famous 1977 letter of intent to stop people from using software without paying him. People use Windows because it is easy, more-or-less, and because Linux is such a pain in the ass to work with due to the inability of its designers to transcend their 'computer priesthood' mentality. I realize that comment will get the message marked as a troll, but, beautiful slashdaughters, it's so true.
But if Microsoft decides to use this new technology to harass the hell out of people, then they will come to Linux, kicking and cursing the whole way, and they will provide the major boost and surge in popularity that will break the Microsoft monopoly.
This looks like a lot of different things to me.
One of the things I see is Microsoft purchasing yet another software company that is at the forefront of a specific software specialty - the lead in its industry. Monopoly, anyone?
However, what I also see is Microsoft purchasing a technology which could be very well suited at enhancing any number of their existing technologies; their search engine comes most immediately to mind.
Imagine what they could do if they had effective means of gathering personal search preference demographics using the same techniques used to target ads. I know that, for me, this would probably be very useful. I know I've wanted the ability to focus the target of my searches a bit more than even Google allows me to do. Not just things like date, time, and various technical aspects of a document, but also maybe give preference to search results based on things which I frequently or regularly browse. For instance, if I regularly load slashdot or tomshardware, and infrequently go to pricewatch (or generally don't buy things online), if I search for a specific technical device name, it would be able to direct my searches to things I'd find more preferential: documentation, things that relate to the hardware specs, and things of that matter, while filtering out the more commercial elements.
Google tries to do this by default simply by logistics, but you often have to throw in other plugs like -shopping, -store, and things of that manner in order to get desired results - often with multiple subsequent searches to prune the tree. I can see this being very useful technology in getting towards this goal indeed.
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Or what better way to encourage spyware companies to be even more of a nuissance.
"If you're annoying enough, Microsoft will buy you."
1) Create company to annoy the entire world with popup adds
2) ???
3) Profit!!
Maybe Microsoft wants to port spyware to Linux to end the "Linux doesn't have spyware" advantage. That would probably be worth $500 million.
Then that would explain why in the latest version of MS AntiSpyware anything from the Claria Corp is set to Ignore when found instead of Remove. I personally would love to see MS buy out all Spyware companies and force them to sign a Non compete for 20 years. Although if that happens then MS will be sued by the USG for anti trust by cornering the Spyware market.
> new: We know where you've been!
That's not (+5, Funny), it's (+5, Informative), you insensitive clod!
Gator CPO at the Department of Homeland Security
Art imitates Life. Life imitates Slashdot.
actually, i see no problem with embedding something into the windows kernel to check if it's a legal copy. you can't get security patches for XP unless you have a legal copy, so what's the point of having it if you're susceptible to most of that crap that's floating around?
while MS wouldn't pay that much to stop them from harassing people, they would pay that much to get the code to the software to make their anti-spyware solution the best. they would also pay that much to get the data that claria has collected in order to make their own web stuff better. think about all the browsing habits claria has collected from people (the average person, in fact). they could easily use that data to help push them ahead of google.
please me, have no regrets.
Microsoft in talks to buy China. Then again, wasn't gator spyware? Hmmm...it's all getting clear now.
Heroscape, it's like legos combined with anachronistic wargames.
The good news is that we won't have to worry about Gator being ported to Linux or other operating systems now...
That's probably real reason MS is buying this company.
evil is as evil does
Gates: Don't let the haircut fool you, I am exceedingly wealthy.
Your Internet ad was brought to my attention, but I can't figure out what, if anything, Claria does, so rather than risk competing with you, I've decided simply to buy you out.
Claria: I reluctantly accept your proposal
Gates: Well everyone always does. Buy 'em out, boys!
Finally found somebody to buy to RAISE their Evil Quotient.
>I am compelled to erase your hard drive right now!
It is rather handy actually. It erases Windows for you, can you make a few more to get us through the rest of the Gentoo install!
My little Linux and tech blog
You got a link to Gates' "letter of intent"?? Would be interesting to see. Does sound like his M.O.
And one does have to wonder about that "personalization software" -- why do we need more than the user's registered name and the software's serial number, unless the intent is to exert more control over users' machines?
