oh ho ho... Not the buffer overruns? Okay, burn the guy at the stake. I, Merrow, am now officially throwing this guy to the wolves. Darn, sorry I got suckered in on that one. Apologies to anyone I argued with.
May this 'Luigi' suffer forever in the Hell of the Upside Down Drowned Sinners.
How would be similar to the way they're dealing with him now--minus the DMCA stupidity. Civil action against him.
Why? Just a matter of standard practice--security researchers are to be responsible and report vulnerabilities to vendors first and allow them a reasonable amount of time to take steps to protect their customers. Some people allow thirty days, some people one week. In this case one week was sufficient (trivial code changes) and I have every reason to believe the guy notified Gamespy and therefore is on the recieving end of a frivolous lawsuit.
The exploits I read were for the most part buffer overflows... Which are the result of improper bounds checking and just general sloppy coding. This has NOTHING TO DO with Gamespy's servers, and everything to do with their client software. The guy claims he informed them, they claim he didn't. If he did inform them, then tough luck. They deserve any negative publicity out of this. If he didn't inform them, then he needs to be dealt with.
Proof of concept code often is the only way to force a company to do something about its security problems... It's specifically because 12 year old script kiddies are exploiting the vulnerability that the company fixes it. Suing a security researcher for bringing this about is silly. Spend the money on fixing the problem, not on a Lawyer's retainer.
*sigh* I knew someone would say 'tidal energy' but I just said 'etc' because I was tired...
If you'd read my comment I'd already addressed wind farms. There was a huge uproar in New England over the idea of having wind farms offshore.
Tidal energy, wind farms, etc all take energy out of the system. Taking energy from wind will change weather patterns (just like adding energy to it will) and one would assume something similar from taking energy from the tide. I'm *NOT* saying this makes these technologies a bad idea (I'm all for them). I'm saying that people are still going to find some reason to fight them. PETA will fight bovine flatulence. Zinc and copper rods in potatoes only give you low amperage DC power.:P
Nuclear really is the way to go. Especially due to the recent breakthroughs in drastically shortening the half life of nuclear stuff. Failing all else, we can put the nuclear waste on the moon, and wait for it to explode and catapult it out of orbit... That seems to be the only way we're ever gonna explore anything outside of our solar system.:P
The problem is though that the public is scared stupid by nuclear power (kinda needlessly), solar power isn't economical *yet* (been saying that for 20 years), people protest wind farms for killing birds, affecting wind patterns, and "looking ugly", hydroelectric power screws up the environment pretty bad by flooding otherwise unflooded areas... etc.
So yes, we've invented other methods of power generation, but they all have their problems that don't make them that feasible.
And considering we're still technically in an ice-age, just on the receding end of one, this makes alot of sense that you'd see that.
Yes, the Earth is getting warmer, sort of... (been unnaturally cold the past four years where I live) but at the same time this should be expected. This always happens at the end of ice ages. They wouldn't be called 'ice ages' unless they were periods where the Earth was unnaturally cold.
Except where do you think we'll get the Hydrogen for our vehicles except (DUN DUN DUN) fossil fuels! Either from directly seperating it from them or using fossil fuel burning plants to use electrolysis on water to seperate the hydrogen.
Kudos on drinking fuel cell exhaust to spite the French. Any spiting of the French is a good thing.:)
This is a troll, right? You're purposely ignoring the whole 'the first car a child today learns to drive could run on hydrogen' initiative to troll people like me, right? You're ignoring the administration's doubling of spending on renewable-resources research in its first budget so I'll get mad and respond, right?
Xbox provides ethernet and a hard drive for litle more than (once, the same amount as) a PS2 without them.
Yes, this is a valid point. The X-Box is network enabled out of the box. This has led to the creation of X-Box Live which is the only part of the X-Box line that makes money. The reason the PS2 and GCN aren't pre-packaged with these features is that: 1) Most of the buyers of these two systems will never use them and 2) It would increase the cost of the system. Sony and Nintendo both set out to MAKE money with this generation, where Microsoft set out to lose hundreds of millions... Microsoft can afford to subsidize their expensive mini-PCs to allow them to be somewhat competitive pricewise because they have a monopoly in the PC market to give them the cash to pay for their console division.
GC doesn't play DVDs.
Because GCN is a Game Console not a DVD player. The hardware capability *IS* there to play DVDs, and there's a version sold in Japan that plays DVDs, but the point was they did NOT want to pay the licensing fee to the DVD consortium to allow it to. That would add to the cost of the base unit and does not add any real value since the purpose of the system is to play games.
