spyware, scumware, pop unders, and other news from the front

October 27, 2003 12:14 PM

Win one and lose one.
posted by madamjujujive (7 comments total)

Gator maintains that its software differs from spyware in that people are clearly notified before they download it, and in that they do so in exchange for a service, like the peer-to-peer software. Spyware, the company maintains, is surreptitiously installed and gives the unwitting computer user no benefit.

Gah, this is like those spammers that insist that they're not sending you spam because it has a "remove from list" link.

Gator is obviously Spyware, it's one of the cornerstones of spyware as a matter of fact.
The fact that they loudly complain and litigate that they're not will not change that fact.
Gator is Spyware.
posted by signal at 12:29 PM on October 27, 2003

*quietly gives signal the name of a good lawyer*
posted by monju_bosatsu at 1:03 PM on October 27, 2003

*loudly fowards the name of a good lawyer to these other 285 blokes *
posted by signal at 1:12 PM on October 27, 2003

Signal, here's a few thousand more folks who share your opinion. Me, I just find them evil.

Also, more fun "non-spyware" (heh) from the Gator family of pests:
GAIN, Trickler and the ever popular Offer Companion.
posted by madamjujujive at 1:46 PM on October 27, 2003

it's their goddam right to market to you, and it's your goddam civic duty as a true blue american patriot to allow them to. it's not your machine, or your life, you've only been granted a license to use it specifically as intended by your powerful and all-knowing, deeply caring corporate overlords and their puppet government. now get the fuck over it and get out there and buy some fucking shit you don't need, and see a movie aftwerward.
posted by quonsar at 6:48 PM on October 27, 2003

"If we find anyone publicly calling us spyware, we correct it and take action if necessary," said Scott Eagle, Gator's senior vice president of marketing.


Gator is Spyware. Take poor Matt to court over removing this thread. We will band together and pay for the fucking lawyer and in the process make 10 pages dedicated to how much Gator is spyware.
posted by Keyser Soze at 10:23 PM on October 27, 2003

....and in other news, gator is spyware program that maintains itself in your computers memory when Microsoft Windows loads. It gathers web browsing statistics and sends them to its servers, yet it does not explain exactly what the company does with that information.
posted by Keyser Soze at 10:32 PM on October 27, 2003