Google's Anti-Spyware Project

peterfa writes "Sun and Google have teamed up and started a project called Stop Badware. This project aims to expose all the spyware and adware bundled in software and the companies that are responsible. While it's funded by Sun and Google, the research will be done by Oxford and Harvard."

Comments

Harvord!

[Anonymous Coward]

While it's funded by Sun and Google, the research will be done by Oxford and Harvord."

Hay, I got my Computor Sciense degrie from Harvord Web Univercity! I'm an aluminumni! I lerned abowt it frum adware witch was monitering my /. typiing skils and sugestid I enrol rite away (don't bothur enterring you're credit card, we alreddy know it, jist hit buton and you start on yor way too hire educatoin!!!1) (My sistor is going to Oxfurd!)

I try anty spywear softwear but, itt keeps flasshing lotsa things on teh screen with WQRNINGs and stuff, so I geussed it didn'tinstall rite so I uninstaled them all. Ihop this works betters!

Ad-Aware-Aware(TM) approved text

Mr. Grabpot Thundergust has 600,000$AM for you!

Re:Harvord!

[Mike Savior]

"pres butan, receev degree"

Re:Harvord!

[Anonymous Coward]

i write a funny joke, and some idiot has to come along and take it to far, thanks

Re:Harvord!

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, it was _so_ goddam funny in the first place.

Re:Harvord!

[Anonymous Coward]

I guess the Harvord motto is "Nunc Id Vides, Nunc Ne Vides"

Re:Harvord!

[Mike Savior]

I could be spiteful, but I won't. Nice job being a clod because you don't find my humor funny.

Re:Harvord!

[NotWorkSafe]

I'm a clod, you insensitive clod!

Re:Harvord!

[Henk Postma]

Funny yes, but where in the article or slashdot editorial does it actually misspell Harvard?

Re:Harvord!

[Nuskrad]

It rhymes with discorvord

Re:Harvord!

[1u3hr]

I assume it was there and since been fixed. Occasionally they do correct errors.

Re:Harvord!

[spectre_240sx]

If it makes you feel any better, I thought it was pretty stupid in the first place.

Re:Harvord!

[aichpvee]

I'm insensitive, you insensitive clod.

Re:Harvord!

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, obviously not as funny as the regular "LOL FRISTY WTF M$ SUX"-FPs that is all you ever achieve in life.

Re:Harvord!

[capefear]

Now if Google would only disclose how they use their own index and cross indexes between gmail and search, toolbar, etc, on their OWN user.

Re:Harvord!

[peterfa]

There's a reason why I didn't get into Harvard, buddy. :P

Google Toolbar?

[BEI01]

I wonder if Google Toolbar will be included in this.

Re:Google Toolbar?

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course not. 1. because it is funded by google. 2. google toobar has never been installed against my will on my machine ever.

Yahoo! toolbar has been installed and I was informed about it before installation but it was still against my will. i removed it later (after package installation) without much acrobatics. i would still not consider it a spyware because it is not spying on me. it is not even a malware. it could possibly be classified as junkware but nothing more evil than that.

Re:Google Toolbar?

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope this will be included in Google Toolbar.

Re:Google Toolbar?

[Crayon Kid]

Who cares. Enumerating badness = dumb by design.

Re:Google Toolbar?

[Anonymous Coward]

No kidding. Makes live real convenient, and even gives useful info like PageRank, and simple buttons for a link: query, site: query, et cetera.

Oh, wait ... but it turns out the PageRank graph isn't always honest, and even when it is, it's on a different (logarithmic, maybe) scale. And the link: query is becoming more useless, as it only gives a random 1000 back-links, and half of the time doesn't work, period. And the site: query ... well, now thanks to Big Daddy on the new datacenters, it looks like this's going bye-bye, too. For more info, see this WMW thread.

And what does Google get from the installed toolbars? Any given user's IP address, login name, what sites they go to, how often, how they use G, how they react to G's advertisements. Given that G is chiefly an advertising company (follow the money), a resonable person would conclude the G toolbar is spyware.

(oh, and don't look now, but that "independent" organization G is joining in the fight against malware? its domain name is owned by Google.)

What is there to research?

[orangeguru]

We need spyware killers and better protection - not more academic research. They should fund some OS project to help users.

Re:What is there to research?

[networkBoy]

Actually the research should be done as it will help the developers of OSs and apps to understand how spyware gets on systems. If most spyware arrives because someone installed Bonzai Buddy then that is different than exploits being used to install without user consent. While they are both bad I think it is vital to OS developers to know why and how this stuff gets there.
-nB

Re:What is there to research?

[SilverspurG]

What we need is a legal precedent set to establish that, yes, a computer belongs solely to the person who shelled out the cash for it. No, it does not belong, in whole, part, or by EULA, to any idiot who manages to package their badware with some stupid search toolbar, screensaver, or desktop theme.

Re:What is there to research?

[orangeguru]

Hmmm. Many Windows loopholes are well known - but the main reason for spyware gets installed are the users themselves. Either they don't fix loopholes (by running windows patches), use safe browsers or they simply can't resist the temptation to install any crap they find.

Sure - we can't blame it all on users and their badly managed/protected systems - but some safer computing with more brains could help ... a lot ...

Re:What is there to research?

[MikeFM]

They could probably buy something like Spybot Search and Destroy pretty cheap and bring it's developers into their fold. With that kind of money behind them they could no doubt become the best product on the market and the existing program would give Google a big start. Spybot is pretty popular already due to it's price and fairly high quality. Polish it up a bit, opensource it, and give it away free from Google.

Re:What is there to research?

[John Bokma]

"They should fund some OS project to help users" Ah, yeah, I forgot, the problem is CS, not the user behind the computer... Can you explain how OS is going to make a lot of users understand that a program they get via email / messenger can do more then they expect? Or are you just hoping that the lack of support of some hardware, the "use the source, Luke" and other nitfy OS extras are going to scare them away from the computer for good, so that you are again one of the 733+ UberH4x0rz?

Re:What is there to research?

[Michalson]

Yeah, count me in as another person wondering why there was such a big rift:

Google gets Sun, Lenovo (IBM), WebWatch (Consumer Reports), the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Oxford University together to form a group called "Stop Badware" that sends money to a bunch of students, who in turn setup a little website that "names and shames" spyware software. The website is to be visited by people that already understand what spyware is and how not to get it. Spyware makers to totally ignore the students strongly worded opinions.

Microsoft leads a group containing Lavasoft (Adaware), Trend Micro, Symantec, Grisoft (AVG), McAfee, Websense, Panda Software, Yahoo, AOL, Dell, HP, Aluria (Earthlink), the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Cyber Security Alliance, the Samuelson Law Technology & Public Policy Clinic (UC Berkeley School of Law) along with another 2 dozen major security, general internet, public advocacy and legal organizations called the "Anti-Spyware Coalition". Microsoft directs this organization in a three pronged attack on spyware:

- Clearly defining what spyware is and what is does, in order to improve understanding among normal users, providing common standards for anti-spyware software, and helping to make spyware a concept that can be used effectively and accurately in legislation.

- Directly confronting spyware makers in the courts, hitting them where it hurts, their wallet. For example this week Microsoft is pulling in Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna to file a lawsuit against the makers of "Spyware Cleaner", a product that actually infects computers with its own spyware, and is advertised through misleading email and messenger spam. Microsoft has already had numerous court room victories against the spyware makers and spammers.

- Using the rigorous terminology defined in point 1, with the court precedent created in point 2, the ASC lobbies Congress to pass tough anti-spyware laws, closing the loopholes and grey areas that make spyware non-trivial to legally stop.