It's just so much easier to get good results out of the Xbox
Do you have any coding experience on the X-Box versus the Gamecube to back this up? The Cube is a dream to code on. The X-Box is easier than the PS2, but compared to the Cube it's like spending a night in the iron maiden. The Cube was designed from the ground up to be an ideal environment for game development and they almost nailed it.
If I'm wrong, then why does Microsoft have ATI and IBM making their successor to the X-Box for them? Simple: The Cube is so much more well designed, and they know it.
Microsoft is not losing unusual amounts of money per console sold.
You're kidding, right? You do realize the X-Box division has yet to turn a profit? You do realize the X-Box is the most expensive of the big three consoles to make? You do realize there's a REASON Microsoft's going with cheap non-PC (ie: IBM PowerPC) hardware in their next iteration?
Their console is superior in many ways to the others, primarily on the price point.
Oh I get it... I've been trolled... This has to be a troll, right? Superior in many ways? Primarily on the price point? Either you're out of touch with reality or I'm gonna get alot of 'YHBT' messages. The X-Box has managed to be even more of a technological nightmare than the PS2! Sure, it's easy for PC developers to port their software to it, but from a console developer's standpoint the thing's a steaming pile of crap! The most 'superior' technology would probably be GCN with PS2 in a close second, considering how much they get out of the GCN with such a simple design and low cost. As far as price point: GCN $99, PS2 ~$150, where's the X-Box again?
Sure the other consoles aren't losing money any more - Microsoft came late to this generation. You lose sales if you're the last one in a generation, but you make up for it by being able to have technical superiority.
This wasn't true in the N64's case and it's especially not true in the X-Box's case because it simply does NOT have technical superiority. It's a miniaturized PC, not a console designed from the ground up to play games.
Actually the Allied fire bombing of Tokyo killed alot more people than the nukes. The nukes allowed a better display of power that finally pushed the Japanese government to surrender... Because after all, anyone can just burn a city down, not many can vaporize it in a single blast a la God.
"I have become Death, the shatterer of worlds..." and all that...
You responded while I was trying to find my figures... If I find the cost/system figures again I'll post them...
The really cute thing is Nintendo didn't really pay ATI to develop 'Flipper'. What happened was the former team that worked on the N64 for Nintendo at SGI left and formed their own company, ArtX, and started working for Nintendo. Once the Flipper chip was designed and being produced, ATI bought ArtX. Which is why you have a cute ATI sticker on your Gamecube instead of ArtX.
Funnily enough, ArtX has essentially taken over the running of ATI if I remember correctly...
And I won't even go into how wonderful a choice the PowerPC was... They're getting that dirt cheap.:)
No, Hussein could order their deaths. Your employer can do no such thing. People do not leave their jobs out of fear of reprisal from their employer, they fear the unknown of not having a secure way to provide for their family. The fear has nothing to do with their employer and everything to do with a sense of responsibility.
You can't compare employers and the government. The Constitution/Bill of Rights is there to protect you from the Government, criminal and civil law protects you from your employer. You're ignoring my arguments by still claiming that employers hold all the power. If people are scared to leave their job, that's their problem. Nothing can be done to fix that.
You're also free to starve to death if you so choose. But back to Freedom in a minute... Let's address power.
The logic above silently states that it is the employer who holds all the power.
Only if you don't follow the logic out to its natural conclusion in that an employer is only an employer due to the good graces of his employees! If every employee chose one day not to show up to work, the employer would be out of work. In a non-Free society, you don't have the option of refusing to work. Remember, ANYONE can be an employer. Even if your statement is true, that employers hold all the power, then EVERYONE holds that power because ANYONE in the US can own a business and/or employ people.
the individual is and should be more imporatant than a government or a corporation
You're right! And that's what I'm saying! You ARE more important than any corporation, because corporations depend on workers like you to function and consumers like you to exist! All of the power is in YOUR hands. If no one will work for a company, they go out of business. If no one will buy their products, they will go out of business. To prevent both things from happening requires individuals to see to it that they don't. If you and all of your coworkers hate the company or its policies, leave and make your own and compete! That's how a Free society works: It doesn't free you from consequences, it gives you choice. Every choice in life has a consequence, it's up to you to decide which ones to accept.
Look at the Playstation 2. It's locked-in (you must have Sony approve of and produce your game in _most_ instances), yet they make their profits on the game system whether or not you buy any games.