M$ has said repeatedly at their seminars (which I attend whenever I can) that they envision what amounts to a return to the dumb terminal, where you rent use of applications, and store your documents on a remote server -- for a suitable monthly fee. (Reaction from the all-IT-pros audience? Uniformly unhappy scowls.) It occurs to me that "personalization software" that works over the web is the gateway to making this reality.
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
First, Microsoft gets to make a show of killing off the spyware vendor (and its products)...
Second, they get access to all that data Gator collected over the years! This is exactly how you catch Google!
Finally, they take that technology and expertise from Claria, and simply build a Gator++ version that isn't visible and push it out via Windows Update!
As I said... makes sense to me!
YOU ALL SUCK
Err...
Hi
Oh look, it's a straw man. Off to see the wizard, are we?
Look, I get the idea that you think this is all about search engines, and that MS engine is (presumably) losing so much money that they need to Claria's unique expertese to make the thing profitable.
However, you're going to have to accept the fact that a lot of people will be more interested in the fact that MS are trying buy a company that earned the dubious distinction of having to change its name to stay in business. Some people are going to wonder what MS, whose reputation is hardly spotless are regards spyware, are goign to do with all that Gator expertese.
I mean its not like the desciscion is popular at MS; even you, whom I presume to be a fan of Microsoft reckon the Gator guys could use a kicking. Look at it that way and you have to wonder what planet Ballmer's on this week.
Or maybe you don't. Spin it however you like, it's all the same to me.
Wait... I've got an idea.
And don't think we're not proud of you.
If you don't like MS, don't use their free search engine, and don't patronize the thousands of merchants and other entities that choose to advertise there.
heh... I won't have to change my behaviour to implement that suggestion!
Gosh, that was complicated.
It'll get easier with practice. Thanks for sharing, now.
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
Here is their "in" to the world of low-cost Windows/Office. At reduced cost, the product will pay for itself by forcing ads through to the user.
Just a thought.
"Man has always been his own most vexing problem." --Reinhold Niebuhr, "The Nature and Destiny of Man"
one word: Linux
I also felt a great disturbance in the force... as if Mac users accross the globe laughed out loud and were suddenly modded down into oblivion ;)
Naww... he was speaking in tongues.. I think it's called "marketing speak"...
Just when I think the business folks can't get any dumber, they prove me wrong.
Thank you, business folks, for the many hours of entertainment you've given us in your god-awful decision making abilities.
It's been a long time.
will the next version of Windows come with Gator built into the OS? Arrrrggggghhhhhh!!!
The race isn't always to the swift... but that's the way to bet!
I don't think you're trolling at all. I mostly agree. However, you might want to update your view of Linux - particularly versions like Red Hat and Mandrake have gone so far in the user-friendly direction, they have attracted criticism for trying to be "I can't believe it's not Windows!" Some other distros are so hard core, even die-hard geeks get frustrated with them sometimes... The advantage to open software, however, is that you can have it any way you want it, and if you can't find it that way, pick the closest one and work it over in your ideal!
The Big Lie that we Linux folk want people to get out of their heads is that computers are simple things like toasters and radios. Computers are inherently complex, and it should only be the user's choice how much of that complexity they want to have hidden behind layers of abstraction. And there's always been a trade-off between simplicity and functionality. It's a sad social comment that the marketing hacks have done their job so well, that people now feel justified in demanding to have *no* knowledge of computers, while reaping all of their benefits. You have to learn how to drive a car to use it. Cars are complex. You have to learn how to cook, so you don't burn yourself when you cook. Computers are expected to operate themselves, and of course, as we see when viruses and crashes happen, they are poor at doing that.
"Computers in the home" is a concept less than 40 years old. Many twists and turns lie ahead before we get all the kinks worked out. In the meantime, it *will* help things along if my fellow geeks can put their impatience aside, realize that ignorance has been forced on the public, not chosen for themselves; and if the public, in turn, can accept some reasonable threshold of taking responsibility for the complex machines they want to use.
Check out what is on the very bottom of their website: http://www.claria.com/ I wonder why they have that there???