So to compare, one camp has declared war on spyware, and has assembled the best generals in the industry and the largest groups of regular troops, and launched a major assault on the spyware mainland, already capturing several cities. The other camp has gotten together at the local university to sit around writing beatnik poetry about how bad spyware is.

Re:What is there to research?

[lysergic.acid]

Seriously. And don't even get me started on medical researchers. They need to start creating cures for cancer and AIDS, not more research.

Re:What is there to research?

[TubeSteak]

TFA is very light on details, so I went directly to the source and read the StopBadWare.org press release

Here is how the program will work:

Internet users can visit StopBadware.org to check whether programs they want to download are infected with badware and alert others to programs they have encountered that include malicious software such as spyware, incessant pop-up ads or other obtrusive programs.

StopBadware.org will publish short user friendly reports on downloads they have identified as badware, as well as more detailed academic studies on the problem of badware.

StopBadware.org will publicize the names of companies that make up the most insidious purveyors of badware and shed light on how they make money through unethical marketing practices. For example, advertisements will spotlight the worst purveyors of badware.

StopBadware.org will seek the horror stories from Internet users who have been adversely affected by badware. It will publish these stories to raise awareness of badware's harmful affects.

To be fair to the beatniks, they have a different focus and the fact that they've got Consumer Reports on their side shows it. IMHO, Their goal is to review software & not to sue bad guys or write laws.

Re:What is there to research?

[afidel]

I recently downloaded a Firefox addon from siteadvisor (they have an addon for IE too) that shows me a color coded rating for the current site and for sites in google searches. They used an automated bot in a VM which went and auto-downloaded software from from millions of sites and reported any known spyware. They also auto filled forms with email addresses and tracked the amount of email recieved over a certain period. This is the kind of academic research that makes spyware tools fairly irrelevant because in theory you never get the infection.

Re:What is there to research?

[hdparm]

Research in this area is completed. Install any Linux distro (or *BSD - you may want to check availability through Netcraft first) and use Mozilla based web browser - Firefox comes to mind as a popular option.

I am serious. Mod as you are pleased.

Re:What is there to research?

[Firehed]

Well, all error is caused by humans at some point (who left loopholes in software? not the code monkeys). Stupid humans, typically. You know the type... the ones that really think they do have a desperate friend in Niger. You say we can't blame it all on users. Why not? I know how to use a computer, and none of my computers have any crapware (badware? WTF!?) on them. Most people at my school are noobs, and they must go out of their way to get crap installed, with all the stuff our (completely inept) IT department does to make it near-impossible to launch anything but Word and IE. Seriously, people - BonziBuddy really isn't your buddy, despite the name.

I'm not saying there aren't websites that'll abuse the security flaws, but the fact of the matter is that you shouldn't be going to those sites anyways. It can't be that difficult to click no on "Install ActiveX UltraMegaCrapWare Package for 1238923487% speed b00st!!11" and not visit fuckupmycomputer.com.

I'd place virus/spyware/adware/[general crapware] installations at about 99.995% users being stupid, 0.005% actual loopholes. Yeah, 20,000:1.

Re:What is there to research?

[kesuki]

agreed, safer computing is a good step, but there are vast tracts of the web that can't be accessed without some kind of 'adware' running on your system to 'authenticate' your access to the site, etc. so, the problem doesn't just lie with end users, it's the content providers who opt to rely on adware to 'profit' who wind up creating intersting but adware only supported sites, too.

of course they have to make money somehow, but google manages just fine relying on the data aggregation they perform on server, without needing some 'fancy' system resident piece of adware.

Re:What is there to research?

[1u3hr]

So to compare, one camp has declared war on spyware, and has assembled the best generals in the industry and the largest groups of regular troops, and launched a major assault on the spyware mainland, already capturing several cities. The other camp has gotten together at the local university to sit around writing beatnik poetry about how bad spyware is.

Even if that were so, what's wrong with more than one group taking on the issue? Also, while MS et al have the big guns, recall that the Sony Rootkit was well known to all these parties who took no action till it was publicised by a blogger. A group that, while not pure of commercial concerns, has DIFFERENT concerns can only encourage more openness and discourage coverups and footdragging.

Re:What is there to research?

[RPMentley]

And by price, you mean lack of it, right? SpyBot is completely free.

Re:What is there to research?

[Scarletdown]

Either they don't fix loopholes (by running Windows)

A thousand apologies, but I just couldn't resist fixing and editing your post here. It was just too juicy a target. ;)

Re:What is there to research?

[freedom_india]

Windows patches don't necessary fix ALL issues. In fact they excerbate some.

The trick is to plug out a Win XP box from the internet entirely and reconnect it through a very restrictive firewall router (hardware firewall).

Software firewalls like the one in Windows are always poor alternatives.

Re:What is there to research?

[MikeFM]

Exactly. For a free product it's very good as in my experience it works better than the majority of programs you have to pay for.

Re:What is there to research?

[QuantaStarFire]

We need spyware killers and better protection - not more academic research.

Then I recommend the following:

1. Make a hitlist of spyware makers.
2. Get a sniper rifle.
3. ???
4. Profit!! (or go to jail, whichever is relevant)

Re:What is there to research?

[Deliveranc3]

Ah yes the people who profit from spyware... they'll solve the problem.

Oh wait...

In this case there is a lot to be gained by stopping spyware but not as a final solution (filling the holes, making it so it costs them bandwidth and you no time)...

Microsoft likes nice easy rollouts and they get them when people think their next OS will make their computer faster, the truth is their clogged with spyware so formatting will make them faster.

Windows 95 is the fastest MS OS... asside from compatibility there isn't a good reason to upgrade from a firewalled users perspective...

Re:What is there to research?

[SphericalCrusher]

Yeah. It seems to me like they're just asking for enemies in this case, even though it is a pretty slick move. I just wouldn't recommend doing it at home, because having a huge company against a business I work for would not be a very good idea. Whether it's them trying to tamper with our products, customers, or just harassing and saying stuff bad about us back to the media, it doesn't always work out as well.

Re:What is there to research?

[Anonymous Coward]

What is needed is a comprehensive spyware spoofer, the opposite of a honeypot! Send them completely bogus names and addresses, basically crap, and corrupt their databases. Nothing turns off list buyers than names like Mr U R Joking and Mr No F Idea. Make dynamic on the fly outwards bound packet alterations. This is on top on prosecuting the s**t out of em, and their sponsors.

Re:What is there to research?

[hemantm]

Say NO to monopolies, BOYCOTT MICRO$OFT

There are plenty of OSes other tahn windows, where Spyware cannnot be installed. Not much new research required there ....

Re:What is there to research?

[mikek3332002]

And will it Containing context sensistive adds determined by what ever spyware is dectected.
And What data would it send back to google?

Re:What is there to research?

[Fred_A]

Surely DOS was faster than Windows 95 ?

Actually I'm sure that if I installed it on my amd64, DOS 4.0 would fly. I should probably remove Gentoo. And there is no spyware for DOS so aside from compatibility issues, it would be a major win!

I'm sure there has to a be a hole in tha reasoning somewhere though...

Re:What is there to research?

[Fred_A]

They could link it to Google maps to show where the spyware makers live. Wouldn't that be useful ?
As a research project obviously.

Re:What is there to research?

[ELProphet]

Yes, we can blame it all on users. And I do. Whenever someone calls me up complaining about spyware, I force them to sit with me and hear my lecture about how to safely use their computer while I install and run Antispyware, SP2, and Firefox. The third time they pay me $30 and sit through my lecture, they don't have anymore problems! Microsoft & co release bug and security patches, etc. in a seemly time, and it is up to the user to meet them half way!

