Spyware, or virus? You decide...

[Kevin P]

Check out this news article. The distinction between spyware/adware and viruses/trojan horses is getting less clear every day. In any case avoid the RadLight DiVX movie player, as it will UNINSTALL AdAware when you install it.

Here's my take on the whole spyware/adware issue. If someone wants to create a "free" program and use an advertising engine to generate revenue, hey I have no problems with that. However, the ad engine should be embedded within the free program, not installed as a separate application. In other words, I shouldn't see ads unless I'm running the ad-supported program. I shouldn't have adware processes running when I'm not running the ad-supposed program. Any independent processes can and will be removed by AdAware.

Some spyware, such as the example mentioned in the news article above, has gone overboard and gotten downright malicious. I don't see much difference in including such "features" in a program and giving people viruses or Trojan horses.

Just my little rant...




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[Bing Fung]

Bastards! :a>'> :##

Time for you to write sometype of counter information that gives them real bogus information. somethingthat would really skew their results.




Bing

[Lex]

Yeah, it really sucks that there's nothing to stop this sort of action. What's to say, that Word Perfect doesn't delete Word when you install it? If it's ok for one, it should be ok for the other. That's why I think it's time for guidelines that software companies have to follow. No malicious code!

Lex