<overrated>Insert Sig Here</overrated>
...sounds good, indeed.
hacking with ramzi
(sorry, windows media)
This company is a flat-out menace to society. Bill Gates makes Osama bin Laden look like the Flying Nun. bin Laden at least has some principles, no matter how screwed up.
It is run by greedy asshole liars who say one thing and do the exact opposite. Their only goal in life is to take every last dime in your pockets and give you shit in return. This has been Gate's SOP since day one - in fact, before that, since in college he was a poker player. Greed is all this fucktard knows.
We need a "Jihad against Microsoft". This company MUST be destroyed by any means necessary if computer technology is to be advanced.
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
The alternative is to nuke them from orbit,,,the only way to be sure.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
This is an entry in Bill Gates's diary:
Hello, China? I've got something you might want.
[pause]
Yes, *all* the tea.
This is something Google has, but Microsoft doesn't.
About the only thing Google has that MSFT wouldn't want, is the former's sense of corporate ethics.
Go use Microsoft's Antispyware.
deliberately infect yourself with ISTsvc....
Watch MS-AS wipe it out, only to immediately trust it again and allow ISTsvc to reinstall itself on your computer.
Repeat process. I posted about this a LONG time ago (or tried to submit a story, rather) and yet nobody paid any attention to it. Maybe now (if anyone has the cajones to test what I've posted) people will wake up?
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Not quite the same situation, but given the parent's comment I would like to point to Rudyard Kipling's eloquent words on the subject:
Dane-Geld
-Q
My opinion of Microsoft would be raised somewhat if they bought Claria and publicly terminated all its employees. I'm imagining a live webcast of the employees being escorted out the door one by one, each carrying their box of perswonal stuff, culminating in CEO Jeff McFadden being physically thrown out the door by two beefy security guards, and his box of family pictures, gold pen and pecil sets, and executive decision makers flung into the street in front of him.
If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
Its amazing how one man can get up in the morning and say to himself "Hmmm... How should i spend 500 million dollars today?"
Well, if this is going to help get rid of all the crap that magically apears in people's computers then I give Mr. Gates a thumbs up (Good Job Bill)...
It's called Windows Messenger
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
at first glance i thought that read "Microsoft in talks to buy China"
Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
If that's what's coming out of his mouth, then I don't want to know where his tongue's been....
Now when we have that un-nerving feeling gator seems to be pre-installed on our machines, it'll be true.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
That MS is not in the business of suppling OS and productivity software.
The real goal (nothing short of world domination) is right out there in your face......
Rick B.
I heard that Red Hat Linux was buying SCO, but it's probably just a rumour too.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
Spyware is a technology problem so why fight it with anything else? Seems to just reward the spyware crowd. "Get big enough and MS will buy you out!"
There are plenty of people out there in the OS field that can tell you exactly where Window's problems lie. But I guess that ignoring them is right along with this logic where you buy out your problems instead of fix the system that created them.
...read the title as "Microsoft In Talks To Buy China"?
---
A guy walks up to his friend and sees him hitting himself on the head with a hammer. "Why are you doing that!?", he asks. "Because it feels so good when I stop.", was the reply.
Generated by SlashdotRndSig via GreaseMonkey
Why is it that when you believe something it's an opinion, but when I believe something it's a manifesto?
---
LEEROY JENKINS!!!
Generated by SlashdotRndSig via GreaseMonkey
Why is it that when you believe something it's an opinion, but when I believe something it's a manifesto?
when Gator is built into the OS instead of having to find its own way in. I wonder if it will be detectable? Maybe by booting into Linux and looing for the files w/o Windows running?
Just got off the phone with Steve having stated that the guys over at Slashdot was wondering if he had any extra pot. 'Sorry, no" he replied. "Quite to the contrary."
When getting commonly available hardware (D-Link 802.11b card) to work requires device driver source code changes, and installing a filesystem (capture-ntfs) requires a kernel rebuild, Linux can hardly be said to be "I can't believe it's not Windows!"
Can Microsoft keep up with the quality of Claria's 'Anti-Spyware Commitment'?
They'll try to use all that ammunition to build spyware for Linux!