Re:What is there to research?

[eyepeepackets]

"...the spyware makers live. Wouldn't that be useful ?"

Yes, but much more useful if they post a decent bounty and make collecting it as easy as using the local ATM. The downside is that spyware makers would be in short supply in about 72 hours. This could be defined as success.

Seriously though, the bandaid approach to computer security is never going to work. In my opinion, Microsoft is guilty of criminal neglect (amongst other even worse things) and should be prosecuted heavily. No one should be allowed to say "I'm not responsible" and then act irresponsibly, which is what Microsoft does with their EULA approach to responsibility and accountability. A couple of billion dollar fines and some real jail time (in a real prison) for the main players would let the industry know _right_now_ that they are responsible for their actions and no EULA can negate responsibility and accountability.

That this situation with Microsoft has been allowed to develop to this point is the most damning evidence that our governments are corrupt to the point of not serving their primary purpose -- the protection of society against those who would do it harm.

End rant and happy Friday to you.

Re:What is there to research?

[Tommac2005]

I downloaded this, but then I noticed a decrease in speed. Is this likely to be related to the extension? It was about 50% reduction in speed.

Re:What is there to research?

[afidel]

It could be, I personally haven't noticed any decrease in speed on the three machines that I've installed it on. You should write them letting them know your specs and then try uninstalling the addon and see if the speed returns.

How?

[imoou]

The article is light on how the project actually works, do users have to install some sort of detecting tools which alerts them of badware upon download and/or prior to installation?

Is this going to be like the spamm blacklists which can be subjective?

Re:How?

[Tlosk]

Personally I'd be satisfied with some sort of a trusted archive that allows you to research different programs/sites/companies. There's a lot of info available on the web but most of it is buried in tech forums or as come ons for dubious spyware removal programs, both of which you're never really confident about the truth. That way it wouldn't be just a yay or nay that goes on under the covers, but a place where you could find out what a program's issues are, or the track record of a developer.

Re:How?

[Anonymous Coward]

The article is light on how the project actually works, do users have to install some sort of detecting tools which alerts them of badware upon download and/or prior to installation?

That's about right. The software detects any code that has been designated as 'badware' and then alerts the Chinese government. The use of the newspeak sounding name is the last vestige of Google's conscience striving to speak out.

Re:How?

[fugas]

Both of your questions (and more) are answered there.

Re:How?

[thrillseeker]

Personally I'd be satisfied with some sort of a trusted archive

Personally, this is the only archive I trust to draw untested (by me) programs to be on my computer (companies I consult for of course frequently use "other" systems - and lose a lot of sleep and hair keeping it semi-clean). And the reason for that trust is driven by their simple, and effective, requirement to adhere Item 2 of this .

What about Stanford?

[Tackhead]

> While it's funded by Sun and Google, the research will be done by Oxford and Harvard.

Stanford and Berkeley snubbed by alumni, film at 11!

Re:What about Stanford?

[doxology]

Especially strange since Stanford's president is on Google's Board of Directors...

Re:What about Stanford?

[Anonymous Coward]

Fuck Stanfurd.

Re:What about Stanford?

[birge]

My guess is that the CS departments of Berkeley and Stanford, being two of the best in the world, don't need handouts to do this kind of floofy pseudo-academics. I'm not denigrating it; this kind of thing is of immense importance. I'm just saying it's really not a very good academic project. Now, maybe we could use more projects like this, and less projects that typical get done at universities. That's another debate. But my guess is that Stanford and Berkeley, among others, probably turned this down.

Re:What about Stanford?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm just saying it's really not a very good academic project.

Agreed; it's a bean-counting exercise. And the Oxford CS dept has a pretty good reputation, so I was surprised they'd be involved. Turns out they are not. It's actually the Oxford Internet Institute, which is devoted to the study of the societal implications of the Internet.

Re:What about Stanford?

[kyrox]

Completely offtopic: Anyone else noticed that Lawrence Lessig's blog comes up 6th on a Google search of "blog"?

Re:What about Stanford?

[Anonymous Coward]

...Lawrence Lessig...

Another noise maker who is in reality, more or less irrelevent...

Include Ben Edelman in this!

[Tuxedo Jack]

His research in regards to this matter is invaluable, and it's arguable that he's the leading authority on who's bankrolling crapware.

[witty topic]

[Avillia]

[assorted remarks regarding detection of Stop Badware by Microsoft AntiSpyware/Onecare and vice versa, and their views towards Claria/360/assorted other 'Badware' providers and packagers who are really legitimate buisnesses with legitimate buisness models who are given a bad name by their devilish affiliates who are still mysteriously taking paychecks from aforementioned companies]

Stock prices....

[Anonymous Coward]

... must be going up. That's four stories in as many hours! Impressive.

I, for one

[binkzz]

Am looking forward to a Google and Sun made anti spyware program.

Re:I, for one

[cp.tar]

... overlords?

Where are the overlords?

Re: I, for one

[towsonu2003]

Am looking forward to a Google and Sun made anti spyware program

Am looking forward to a Google and Sun made spyware program

---------------------
Both troll and offtopic, but I couldn't resist!

Sun???

[GenKreton]

I can't see what sun can gain my pouring money into this research. It is obvious about the competitive edges Google and Lenova (left out of the summary) can get. But why is Sun in on this?

Re:Sun???

[snitmo]

But why is Sun in on this?

Marketting value. Somebody in the management thinks "Teaming up with Google, Oxford and Harvard" is cool.

Re:Sun???

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought it was obvious. Sun wants to be in Google's pants!

Google has been talking about maybe distributing OpenOffice and JRE in a joint press release with Sun. Sun knows how powerful Google is, and they're hoping to catch a piece of the action, if only they can figure out how.

What I'm looking for is when Google and Apple stop ignoring each other. It's a bit of a technology business soap opera.

Excellent!

[rob_squared]

Not because google is handling funding, but that an organization that doesn't have a vested interest in such business persuits is doing the actual work.

PS: I'm waiting for Google to annouce its plan for world peace.

Re:Excellent!

[imoou]

Google's income comes from advertising, and these spywares are showing ads, hence competiting for eyeballs, I would say Google has a large interest in squashing these competitors.

Re:Excellent!

[drix]

That just brought to mind an as-yet non-existent The Onion headline:

"Google Announces Middle-East Peace Plan"

Re:Excellent!

[Anonymous Coward]

obligatory: Google World Peace is currently in beta.

How about...

[doorbot.com]

How about also exposing the companies that pay for the information gathered by spyware/adware? In other words, the ones actually funding it...

/Didn't RTFA

Re:How about...

[cp.tar]

And then they could also show the information those companies have gathered...

OK, so it's quite a bit... better make it searchable...

Re:How about...

[Strixy]

Now there's a point you should bring up at the next Google and Sun shareholders meetings. And while were at it, how many of their shareholders are also shareholders in the about-to-be-named companies? And how many of those about-to-be-named companies are in competition with Sun and/or Google? And how much can I pay Sun and/or Google to keep my badware company off the list?

This is just more crapware developed to exploit already existing crapware. Excuse me while I go and write new crapware to exploit their crapware that's about to exploit my old crapware.

Damage control

[dangitman]

Is this a PR move designed to make Google look less evil, after the world reacted in disgust to their censorship in China?

Re:Damage control

[imoou]

I can't tell if it is, but I remember a saying that it takes 3 days to do bad, and 3 years to redeem.

