Crack down on Spyware/adware

[Vercades]

Some of the largest names on the Internet have come together to crack down on the spread of adware and spyware through piggybacking hidden software along with legitimate downloads.

The companies, which include Yahoo!, AOL, Verizon and CNet Networks - which operates the large downloads.com software library - have agreed to establish industry standards for monitoring and enforcing good behaviour on sites which offer downloadable software.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/79908/ma...n-spyware.html

Does my heart good to know this, as I'm an avid downloader of freeware software.

I hope the program that they are going to issue coming New Years will have a successful beta phase.

Whoops... Tweaker done reported it! Man that guy's fast.

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/news/

[Nick Grana]

Sounds good on paper. But dig this excerpt:

However, many spyware applications will not go through legitimate high profile sources as they propagate p2p networks, warez and pornography sites. The portals can claim they have banished spyware from their own servers even if it continues to flourish elsewhere.

Where there is a will, there is a way.

[smurfy]

"as they propagate p2p networks, warez and pornography sites"

IMHO, if you are downloading from there, you should expect nasties - "buyer" beware and all that.
People d/loading from Download.com should have a reasonable expectation taht the software will not harm their PCs.

[Nick Grana]

You talking to me? One goes to bad places will find bad spaces.
Download a seemingless innocent screensaver shouldn't bring those nasties so maybe this will help in those instances.
Being in the business for so long as a lot of people here were/are helps us.
But the poor first user or casual user usually gets a lesson in hard knocks real quick. The more simple it seems, the more complicated it gets.

[Vercades]

Originally Posted by smurfy

"as they propagate p2p networks, warez and pornography sites"

IMHO, if you are downloading from there, you should expect nasties - "buyer" beware and all that.
People d/loading from Download.com should have a reasonable expectation that the software will not harm their PCs.

Spoke for me. Nice to see ya smurfy.

[Pi rules]

I also sometimes download some utilities on Download.com (although I usually never use them and end up uninstalling them), but usually the agreement says something about included adware/spyware if you take the time to read them (or, I believe that there is something called EULAlyzer that can find suspicious words/phrases).

IMHO, if you are downloading from there, you should expect nasties - "buyer" beware and all that.

Well said!

[Snurfen]

Originally Posted by smurfy

IMHO, if you are downloading from there, you should expect nasties - "buyer" beware and all that.

well spake birthday boy! There have been quite a few threads about members experiences cleaning out crud from other peeps pc's just to find them making the same mistakes almost immediately.