Opinion

Spyware

What is spyware

Per definition is a Spy somebody, who gathers information for some agency or sits in the background to wait to perform some actions as ordered by the agency. There are good Spies and bad Spies. So it's indifferent for which side a Spy works, it's the way a Spy works: Hidden from prying eyes in the background.

Per definition an Agent is somebody, who works for you. An Agent may do the same work as a Spy, however you know exactly what the Agent does, as the Agent reports to you, and you only.

Agents can be public. If they report to the public what they do, these Agents are not Spies. But if an Agent goes into the underground to hide or if you are forced to accept an Agent when you want to have done some work, the Agent is a Spy.

Illegitime Spys, say Spies working in the background for illegitmite organizations, are terrorists.

Spyware

Spyware is exactly defined by above views.

A software which sits in the background or sometimes performs some work for the orgainzation it works for, is Spyware. It's Spyware as well, when it comes bundled with other software which does not run without it.

If the software works for you, reports to you (and nobody else) and only does things you have authorized and want the software to do, then it's an Agent. However in this case you must have full control over the Agent, not only the option to uninstall. So if you switch off the Agent and only the direct work the Agent does ceases to work (and no other software programmatically dependent on the Agent, like plugins or programs working for the agent, but not dependent bundled sofware which is designed to rely on the agent for marketing or selling purpose), then the Agent is an Agent, else it's a Spy (because it does destructive things switching it off).

Ad-Ware is a positive thing. So Ad-Ware to be declared Ad-Ware it must be an Agent working for you.

So per definition this type of programs is no Ad-Ware, it's clearly Spyware.

Zero tolerance

I have zero tolerance for Spyware and I have zero tolerance for Programs allowing spyware and scanners (like the one of Microsoft) which does not flag Spyware as to be removed.

Spyware is bad and stays bad.

As Spyware is only good for the people deploying the Spyware.

Note that Spyware is not illegal. Virii, Trojans, Works are illegal. But Spyware does not come from illegitimite organizations.

However this does not change it. There is an absoulte zero tolerance for Spyware.

Claria

Ex Gator.

Most programs from Claria are Spyware. You cannot control how the Agent works, or if you de-install the Agent other software bundled ceases to work. This classifies it as Spyware.

Claria thinks, their software is no Spyware. They are wrong. Per definition. They are lying to you if they call these type of software Ad-Ware. Ad-Ware is a postive thing, and must not have negative sideeffects (except for the needed actions like downloading ads and displaying them).

As long as you are not able to control the software of Claria, as long as it does not only report to you and nobody else, as long as you dannot deactivate the agent without loosing access to other programs which do not come from Claria and are designed to work with the Claria products as a plugin, these Agents Claria creates are no Ad-Ware but are Spyware.

And I have zero tolerance for this.

SurfClever

I know what I am talking about.

Once I wanted to start an Ad-Ware driven business. One which allows you to have full control about what happens. It was called SurfClever. It never started because of many grounds.

One major one is, that companies like Claria are behaving so badly, that this makes a legitimate business impossible.

And I am prepared to give proof of my views on the court. So sue me, you will loose.

-Tino, 2005-07-12