Re:Damage control

[ostehaps]

Would you have been surprised by the announcement had there been no censorship debacle? If no, then the most likely answer is no.

Re:Damage control

[merreborn]

Is this a PR move designed to make Google look less evil, after the world reacted in disgust to their censorship in China?

Google is a business, with two options to choose from:

1. Censor search results in china, and generate millions in ad revenue there
2. OR, be blocked by the great firewall, and yield the chinese market to those who've already made the decision to censor searches, like yahoo

If you expect them to pick #2, you're a damn fool.

Re:Damage control

[dangitman]

If you expect them to pick #2, you're a damn fool.

I don't expect them to not do that. But it would be nice if they stopped pretending to do no evil. I don't see any exemption in their statement saying that evil is OK, as long as millions are to be made.

Re:Damage control

[a10waveracer]

Honestly, in my opinion, the media hasn't really picked up on this as big as, for instance, Google refusing to hand over records about searches and whatnot, at least from what I have been seeing on TV.

Re:Damage control

[Anonymous Coward]

Not all of the world reacted in disgust.

Most of us truly didn't care.

I for one don't expect companies to take a moral lead on anything. Nevermind their motto.

Re:Damage control

[spectre_240sx]

Personally, I don't see how they're doing evil right now in the first place. If they didn't censor, they'd just be blocked like the GP said. This is something that's beyond Google's control at the moment. The best thing they can do is keep with the market so that maybe they can make a difference in the future if they so desire. Alternatively, at least the revenue that they're making in China can go to projects like this one that they're currently funding.

Re:Damage control

[dangitman]

If they didn't censor, they'd just be blocked like the GP said.

So what? Why do they have an obligation to go into China? Why support totalitarianism?

The best thing they can do is keep with the market so that maybe they can make a difference in the future if they so desire.

Now, that's naive thinking. Google just wants to make money. What makes you think they care about making a difference? if they wanted to make a difference, they would take a stand - not act like every other apologist for China like Microsoft. Doing this now only delays any change. It legitimizes censorship and heavy-handed government tactics.

Alternatively, at least the revenue that they're making in China can go to projects like this one that they're currently funding.

So, going against human rights is perfectly OK if it gives people more toys back home? I also don't think this is a good thing. Most of the things Google are currently doing are bad, not good. So, if we can reduce their funding for these projects, then all the better.

Don't believe their lies. Google is founded on exploiting what you do online.

Re:Damage control

[spectre_240sx]

Why do they have an obligation to go into China? Why support totalitarianism?

I never said they had any obligation to go into China. It certainly benefits them, however, so why shouldn't they? Could you tell me how a company being in multiple regions is totalitarianism?

Now, that's naive thinking. Google just wants to make money. What makes you think they care about making a difference? if they wanted to make a difference, they would take a stand - not act like every other apologist for China like Microsoft. Doing this now only delays any change. It legitimizes censorship and heavy-handed government tactics.

I don't mean to give the impression that I think they going to go to any great length to make the world a better place. I made that statement as sort of a best case scenario. No, I don't think it's likely, but with how they're dealing with our government I wouldn't be shocked by it either.

So, going against human rights is perfectly OK if it gives people more toys back home? I also don't think this is a good thing. Most of the things Google are currently doing are bad, not good. So, if we can reduce their funding for these projects, then all the better.

I don't think going against human rights is perfectly OK in any situation. It's a lesser of two evils scenario at best. My point was that at least there's some good coming of it. Google has no leverage here against China becaus China doesn't need them. If they actually had any chance of being able to make a difference I might agree that they should take a stand, but it's just not going to happen that way.

Btw, could you tell me exactly what Google is doing right now that is so bad?

Don't believe their lies. Google is founded on exploiting what you do online.

I don't know what Google is planning in the future. Currently, though, they make money of non-intrusive contextually based (read: sometimes useful) advertising. I have no qualms with this. If they screw up in the future, then I might change my opinion about them, but for now they seem like a good company to me.

You make a lot of accusations here, but you haven't backed any of them up. You're not going to change any minds that way.

Re:Damage control

[dangitman]

I never said they had any obligation to go into China. It certainly benefits them, however, so why shouldn't they? Could you tell me how a company being in multiple regions is totalitarianism?

Why shouldn't they? because they are supporting a totalitarian regime. That is unethical. I never claimed that being in multiple regions is totalitarianism. I said that helping China's totalitarian regime with their censorship is supporting totalitarianism. Do you have any reasonable argument that it does not?

I don't think going against human rights is perfectly OK in any situation. It's a lesser of two evils scenario at best. My point was that at least there's some good coming of it.

So, how is it the lesser of two evils? this doesn't accomplish anything good. The lesser of two evils (or rather, the non-evil approach) would be not to go into China until they allow freedom of speech.

Btw, could you tell me exactly what Google is doing right now that is so bad?

They are trying to monopolize the internet - and they are using lies (hey, we're a friendly company) to sell advertising based on datamining.

Re:Damage control

[WilliamSChips]

Wanna know the good coming out of the Chinese censorship deal? The average Chinese internet user gets the full power of Google, at least for non-political searches. Although I would prefer that China had freedom of speech, pretending that letting Google get banned would somehow accomplish that is ridiculous.

4 Google stories in one day?

[Anonymous Coward]

This must be a record! Come on - I know Slashdot has become synonymous with the Google Blog, but this is crazy!

Re:4 Google stories in one day?

[pembo13]

Slashdot is not a single entity, if the story is there, that means a user, like you and I, thought the story interesting enough to post. There is no Slashdot bot trolling the web for Google stories.

lets hope it works

[loserhead]

we'll hafta see if this is more of a silver bullet or the "magic bullet"

Stop Badware, bad bad badware... go to your cage!

[digitaldc]

To some extent the Stop Badware project will repeat work done by some anti-spyware campaigners such as Suzi Turner and Eric Howes who maintain a list of fake products that users should be wary of.

Wow, this really reminds me of my last trip to the Dollar Store.

Worst name

[Harlequin]

"Stop Badware"? That's the worst name since MacBook Pro.

Re:Worst name

[Ponzicar]

There are so many rogue antispyware applications: http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.h tm that all the good names have been taken. Plus it dodges the semantics issue over deciding if something is adware or spyware or malware or whatever. Just call it all badware instead.

Different than SiteAdvisor?

[tgtanman]

How will this be different from SiteAdvisor, discussed on Slashdot 2 weeks ago ?

NewSpeak?

[revery]

Project UngoodWare aims to give you a double plus good bellyfeel about your computer. The people of Harvard and Oxford will have a goodthink and make an effort to stop the many installcrimes done by the unpersons who make ungoodware.

Project Ungoodware: brought you you by the Minisry of Love.

I don't trust them

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't trust the Bad Software project. It doesn't compare to The Anti-Spyware Coalition. I only trust Microsoft and Symantec to protect us from spyware.

Wrong format??

[dada21]

Would something like this work better as a wiki? Sort of open-ended peer-reviewed?

Maybe it might get cluttered with junk, too, though, hmm.

I wonder if a pseudo-moderated wiki capacity for a truly open editable document might work. Weighted by the user's real time previous moderations (+5 Neutral, -5 Troll, etc).

That leads me to the point, actually -- are there specifications for an open editable moderated document that falls towards neutrality in facts?

Press coverage reasons?

[sunilrkarkera]

Looking at the Google "Badware" website, it seems like all they are doing is asking for detailed reports from users about any "Badware" experience. It looks like a site created by a rookie in a couple of hours.