Um, Dude, Sony (and the other manufacturers) lose their frickin SHIRT on hardware sales. When they were selling the PS2 for ~$300 at launch they were taking a loss!
The whole game industry is built on this idea, that you should spend the majority of the money on the software you want, not to be able to play that software. If you don't want restrictions on what games/software you can run on your box, stick with the PC.
You know, Halliburton's profits are down about 50% from this time last year... I fail to see how giving a company a contract where they'll have expenses out of the ass and quite possibly have their employees blown up by some crazy extremists is preferential treatment...
(Responding to Trolls, the flu really has taken its toll on me...)
If they want us to follow their rules outside of work hours, then they should damn well pay us to follow those rules. No pay. No play.
If you don't want to follow their rules after work, don't work for them. You already stated you did this. Where's the problem? No one can FORCE you to work for a company who's policies you don't like. That's the difference between employees and slaves, at any time an employee can leave. Slaves have no choice. Until a man escorts you to work every morning with a loaded firearm, you have no right to claim a corporation has made you a slave.
You can freely voice your opinions about your company however you want, but they are not legally nor ethically required to retain employees.
Freedom of speech does NOT mean that you face no consequences for your actions. It means that you will not face unlawful persecution for it. If you come out and say the current government is wrong, your family won't be paying for a bullet in the US. However if you come out and say your employer is wrong, they are completely within their rights to let you go. The only case this is not true is when you're reporting some ILLEGAL activity that your company is engaged in, in this case you're protected.
What document can you point to that says you have the right to publicly badmouth your employer without consequence? You have a right to say what you will about your employer.
See, if I worked for your company and I was of the opinion that it was an evil pox on humanity that should be thrown down and destroyed and that everyone should do everything within their power to assure it is unsuccesful... That's okay... But when I publicly express that I am an employee of yours and expressed that same opinion, that's not okay. If you're not working towards the best interests of the company, you shouldn't be employed there. The guy was fired for a security violation, not because he posted pictures of G5s at Microsoft. Anyone with sense would know that Microsoft needs G5s to test their Mac software on. There's no legality or freedom of speech issue here... The First Amendment doesn't protect you from your employer, just your Government. They're usually not one and the same.
I'd almost agree with you if there wasn't a story that went along with the signature that had some sentimental value. The suggestion is appreciated, though!
I'd probably actually go out and play a MMORPG or two if I could just buy the game once.
The problem there is that how does the company stay in business if they have to maintain a server for thousands of players to play on but their only revenue stream is the initial purchase?
In that case, they have to attract new players to the game to pay for the old ones that are still playing... but the new players require new capacity be added, which costs money... It's a never-ending cycle.
Had you said (as other have) that you shouldn't have to pay for the client and instead just pay for the monthly service, I'd agree with you completely!
No, legislation is good if it's well thought out. CAUCE has always suggested expanding the TCPA Junk Fax provisions to junk email, and honestly that's a good solution. That lets civilians file their own legal action against spammers and the companies they advertise for $500 a pop instead of creating some huge worthless beaurocracy to deal with it.
If only I lived in a world where that was possible and not the Real World(tm) of Local Government. *I* use Firebird, and I set it up for any user that has the slightest complaint, but--due to policy out of our control--we can't just roll it out over the entire organization. Plus on some systems Java just won't work right no matter how much I threaten Firebird with pointy sticks and red hot irons.
Actually I'd say I was on topic since my comment pertained mainly to the purpose and quality of Gator... What shocks and surprises me is that I was modded Interesting and Insightful instead of Funny! What's up with that!? The other programmers sitting next to me was laughing their asses off as I ranted and typed that message...
Guess I didn't lay it on thick enough... Or mention Soviet Russia...
At work we have a constant battle against Gator on user PCs as it uses deceptive messages and popups on websites to convince users to install. I have found little software that does more to make a user's PC using experience unenjoyable than Gator. Bravo, you've gone above and beyond the call of duty; most spyware simply installs itself and tracks users movements, your software pretends to provide useful functionality on top of being deceptive and displaying your customers' ads instead of the ones that rightfully belong on the site. And on top of all this it makes an already nearly unbearably (wow, alot of -ys) unstable OS (Windows) even more unusable. Thanks alot, Gator! You've made me look like a PC Repair genius as simply running Ad-Aware on most systems to remove the stinking heap of maggot infested goat dung your software is from a user's PC thereby speeding it up and making it crash less often!
