Comments on: Support the fight against spyware http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491 Helping PC users make sense of Microsoft software since 1991 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:54:09 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: keith menchel http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-154316 keith menchel Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:39:53 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-154316 Where the heck have I been? It is Jan. 2007, and I have just got the idownload virus in my memory. I was looking for voice/music recording software do my own mixes. I downloaded a shareware sw product that was supposed to do this and ran NAV on the file. Then as I attempted to look at it, bammn!, isearch installed itself into mt pc's memory. Now I cant get it out. How do I remove this SOB. How can these guys continue with this home invasion business plan. Keith Where the heck have I been? It is Jan. 2007, and I have just got the idownload virus in my memory. I was looking for voice/music recording software do my own mixes. I downloaded a shareware sw product that was supposed to do this and ran NAV on the file. Then as I attempted to look at it, bammn!, isearch installed itself into mt pc’s memory. Now I cant get it out. How do I remove this SOB. How can these guys continue with this home invasion business plan.

Keith

]]> By: Bob Spector http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-151558 Bob Spector Wed, 27 Sep 2006 16:56:06 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-151558 They key you said is: The license agreement this company wrote, which they know the average user will not read, admits that the software may install additional software or remove programs already on your computer without your knowledge or input. It might be legal consent, but not concious consent that a user gives. This is a growing issue now with many developers hiding anything they need in long fine print, but we just quickly are accustomed to clicking the little check box to continue. They key you said is: The license agreement this company wrote, which they know the average user will not read, admits that the software may install additional software or remove programs already on your computer without your knowledge or input.
It might be legal consent, but not concious consent that a user gives. This is a growing issue now with many developers hiding anything they need in long fine print, but we just quickly are accustomed to clicking the little check box to continue.

]]> By: Eric L. Howes http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-908 Eric L. Howes Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-908 Ed: Thanks so much for doing this blog entry. Suzi and the others who have received letters from iSearch/iDownload certainly need public support, and your help in getting the word out is most welcome and very much appreciated. By the way, CastleCops has now posted its official response to iSearch/iDownload's letter: <a href="http://castlecops.com/article-5765-nested-0-0.html" rel="nofollow">http://castlecops.com/article-5765-nested-0-0.html</a> I would expect to see others stepping forward in the coming days and weeks to talk about their own experiences with iSearch/iDownload. All the best, Eric L. Howes Ed:

Thanks so much for doing this blog entry. Suzi and the others who have received letters from iSearch/iDownload certainly need public support, and your help in getting the word out is most welcome and very much appreciated.

By the way, CastleCops has now posted its official response to iSearch/iDownload’s letter:

http://castlecops.com/article-5765-nested-0-0.html

I would expect to see others stepping forward in the coming days and weeks to talk about their own experiences with iSearch/iDownload.

All the best,

Eric L. Howes

]]> By: Mike http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-909 Mike Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-909 Trend Micro's suddenly become respected software/digoutware distributors? Wayddaminute... I use their AV product, even now, and reject the other dialogue box (on your advice? nah....even before that). The spyware product is substandard. End of story. Trend Micro’s suddenly become respected software/digoutware distributors? Wayddaminute…

I use their AV product, even now, and reject the other dialogue box (on your advice? nah….even before that).

The spyware product is substandard. End of story.

]]> By: Ed Bott http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-910 Ed Bott Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-910 I agree that Trend Micro's antispyware product is currently substandard, primarily because of its inability to correctly distinguish true infections from false positives. But the company's expertise in identifying and labeling hostile software in all categories is top-notch. If they can get their anti-spyware module to work properly with their database, it will be a winner, just as their AV software currently is. I agree that Trend Micro’s antispyware product is currently substandard, primarily because of its inability to correctly distinguish true infections from false positives. But the company’s expertise in identifying and labeling hostile software in all categories is top-notch. If they can get their anti-spyware module to work properly with their database, it will be a winner, just as their AV software currently is.

]]> By: Sir Not Appearing in this Blog http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-911 Sir Not Appearing in this Blog Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-911 I see the "Always trust content from..." checkbox. Why isn't there a "Never trust content from..." option? I see the “Always trust content from…” checkbox. Why isn’t there a “Never trust content from…” option?

]]> By: Ed Bott http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-912 Ed Bott Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-912 That dialog box was from an old version of Windows. In Windows XP SP2, there is indeed a "Never trust content from..." option. This is one of many hidden security features in SP2. That dialog box was from an old version of Windows. In Windows XP SP2, there is indeed a “Never trust content from…” option. This is one of many hidden security features in SP2.

]]> By: Simon Zerafa http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-913 Simon Zerafa Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-913 With regards to the last part of the EULA, if my reading of UK law is correct, then this would probably be classified as illegal in the UK Under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, specifically the section regarding the unauthorised modification of the contents of a computer, this software would seem to be granting itself permission to do just that. No contract or EULA can bypass or seek to evade the law. Same iSearch don't have offices in the UK! :-) With regards to the last part of the EULA, if my reading of UK law is correct, then this would probably be classified as illegal in the UK

Under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, specifically the section regarding the unauthorised modification of the contents of a computer, this software would seem to be granting itself permission to do just that.

No contract or EULA can bypass or seek to evade the law.

Same iSearch don’t have offices in the UK! :-)

]]> By: CastleCops http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-914 CastleCops Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-914 <strong>CastleCops responds to iDownload/iSearch</strong> Recently we received a letter from a law firm titled Incorrect Classification of iDownload's Product as Spyware & Related disparagement of iDownload. We retained counsel to evaluate our options and last night sent our reply which will be quoted in ful... CastleCops responds to iDownload/iSearch

Recently we received a letter from a law firm titled Incorrect Classification of iDownload’s Product as Spyware & Related disparagement of iDownload. We retained counsel to evaluate our options and last night sent our reply which will be quoted in ful…

]]> By: Zhen-Xjell http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-915 Zhen-Xjell Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=491#comment-915 <strong>iDownload's itinerary</strong> The Internet has been buzzing with the keywords iDownload and iSearch the past week. There exists a great deal of talk all over the web, and it is mind boggling trying to read it all. I'll try to put everything... iDownload’s itinerary

The Internet has been buzzing with the keywords iDownload and iSearch the past week. There exists a great deal of talk all over the web, and it is mind boggling trying to read it all. I’ll try to put everything…

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