I think all Google wants right now is to have some press coverage that says "Google fights Badware".

Google IS the problem

[slashkitty]

Notice how the site has a forum, on google groups. The ADS on those pages are for adware based spyware removers! Google makes millions if not billions from adware/spyware companies who advertise on google and google affiliates. Lots of standard searches like "screensavers" and "smilies" will bring up adware, and if you search for a spyware removal tool, you'll likely get some even worse spyware than you had before. If Google wanted to do good (and not be evil) they would BAN spyware, adware and badware from AdSense, and they'd filter them from the listings! Who's with me?

Re:Google IS the problem

[bitt3n]

"ban" is such a harsh word. why don't you suggest they censor it? they might see it your way.

Re:Google IS the problem

[slashkitty]

They don't even have to ban/censor it from the search results. They could provide a filter like with adult search. Have an option: a) I'd like search results with out Adware/Spyware b) I'd like to infect my computer from your search results, give me all the adware you got!

And the URL is...

[fugas]

Good news, but I would have been happier if the article or submitter also mentioned the actual URL of the site...

Small Step...

[hobbes75]

echo "127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com" >> etc/hosts.

Re:Small Step...

[eosp]

If you're in the root directory first...

Re:Small Step...

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean in \windows\system32\drivers first, doncha?

Re:Small Step...

[hobbes75]

Unfortunately this can not be done system independently with an absolute path ;-) So this is more to give the idea... Btw. the "spy-script" from there gives them only little more information than you could read from the server-log files (of the server that hosts the page that references the script).
Do a
wget http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js
for details...

Re:Small Step...

[MimsyBoro]

Don't you mean

sudo echo "127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com" >> etc/hosts.

Only On Price?

[nurb432]

Then why arent the roads full of KIA sportages?

And what keeps Apple alive? Last i heard the ipod cost more then a creative labs version..

Who is buying all these Glocks, instead of cheap kel-tecs?

Designer shoes?

Yep, we americans *only* think of price.

Missed the bota

[ben_1432]

This is a shining example of Google innovation. There's a crapload of anti "badware" software out there already, and there's quite a good free one which coincidentally is provided by Microsoft.

What's next ... a Google Messenger? Oops.

Re:Missed the bota

[Ash-Fox]

It's called Google talk.

Re:Missed the bota

[ben_1432]

I was being sarcastic

2 days agoe

[Anonymous Coward]

I knew I should have waited until two days after this story broke to submit it to ./! What was I thinking submiting a story the day it broke?

Spyware is easy money

[chris411]

I often get paid to provide tech support to friends and other people from my area (just a modest village) for a few bucks. Recently, our local ISP not only provided us with DSL, but also a special offer that includes a payment plan for a (cheap) Dell computer if you sign up for DSL for a year.

You would not believe the number of computers that went out of commission within the first month just from being overloaded with spyware/adware. I often feel the urge to tell them "Stop surfing pr0n sites. Stop clicking on everything in sight just because it tells you to click it."

But I don't. Because I know that as soon as I fix it, they'll just ask me to come over again within a few weeks. I seriously doubt they would listen anyway. As I said, easy money.

Why these schools?

[prozac79]

Why Harvard and Oxford? Do these school have the computer science talent to really dive into this problem? Or is Google and SUN trying to look a little more fair by not always heading up the road to Stanford and giving their alma mater some kickbacks? I know that Harvard and Oxford have produced some of the greatest literary minds of the 20th century, but are they up to the challenge of figuring out how weatherBug got on my system?

So the first step is...

[Anonymous Coward]

...install SunOS on your computer, then magically no more spyware!

Google profits from spyware

[slashkitty]

Google has a reason to keep spyware around. They make millions from selling ad space on their search results and affiliates TO the adware companies. Do a search for "smiles", "screensavers" or "Spyware removal" and you'll see lots of ads for adware/spyware!

Google should do less evil by not accepting ads from these companies.

Re:Google profits from spyware

[Anonymous Coward]

this project is actually designed to identify those programs and companies that are releasing "bad-ware". This is a step forward for google.

Re:Google profits from spyware

[kesuki]

or a white hat could just write a firefox extention to 'click through And Close' ads run by mal-ware companies. why not just bankrupt these guys i think that would be more effective.

mal-ware sites would quickly stop using adwords if enough people were running an extention that was designed to cost them money.

they cant compete =)

[Anonymous Coward]

itunes can't compete with googles compilement of sweet vids www.vewgle.com =)

Re:Yay, China is in on it...

[gormanly]

the Chinese learn engrish about as well as our Indian friends...

WTF?

How many US-ians have bothered to learn a foreign language? What percentage even have passports?

Very many Chinese and Indians speak excellent English, and tens of millions of each speak better English than almost any Americans do Mandarin or Hindi.

How good is your Punjabi? How about your Cantonese? And how about your friends and neighbours?

Cheney was wrong, this won't be the New American Century. The Chinese and Indians are waking up, and there are more of them, they have more resources, better educations and still have actual industries. They understand us better than we do them, and they don't trust us either...

I'm going to shut up now as I'm starting to veer OT, but my point is, you'd do very well not to underestimate 37% of the world's people so casually (that's not including the Chinese and Indians living abroad)! For every American there are 4.5 Chinese and 3.6 Indians, and they are not dumb.

It is not the users fault

[codepunk]

Hey it ain't the users fault and it should not matter what site you go to. No call a pig a pig, IE / Windows and the lack of security is the problem here not where the user chooses to surf. Anyone that blames a user by saying he is going to the wrong sites is just making excuses for the lack of security in MS products.

Re:It is not the users fault

[QunaLop]

I am sorry, but this is a terrible argument

a web browser allows you to access the internet and download files - this is a severe security flaw, if the user is clueless, since they can easily download any malware and run it.

I don't see how IE is any better or worse than FireFox in this regard?

what security issues are you reffering to? ActiveX? ActiveX controls are no easier to install than FireFox extentions, so i suppose the issue extends to firefox as well?

i mean, i love firefox, but you sit an idiot in front of any "useful" computer and you are gonna get junk

Re:It is not the users fault

[petermgreen]

with IE some sites pelt you with permission popups such that its virtually impossible to make them go away without clicking ok and/or use other windows to cover up everything ex i've NEVER had that happen to me when using firefox (firefoxes some content was restricted bar at the top is far more sane).

Re:It is not the users fault

[spectre_240sx]

To be fair, Service Pack 2 went a long way to fixing some of these problems. There's still quite a journey left to travel, though.

do you think...

[3seas]

.. microsoft will show up on the list of companies installing spyware?

Sun & Google... is there a "target"?

[Anonymous Coward]

Think about this.. Sun and Google teaming up to thwart "This project aims to expose all the spyware and adware bundled in software and the companies that are responsible." Microsoft pimps out tons of badware by this definition. So does nearly all software vendors with an M$ wedding ring. I hope they can do it in a way that no one argues the product of their efforts. We certainly could use it since M$ & company are only budnling more of the shit with each release.

Re:Sun & Google... is there a "target"?

[Ash-Fox]

I just don't understand why Valve Steam isn't classified as adware and spyware.

I mean, it advertises, it reports back information about my system and such that I can't stop...

What is wrong with slashdot these days?

[Ivan Matveitch]

Fifty comments have been posted to this thread and not one mentions GNU/Linux, the most obvious answer to spyware.

I mean, for what perverted reason would one ever install Microsoft Windows?

Re:What is wrong with slashdot these days?

[eyepeepackets]

"...not one mentions GNU/Linux..."