Slashdot Mirror
oh ho ho... Not the buffer overruns? Okay, burn the guy at the stake. I, Merrow, am now officially throwing this guy to the wolves. Darn, sorry I got suckered in on that one. Apologies to anyone I argued with.
May this 'Luigi' suffer forever in the Hell of the Upside Down Drowned Sinners.
How would be similar to the way they're dealing with him now--minus the DMCA stupidity. Civil action against him.
Why? Just a matter of standard practice--security researchers are to be responsible and report vulnerabilities to vendors first and allow them a reasonable amount of time to take steps to protect their customers. Some people allow thirty days, some people one week. In this case one week was sufficient (trivial code changes) and I have every reason to believe the guy notified Gamespy and therefore is on the recieving end of a frivolous lawsuit.
The exploits I read were for the most part buffer overflows... Which are the result of improper bounds checking and just general sloppy coding. This has NOTHING TO DO with Gamespy's servers, and everything to do with their client software. The guy claims he informed them, they claim he didn't. If he did inform them, then tough luck. They deserve any negative publicity out of this. If he didn't inform them, then he needs to be dealt with.
Proof of concept code often is the only way to force a company to do something about its security problems... It's specifically because 12 year old script kiddies are exploiting the vulnerability that the company fixes it. Suing a security researcher for bringing this about is silly. Spend the money on fixing the problem, not on a Lawyer's retainer.
*sigh* I knew someone would say 'tidal energy' but I just said 'etc' because I was tired...
:P
:P
If you'd read my comment I'd already addressed wind farms. There was a huge uproar in New England over the idea of having wind farms offshore.
Tidal energy, wind farms, etc all take energy out of the system. Taking energy from wind will change weather patterns (just like adding energy to it will) and one would assume something similar from taking energy from the tide. I'm *NOT* saying this makes these technologies a bad idea (I'm all for them). I'm saying that people are still going to find some reason to fight them. PETA will fight bovine flatulence. Zinc and copper rods in potatoes only give you low amperage DC power.
Nuclear really is the way to go. Especially due to the recent breakthroughs in drastically shortening the half life of nuclear stuff. Failing all else, we can put the nuclear waste on the moon, and wait for it to explode and catapult it out of orbit... That seems to be the only way we're ever gonna explore anything outside of our solar system.
The problem is though that the public is scared stupid by nuclear power (kinda needlessly), solar power isn't economical *yet* (been saying that for 20 years), people protest wind farms for killing birds, affecting wind patterns, and "looking ugly", hydroelectric power screws up the environment pretty bad by flooding otherwise unflooded areas... etc.
So yes, we've invented other methods of power generation, but they all have their problems that don't make them that feasible.
And considering we're still technically in an ice-age, just on the receding end of one, this makes alot of sense that you'd see that.
Yes, the Earth is getting warmer, sort of... (been unnaturally cold the past four years where I live) but at the same time this should be expected. This always happens at the end of ice ages. They wouldn't be called 'ice ages' unless they were periods where the Earth was unnaturally cold.
Except where do you think we'll get the Hydrogen for our vehicles except (DUN DUN DUN) fossil fuels! Either from directly seperating it from them or using fossil fuel burning plants to use electrolysis on water to seperate the hydrogen.
:)
Kudos on drinking fuel cell exhaust to spite the French. Any spiting of the French is a good thing.
This is a troll, right? You're purposely ignoring the whole 'the first car a child today learns to drive could run on hydrogen' initiative to troll people like me, right? You're ignoring the administration's doubling of spending on renewable-resources research in its first budget so I'll get mad and respond, right?
Xbox provides ethernet and a hard drive for litle more than (once, the same amount as) a PS2 without them.
Yes, this is a valid point. The X-Box is network enabled out of the box. This has led to the creation of X-Box Live which is the only part of the X-Box line that makes money. The reason the PS2 and GCN aren't pre-packaged with these features is that: 1) Most of the buyers of these two systems will never use them and 2) It would increase the cost of the system. Sony and Nintendo both set out to MAKE money with this generation, where Microsoft set out to lose hundreds of millions... Microsoft can afford to subsidize their expensive mini-PCs to allow them to be somewhat competitive pricewise because they have a monopoly in the PC market to give them the cash to pay for their console division.
GC doesn't play DVDs.
Because GCN is a Game Console not a DVD player. The hardware capability *IS* there to play DVDs, and there's a version sold in Japan that plays DVDs, but the point was they did NOT want to pay the licensing fee to the DVD consortium to allow it to. That would add to the cost of the base unit and does not add any real value since the purpose of the system is to play games.