Hmm. Come to think of it, I wonder if anyone has even TRIED to make a Bonzibuddy for Linux
"Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
"`For this to work, it has to be on hundreds of millions of desktops so there's an improved consumer experience in advertising, search and content,' Eagle said."
what better way to get it onto the desktops via MSN? you get verizon broadband customers for free, plus those foolish enough to use microsoft's msn client. the implications...
I have no idea what Claria's personalization software is, but I have a very hard time believing that whatever it is, it is worth half a billion dollars. Especially to Microsoft.
May I remind you that Microsoft is full of coders and if they really need some piece of software they could develop it themselves. Also, if you look at history Microsoft has been VERY miserly in aquiring software. Often they just copy the software without paying anything (remember that disc compression software?). Or as was the case with Mosaic, they pay a small fraction of what they actually agreed to pay, and then dare the owner to fight MS in court.
Now think about this. Claria/Gator is probably one of the most hated companies out in the computer industry. They are almost unique by being equally hated by the copyright lobby and the free information crowd. If MS fucks over Claria and steals their software it might actually result in an improvement of MS's image.
So then why would Bill pay half a billion for Claria. I think I have a good guess. He does not want the software which can be copied, he wants the data gator has been gathering on everyone for the past 5-7 years.
Looks like MS is going for growth by competing with Adobe photoshop, ERP (great plains) and beefing up the server software.
I wouldn't be suprised to see MS buy Autocad in the near future since it is one of the few profitable high cost remaining end user software products.
I reckon you've sussed it -- that just makes perfect sense.
To buy in technology rather than spend vast amounts of time and money developing their own has been their business model since day #1, and frankly it works for them pretty well. The purchase of their Anti-spyware tool is a prime example.
I see it as a wise move on their part. This would be a giant leap towards closer to their desire to compete with Google
JJ
/I'll get me coat
Aloha!
Microsoft has a track record of eliminating support for other OS:es in products they aquire. See for example the last two anti-virus companies where they ditched UNIX support in no time at all.
Please Microsoft, keep this tradition up. Remove support for MacOS. And make sure that the pesky commie-Linux-thingy users don't get to share the exitement and full user experience of your new pop-up, adware and spyware. That'll teach them not to use your stuff.
Gator in the next service pack?
The race isn't always to the swift... but that's the way to bet!
lots of profit built in.
You got a link to Gates' "letter of intent"?? Would be interesting to see. Does sound like his M.O.
I think you are referring to the Open Letter to Hobbyists . The text is here.
Support the Chagossians
[reads] "Hobby software", eh? Methinks he was a bit weak on the concept of "hobby".
Anyway, thanks -- interesting to see this old article.
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
The same thing happens everywhere.
Installing hardware is difficult. A complex task.
I pay people to install hardware in my car.
People who use MSWindows pay to get hardware vendors to test compatibility with MSWindows.
You can pay someone to install your hardware for you. It's much less expensive than with cars.
The software is free, and it doesn't cost a thing, many times . The service are not.
Computers are not complex machines.
The problem s that people want to accomplish complex tasks with them.
Of course, someone convinced them that they are not complex tasks, but they are.
You can buy a good machine, easy to use, with limited capabilities when you buy a Mac, but you lose the capability of lots of hardware and software, at least if you want to keep it simple.
You can use Windows, where you have maybe some more flexibility (don't try to use hardware that is too old, though), with less ease of use.
You can use GNU/Linux, gain lots of flexibility, but get a lot of complexity.
Of course, if your needs are simple and limited, (web, mail, music, some documents) you can use a Mac with no hassle and be happy. If you want more flexibility, you will lose some of the simplicity of your Mac.
If you want flexibility at the expense of simplicity, GNU/Linux is nice. You can even get someone to set it up for you, so it becomes simple. For a corporate environment it works great, where you manage and police centrally the features available to each desktop.
Windows is good, because it comes preinstalled in "cheap" machines, and needs no retraining, but the hidden costs kill you, and you have none of the beefits of the other two options.
But it's not true that computers are inherently complex, or that they can't be used simply, right now.
I don't know, I've never Kippled.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.