It's because just about everyone in the industry has or is about to find a way to make a buck off the horrid situation we're all in due to Microsoft's garbage OS: When people start dumping Microsoft products then the easy money is over and they have to start doing some real work again.

The flip side of this same coin: Some "terrorists" or other group decides that giving a small group of Darkside hackers some serious money is an option and then one day most of our business IT infrastructure gets hit in a big way. Very likely, this scenario, but no one wants to acknowledge the threat or the vulnerability because they're all focused on their spreadsheets.

About /. specifically, this site stopping being a Linux-mostly site about four years ago -- haven't you noticed the amount of Microsoft ads here? Sheesh.

Re:What is wrong with slashdot these days?

[SuperDuster75]

as far as the general public is concerned (whether they have heard of linux or not - which most haven't) - GNU/Linux is not an obvious answer, or even a possibility. I work in PC retail/repair (with windows machines obviously) - I personally am trying to learn linux, and admit i find it difficult, but i am willing to go through the blood, sweat and tears to figure it out. The mass of people that bring me their windows boxes for repair, can't handle small operations like changing the desktop wallpaper. the question "have you backed up your data" sends them into a tailspin because they have no idea it could be lost, and have no idea how to "back it up". They pay me $30 to put a Dora the Explorer CD into the tray and click install and give the computer back to them 4.3 minutes later all done, so their 3-year old can use it. These people are NOT ready for linux. (heck... with all the fighting i do to get what i want out of linux, i'm not sure i am either)

Yeah...

[justinmikehunt]

The program will come bundled with Google Toolbar...

Re:Yeah...

[darkain]

whats annoying about the google toolbar, is that once its installed, it'll modify the "run" bar if you add one to your task bar. it'll prevent launching local applications, and isntead try to search on google for what ever you type in. i find the bar quite handy for typing in simple things like "notepad" or "calc" all the time. i have no idea if google ever fixed this problem, but its an annoyance enough that i wont be running anything that has the google toolbar at all. its even more annoying that so many applications come bundled with that thing now.

Re:Yay, China is in on it...

[dasnov]

considering the Chinese learn engrish about as well as our Indian friends...

i'm glad you know what you are talking about.

Yeah, but

[Anonymous Coward]

...do they cover Linux, too?

Good idea but...

[Ekhymosis]

Wouldn't that lead them to being sued by companies saying "oh, our software isn't spyware, its useful!" and other rubbish? I recall reading about a few antispyware companies and/or researchers threatened with lawsuits (or even sued) because their research was "defaming" said company or "misleading" the public about their supposed "valuable" product. In this day and age, with the ridiculous litigious society we live in, how is this project going to fare? I hope they do succeed, however. I'm fed up with crapware.

Re:Good idea but...

[zokum]

The colleges are in England, not the US. I am no expert on comparative law US/UK but I would assume it would be harder to get sued successfully for something like this in the uk. They also have the 'conumer rights' on their side, which I think is a governmental institition similar to forbrukerombudet in Norway. They most likely set the standards for what is badware. With them on their side it would be very hard to lose in court. Just my 2 cents but I think this is also why they partnered with foreign universities, not American institutions.

This is a Trojan horse - No one will see it coming

[MindPrison]

It really should be obvious - but most of us are so used to Google by now that we might be too comfy.

Google has an enormous information gathering capability. Seen those Goooooooogle ADS everywhere? While it may not be spy-WARE per say... it certainly feeds you a cookie. Noticed how MANY of these Goooooogle ADS sites there are? Theyre just popping up everywhere arent they?! Yes they are - and you dont even give it a second thought while you throw yourself into the Google anti-spyware projects. Google dont want competitors. A Spyware program is a competitor of Google as it gathers information about the users surfing habits just like Google does - but in a much more intrusive way (well...at least if feels that way).

Are we getting the picture yet?

What is this Linux thing?

[Naruki]

And will it run on Windows XP?

Right until...

[Snaller]

... the advertizers start threatning to boycot them?

Google made a bundle last year, one wonders if they wouldn't like to continue to do that.

I get what they're doing

[evilsofa]

This past week I've been helping one of my friends remove spyware from his computer. All he did was hook up to a relative's cable to download a large update file, and in the space of a couple of hours, his unprotected PC got loaded down with several DOZEN virii including VX2, smartloadb, Virtumundo, etc.

Google believes click fraud to be the most significant threat to the internet. This makes sense because click fraud is what makes all the malware, adware and virii PROFITABLE. What Google and Sun are doing with stopbadware.org is their answer to that. And it's an answer that is needed badly.

Why? As a very recent veteran of attempting to remove malware, I can tell you that the good side of this war is terribly, horribly disorganized. Let me explain:

If you get a massive infection of various kinds of malware, or if you want to protect yourself against all this stuff, you have to:

1. Protect yourself with a firewall (software example: Zonealarm)
2. Run or have available an antitrojan application (example: Trojan Hunter)
3. Run an antivirus program (commercial examples: Norton or McAfee; freeware example: Grisoft AVG Free)
4. Run several antispyware programs (examples: Spybot, Lavasoft Adaware, Microsoft Antispyware)
5. Use something like merijn.org's HiJackThis to find out what your system is infected with that all of the above cannot detect
6. If you're infected with something difficult like VX2 that can't be detected by ANY of the above, you may also need to hunt down very specific helper scripts and applications to deal with it, or even worse figure out how to remove it manually (which is generally VERY technical and difficult).

So, you have firewall, antitrojan, antivirus, antispyware and detection all covered by entirely different industries, most of which don't have much overlap (antivirus programs still do little against antispyware, for example). In the antispyware category, none of the legit programs can detect everything, so you need to run several of them.

You also have the fact that most of these anti-malware companies are commercial; they need to make money doing what they do, because what they do is very difficult, very technical, and has to be done VERY FAST. You see freeware versions, probably because they can't stand to see people who can't afford all these applications get run into the ground by the malware industry.

It doesn't help at all that you've got hundreds - literally, hundreds - of malware installers masquerading as antispyware, antitrojan and antivirus programs. The antispyware industry has had no choice but to put up www.spywarrior.com just so people can sort out the few good ones from the many bad ones. That site is run by one of the legit companies. That company would obviously much rather have nonprofit, noncommercial oversight declaring who is legit and who isn't - it puts a commercial company in an uncomfortable ethical position to be declaring legitimacy of other companies in its industry. But I don't see that they had any choice; to not do it would be even worse.

It looks like that is what badware.org is intended to be, and what is so badly needed - a nonprofit organization that has no base or funding from within the antimalware industries, to oversee and report on those industries.

Do you know what the process for cleaning an infected computer is right now? You post HiJackThis logs to a variety of different forums (just google "HiJackThis Logfile" for a sample) and people voluntarily, out of the goodness of their hearts, help you with incredibly technical removal procedures (google "VX2 removal" to see what I mean). If you want to look up these removal procedures yourself, you google around on various antispyware and antivirus web sites with various descriptions (often vague or assuming you have their commercial product). It's horribly disorganized, with different antivirus companies calling each virus by a different name. A good example: try and find out how to tell the difference between a Lo

Re:I get what they're doing

[pcgabe]

The antispyware industry has had no choice but to put up www.spywarrior.com just so people can sort out the few good ones from the many bad ones.

Spywarrior.com is also handy if you are looking for airline tickets or Christian singles. Yay for search portals!

Re:I get what they're doing

[evilsofa]

Oops. That should be www.spywarewarrior.com, not www.spywarrior.com. My apologies!