It's just so much easier to get good results out of the Xbox
Do you have any coding experience on the X-Box versus the Gamecube to back this up? The Cube is a dream to code on. The X-Box is easier than the PS2, but compared to the Cube it's like spending a night in the iron maiden. The Cube was designed from the ground up to be an ideal environment for game development and they almost nailed it.
If I'm wrong, then why does Microsoft have ATI and IBM making their successor to the X-Box for them? Simple: The Cube is so much more well designed, and they know it.
Microsoft is not losing unusual amounts of money per console sold.
You're kidding, right? You do realize the X-Box division has yet to turn a profit? You do realize the X-Box is the most expensive of the big three consoles to make? You do realize there's a REASON Microsoft's going with cheap non-PC (ie: IBM PowerPC) hardware in their next iteration?
Their console is superior in many ways to the others, primarily on the price point.
Oh I get it... I've been trolled... This has to be a troll, right? Superior in many ways? Primarily on the price point? Either you're out of touch with reality or I'm gonna get alot of 'YHBT' messages. The X-Box has managed to be even more of a technological nightmare than the PS2! Sure, it's easy for PC developers to port their software to it, but from a console developer's standpoint the thing's a steaming pile of crap! The most 'superior' technology would probably be GCN with PS2 in a close second, considering how much they get out of the GCN with such a simple design and low cost.
As far as price point: GCN $99, PS2 ~$150, where's the X-Box again?
Sure the other consoles aren't losing money any more - Microsoft came late to this generation. You lose sales if you're the last one in a generation, but you make up for it by being able to have technical superiority.
This wasn't true in the N64's case and it's especially not true in the X-Box's case because it simply does NOT have technical superiority. It's a miniaturized PC, not a console designed from the ground up to play games.
Actually the Allied fire bombing of Tokyo killed alot more people than the nukes. The nukes allowed a better display of power that finally pushed the Japanese government to surrender... Because after all, anyone can just burn a city down, not many can vaporize it in a single blast a la God.
"I have become Death, the shatterer of worlds..." and all that...
You responded while I was trying to find my figures... If I find the cost/system figures again I'll post them...
:)
The really cute thing is Nintendo didn't really pay ATI to develop 'Flipper'. What happened was the former team that worked on the N64 for Nintendo at SGI left and formed their own company, ArtX, and started working for Nintendo. Once the Flipper chip was designed and being produced, ATI bought ArtX. Which is why you have a cute ATI sticker on your Gamecube instead of ArtX.
Funnily enough, ArtX has essentially taken over the running of ATI if I remember correctly...
And I won't even go into how wonderful a choice the PowerPC was... They're getting that dirt cheap.
No, Hussein could order their deaths. Your employer can do no such thing. People do not leave their jobs out of fear of reprisal from their employer, they fear the unknown of not having a secure way to provide for their family. The fear has nothing to do with their employer and everything to do with a sense of responsibility.
You can't compare employers and the government. The Constitution/Bill of Rights is there to protect you from the Government, criminal and civil law protects you from your employer.
You're ignoring my arguments by still claiming that employers hold all the power. If people are scared to leave their job, that's their problem. Nothing can be done to fix that.
You're also free to starve to death if you so choose. But back to Freedom in a minute... Let's address power.
The logic above silently states that it is the employer who holds all the power.
Only if you don't follow the logic out to its natural conclusion in that an employer is only an employer due to the good graces of his employees! If every employee chose one day not to show up to work, the employer would be out of work. In a non-Free society, you don't have the option of refusing to work. Remember, ANYONE can be an employer. Even if your statement is true, that employers hold all the power, then EVERYONE holds that power because ANYONE in the US can own a business and/or employ people.
the individual is and should be more imporatant than a government or a corporation
You're right! And that's what I'm saying! You ARE more important than any corporation, because corporations depend on workers like you to function and consumers like you to exist! All of the power is in YOUR hands. If no one will work for a company, they go out of business. If no one will buy their products, they will go out of business. To prevent both things from happening requires individuals to see to it that they don't. If you and all of your coworkers hate the company or its policies, leave and make your own and compete! That's how a Free society works: It doesn't free you from consequences, it gives you choice. Every choice in life has a consequence, it's up to you to decide which ones to accept.
Look at the Playstation 2. It's locked-in (you must have Sony approve of and produce your game in _most_ instances), yet they make their profits on the game system whether or not you buy any games.