Re:I get what they're doing

[accessdeniednsp]

Using Windows? You get what you deserve. Get a Mac, people. It's just foolishness and laziness at this stage in the game. Realize the truth. Windows *is* the problem.

Re:I get what they're doing

[Ash-Fox]

Avast! Anti-virus detects many spyware/adware threats by the way. I've been using it to combat spyware/adware and it seems to work well.

Re:I get what they're doing

[zacronos]

Try taking a look at Hitman Pro 2 (http://www.hitmanpro.nl/) (the page is in Dutch, but the "Download" link near the top-right is in English (or maybe it's just the same word in Dutch), and the installer and program can run in English).

While you are correct that multiple programs are often needed, Hitman Pro is a meta- spyware/virus remover which makes that issue much simpler for the user. It downloads, installs, and/or updates (whichever are necessary, and giving you the option to read all EULAs etc or not) serveral antispyware and antivirus programs and runs them all, giving a comprehensive report at the end. You can configure it to leave out any programs you choose. One great thing about this is that even a user who doesn't/can't keep track of which programs exist that are good can be pretty safe with this, because if a new (good) program comes out, Hitman Pro can start using it without the user having to find out that it is a good program and going to the effort to download it. Hitman Pro does a few things itself (rather than relying 100% on other programs), some of which include useful innoculations that most people would have to do by hand otherwise.

In short, although the good side is disorganized, I think Hitman Pro mitigates to a large extent many of the effects of that disorganization.

Re:This is a Trojan horse - No one will see it com

[MilenCent]

While I think perhaps you're being a little too paranoid concerning that evil evil cookie, you bring up a good point: the person who decides what is and is not spyware is in a prime position to abuse the system.

Google now produces several pieces of desktop software, including a browser toolbar that sometimes gets installed from a checkbox during the installation of other software. They're all free. Some could in the future, become a vector for ads. It seems unlikely that Google would declare their own stuff adware.

Sun, likewise, sees fit to install a tray icon that is usually visible whenever the Java Virtual Machine is running, that among other things checks for updated software versions. No one considers that spyware yet, but if the public starts to get uppity about what other companies do with their machines, they'd get an important say in the matter on many of the machines that run the recently-released Google Pack (which, though it's been underreported, also contains a Google Updater that checks for updates).

I don't like pointing out the possibility of evil in Google, since they haven't lost a great deal of my respect yet, but I have to call them as I see them....

"informal efforts"

[TubeSteak]

The very last sentance of TFA says:

There are also many informal efforts that produce utility programs to remove particular sorts of spyware and adware.

Informal?

Because the effort isn't backed by a multi-national company, it is informal?

I wouldn't classify [Your Favorite Ad/Spyware Program Here] as an informal effort. Programs like Spy-Bot and Ad-Aware are most definitely not informal. MS's spyware remover, various virus scanners, etc... most definitely not informal efforts.

Maybe the reporter was talking about those various small programs written to specifically root out certain infestations?

Hrm..

[kurbchekt]

I bet Windows XP will be first on the list, seeing as how Alexa is found on a fresh installation....

Re:Hrm..

[AndreasJ]

Yeah, I saw that too. But I guess I should have downloaded WinXPPro+SP2+CRACK instead of WinXPPro+SP2+CRACK+SPYWARE+ADWARE+MALWARE+GOATSE_T HEME

Stupid me!

Yeah, but it still induces cognitive dissonance.

[Ivan Matveitch]

I would have expected to find a few vestigal "lol w1ndoze sux" outbursts here and there.

Anyway, my pet gripe with the software industry is this. Computer languages are powerful but they demand too much abstract logical reasoning to ever be a user interface for the common man. GUI widgets, on the other hand, are easily understood but also very inflexible. A synthesis of the abstract and the concrete would therefore seem to be a pressing issue in computer science; the advent of such a hybrid user interface (or many such domain-specific interfaces) would revolutionize human-computer interaction.

So how is it that, while huge efforts are applied every day to improving computer languages and GUIs, few people seem interested in taking the next step? You'd expect it to be a hot research topic.

Re:Yay, China is in on it...

[RPMentley]

http://www.engrish.com/ Yes, I know it's kind of off topic, but I'm merely providing information related to the parent post, thus making it on topic.

Could be Useful

[tourettes]

I'm not sure if anything like this exists already, but, this could be quite useful in some circumstances.

A central source of information on downloadable programs that tells you wether or not a downloadable program is bundled with known spyware. Now, create a firefox extension that checks when you go to download a file, if that filename (and perhaps source domain) and looks it up on the central source and then warns the user that th efile is known to contain spyware. This way, you can be more pro-active in spyware prevention than the usual re-active.

Like i said, this probably exists in some form out there now.

Re:Could be Useful

[Anonymous Coward]

Potentially usefull, but ironically you'd be degrading your privacy in order to avoid downloading a program that degrades your privacy ;-)

Onecare?

[jonaskoelker]

As far as I have understood Onecare (I don't care much, since I don't use non-free software), it's a tool for removing viruses, spyware, adware, trojans and backdoors. Supposedly it should be able to run on Microsoft Windows XP.

But then the only logical conclusion is that Onecare is nothing more than the codename for the XP uninstaller.

Once you go Mac, you never go back!!!

[queenb**ch]

I've been running OSX now for about 3 years. I have *NO* antivirus software. I have *NO* antispware. The really telling thing is that I also have *NO* problems! The best thing about OSX is that I just don't need any of this stuff. At this point in the game, it is completely irrelevant to me.

For all you Microsoft users who are trapped in your ActiveX hell, I feel for you. I have only one thing to say, "Free your OS and your @ss will follow!"

2 cents,

Queen B

Re:Once you go Mac, you never go back!!!

[pho3nixtar]

I just can't follow this line of reasoning. What are the majority of computer users using, PC's with Windows or MAC's with OS? What platform are most of the viruses/spyware/adware written for? PC's with Windows running on them or MAC's with OSX on them? I enjoy the elegance and performance of MAC's, but don't try to sell me on how much more secure they are than Windows. MAC's may be more secure out of the box than Windows, but that's just out of the box. Come tell me that this still holds true after MAC's have become the most owned and used computer in the market and have had to withstand blast after blast after blast from the cracking community.

Re:Once you go Mac, you never go back!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

yes there is that and updating to tiger destroys the secondary memory bank in ibooks and the 10yo bug http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/06/01/26/2224236.s html

mind you i am happy i got my father to switch, but i'm doing more tech suport for him now

Re:Once you go Mac, you never go back!!!

[Ash-Fox]

> I've been running OSX now for about 3 years. I have *NO* antivirus software. I have *NO* antispware. The really telling thing is that I also have *NO* problems! The best thing about OSX is that I just don't need any of this stuff. At this point in the game, it is completely irrelevant to me.

Perhaps there is MacOSX spyware writers tend to make sure their applications aren't noticable?

Perhaps there is MacOSX adware that replaces any pages that have google adwords with their own google adwords urls?

How would you know?

Re:Once you go Mac, you never go back!!!

[Ash-Fox]

Shame you have to pay (get the latest MacOSX) to get the security patches.

Re:Once you go Mac, you never go back!!!

[pho3nixtar]

Really? I don't own a MAC so I didn't know that. That's pretty shoddy. At least Windows lets you d/load patches for free. (God, just feel the rage if you had to pay for Windows patches... *low whistle*)

Re:Yeah, but it still induces cognitive dissonance

[eyepeepackets]

Funny you should mention that.

Ciao.

It's Stop Badware not just anti-spyware

[Anonymous Coward]

Google's Anti-Spyware Project

Badware includes spyware,adware,malware etc...