Um, Dude, Sony (and the other manufacturers) lose their frickin SHIRT on hardware sales. When they were selling the PS2 for ~$300 at launch they were taking a loss!
The whole game industry is built on this idea, that you should spend the majority of the money on the software you want, not to be able to play that software. If you don't want restrictions on what games/software you can run on your box, stick with the PC.
Okay, I'll bite...
You know, Halliburton's profits are down about 50% from this time last year... I fail to see how giving a company a contract where they'll have expenses out of the ass and quite possibly have their employees blown up by some crazy extremists is preferential treatment...
(Responding to Trolls, the flu really has taken its toll on me...)
If they want us to follow their rules outside of work hours, then they should damn well pay us to follow those rules. No pay. No play.
If you don't want to follow their rules after work, don't work for them. You already stated you did this. Where's the problem? No one can FORCE you to work for a company who's policies you don't like. That's the difference between employees and slaves, at any time an employee can leave. Slaves have no choice. Until a man escorts you to work every morning with a loaded firearm, you have no right to claim a corporation has made you a slave.
You can freely voice your opinions about your company however you want, but they are not legally nor ethically required to retain employees.
Freedom of speech does NOT mean that you face no consequences for your actions. It means that you will not face unlawful persecution for it. If you come out and say the current government is wrong, your family won't be paying for a bullet in the US. However if you come out and say your employer is wrong, they are completely within their rights to let you go. The only case this is not true is when you're reporting some ILLEGAL activity that your company is engaged in, in this case you're protected.
What document can you point to that says you have the right to publicly badmouth your employer without consequence? You have a right to say what you will about your employer.
Your employer has the right to fire you.
See, if I worked for your company and I was of the opinion that it was an evil pox on humanity that should be thrown down and destroyed and that everyone should do everything within their power to assure it is unsuccesful... That's okay...
But when I publicly express that I am an employee of yours and expressed that same opinion, that's not okay. If you're not working towards the best interests of the company, you shouldn't be employed there.
The guy was fired for a security violation, not because he posted pictures of G5s at Microsoft. Anyone with sense would know that Microsoft needs G5s to test their Mac software on.
There's no legality or freedom of speech issue here... The First Amendment doesn't protect you from your employer, just your Government. They're usually not one and the same.
I'd almost agree with you if there wasn't a story that went along with the signature that had some sentimental value. The suggestion is appreciated, though!
I'd probably actually go out and play a MMORPG or two if I could just buy the game once.
The problem there is that how does the company stay in business if they have to maintain a server for thousands of players to play on but their only revenue stream is the initial purchase?
In that case, they have to attract new players to the game to pay for the old ones that are still playing... but the new players require new capacity be added, which costs money... It's a never-ending cycle.
Had you said (as other have) that you shouldn't have to pay for the client and instead just pay for the monthly service, I'd agree with you completely!
No, legislation is good if it's well thought out. CAUCE has always suggested expanding the TCPA Junk Fax provisions to junk email, and honestly that's a good solution. That lets civilians file their own legal action against spammers and the companies they advertise for $500 a pop instead of creating some huge worthless beaurocracy to deal with it.
If only I lived in a world where that was possible and not the Real World(tm) of Local Government. *I* use Firebird, and I set it up for any user that has the slightest complaint, but--due to policy out of our control--we can't just roll it out over the entire organization.
Plus on some systems Java just won't work right no matter how much I threaten Firebird with pointy sticks and red hot irons.
Actually I'd say I was on topic since my comment pertained mainly to the purpose and quality of Gator... What shocks and surprises me is that I was modded Interesting and Insightful instead of Funny! What's up with that!? The other programmers sitting next to me was laughing their asses off as I ranted and typed that message...
Guess I didn't lay it on thick enough... Or mention Soviet Russia...
At work we have a constant battle against Gator on user PCs as it uses deceptive messages and popups on websites to convince users to install. I have found little software that does more to make a user's PC using experience unenjoyable than Gator. Bravo, you've gone above and beyond the call of duty; most spyware simply installs itself and tracks users movements, your software pretends to provide useful functionality on top of being deceptive and displaying your customers' ads instead of the ones that rightfully belong on the site. And on top of all this it makes an already nearly unbearably (wow, alot of -ys) unstable OS (Windows) even more unusable.
Thanks alot, Gator! You've made me look like a PC Repair genius as simply running Ad-Aware on most systems to remove the stinking heap of maggot infested goat dung your software is from a user's PC thereby speeding it up and making it crash less often!