Strange...

[DaedalusHKX]

I speak English, Spanish (and a few others) WITHOUT ANY ACCENT!! (I can also emulate scottish, german, russian, indian/arab and southern redneck style accents on English when necessary.)

I can write 3 fluent languages, as well as relatively staccato and wildly punctuated C++, PHP and a little Python...

My question is... what is THEIR excuse?

~D

Re:Yay, China is in on it...

[DaedalusHKX]

I'm not underestimating them chief, I'm saddened that my parents chose to bring me here. To be quite honest, I'm saddened that "here" is ruled instead of represented, and that everything they based their decision to bring us here upon, was a lie, a lie meant to get very well educated immigrants to come here and swell the ranks of American Middle classers (the way we were treated our first few years was deplorable, but I digress.)

I am saddened that most Americans that I've met, and heard from, and watched on the news, and... well you probably get it, have been lazy complacent types who try to find any one halfway good thing to make them feel better about the downward spiral. I also watched the other half scream about their "christian values" and it disgusts me that religion has been allowed to fuck the free minded folks who've evolved beyond the need to have someone tell them exactly what to believe.

I watched it back home, I believe they called it "Consolidation of Power of the Communist Government". We ran from it. Where do we run when the power is consolidated everywhere and fighting is impossible because they have plenty of flag waving brainwashed idiots upholding their cause and ready to kill you??

~D

Badware?

[Sky Cry]

I thought spyware + adware would be more like "sadware".

Re:This is a Trojan horse - No one will see it com

[hedleyroos]

per se

MIT's Startup Advisor?

[mpcooke3]

Perhaps someone at Google saw MIT's SiteAdvisor http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/0 1/15/0141236&from=rss with Google integration and like me thought:

"hmm, google should really have this built in"

Re:Yay, China is in on it...

[Anonymous Coward]

Spanish, English and all other languages you have listed are all similar in many ways - all of them use pretty much the same script and share a lot of the words; there are a few letters and accents which may differ, but for the most part the script is just the same.

Contrast that with Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam or any number of other languages from Asia; with the exception of a few, most Asian languages have their own distinct script which differs completely from the Roman script which is used in English / Spanish etc.. The grammar rules differ significantly, and so also the different accents.

I take it that you are perhaps not from Russia - but incase you are, I do realize that Russian has a distinct script too.

My point - well, though it is great that you are able to speak without an accent in many *European* languages, it is nowhere near as impressive as when someone can speak in Asian languages and European languages equally well without a hint of an accent. I have met such people.

Also, talking about accents - while you may think that you are speaking without an accent, a native speaker may have a different opinion.

Re: xxxxxxxxx ToolbarS?

[Elixon]

Sure there will be google spybar ehmm toolbar installed. It's main purpose is, of course, to assist you on spying the spyware and spying on things the spyware is spying on... but it does not mean that google is spying on you!

What else do I need to have installed? In old days there were important only web browser (or kind of). Today we *ultimately* need:

-) Browser + (patches for the browser, of course)
-) Antivirus
-) Anti-spy-ware
-) Anti-ad-ware
-) Firewalls
-) Security Certificates
-) Pop-up blockers ...

It looks like this list tends to grow. Can you imagine the future browser installations? 1xDVD for the browser and 9xDVDs with necessary companions to feel safe on the net.

The most dangerous animal is an e-man.

detectors are no deterrent

[Anonymous Coward]

Detecting spyware and removing it does nothing to discourage the makers from bundling their crap with other packages later on, or other methods of getting onto your system.

What we really need is to reduce the usefulness of any data that they may be gathering.. someone should develop a "spyware spammer". If spyware is detected on the machine, it simply replaces every piece of data uploaded by the spyware with random crap. Megabytes of it. All the time..

Swamp their information channel with noise, and we may be able to render spyware unprofitable.

The whole point on what internet is becoming into

[jez99]

That's preciselly the whole point. classic army-style war o "guerrilla"?? This is the new focus internet is bringing into scene. Till now, the scene (political, economic & social) has always been ruled by 'big'. I mean, big companies, big unions, big partys, blablabla.
It's clear that now we're in a situation you can't get anything done unless you start 'putting an army together' by means of an association, an union or whatever. If you're a single one, there's nothing you can do. The only way we individuals have to do things is looking for an 'army' which is near our interest and join it. So, the main 'characters' in the democracy are not the people, but the 'armys' people make (unions, companys,etc..).
But this is the turnpoint I think internet in general (and the 'thing' slashdot started many years ago in particular) is bringing. Now it's been born a new way, cause what you do through internet and through publishing stuff related to something you don't like (or do) can easily be expanded with no promotion, no money, no legal army, etc...
So this 'geeks' webpage telling 'bout spyware may be more powerfull than all the 'old-fashioned' 'army-style' wars. I mean, why is Microsoft running this war??? Well, maybe is just for good, but the question is : Why do I have to hope for somebody 'big' to make something??? This time , this 'big' guy is doing it for good, but if the big buddy decides to do somethig for evil, how can I say no, if I've just said 'yes' to this??? I mean, if you trust some 'big brother' to do something for you, you're tied to it somehow, and maybe we just don't need these 'big brothers' anymore, now we can communicate & expand points of view without their help.
Greetings
Sorry for my bad englis (I'm spanish)

No like no Google nowadays

[Anonymous Coward]

Google is not using its enormous resources to do right things.

Why Anti-Spyware?

They are not promoting Gaim and OO.o in Google Pack.

They are not helping FireFox directly.

They are not helping any desktop initiative.

They are not doing anything meaningful.

[OT] Your sig & stylesheets

[jonasj]

Slashdots news stylesheets totally fucks up the display for some of us! Allow us to disable them!

Who is forbidding you from disabling those stylesheets in your browser?

Re:[OT] Your sig & stylesheets

[Snaller]

??? And make it look like crap everywhere else.

No, they should design it properly (I wouldn't be surprised if its on purpose because they hate microsoftware)

Re:[OT] Your sig & stylesheets

[jonasj]

I fail to see how configuring your browser to ignore the specific parts of a specific stylesheet on a specific site that you don't like could possibly affect how anything looks anywhere else.

If you are on a Mozilla-based browser, look up "userContent.css". Otherwise consult your browser's documentation. Otherwise download the source code of your browser and modify to ignore the parts of /.'s stylesheets you don't like.

Re:[OT] Your sig & stylesheets

[Snaller]

I fail to see how configuring your browser to ignore the specific parts of a specific stylesheet on a specific site that you don't like could possibly affect how anything looks anywhere else.


Because you can't disable it on a specific site only.

If you are on a Mozilla-based browser, look up "userContent.css". Otherwise consult your browser's documentation. Otherwise download the source code of your browser and modify to ignore the parts of /.'s stylesheets you don't like.

Yeah right, like i'm going to learn how to program because some incompetent idiots can't design it properly. What a bullshit suggestion.

You bought a Glock??

[DaedalusHKX]

Damn, my last piece was an H&K...

Oh well.

I never said we americans don't have taste, I simply said that the average layman goes to walmart to get the cheapest shit he can.

I don't shop that way, but most do.

~D

You missed my point

[jonasj]

Because you can't disable it on a specific site only.

The point I failed to get across is that, yes, you can override stylesheets for specific sites! If you use Firefox, Seamonkey or similar, see http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=2868 66> for examples. For Opera, see http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id= 109574>. I'm sure other browsers allow similar things.

Re:You missed my point

[Snaller]

And the point I seem to fail to get across is, I don't want to have to use other browsers because some people can't figure out how to design their website properly.