Spyware - not a problem??

[steve]

Archived from groups: misc.consumers,alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Excerpts from Wired magazine -

============================

Not all web surfers think spyware is a problem. Some say the software
is a fair trade-off for free applications.

IMesh, maker of a popular file-sharing application, recently began
bundling an application called Marketscore. Some would view
Marketscore as a privacy nightmare - the program routes all of a
user's web traffic through Marketscore's own servers, where it is then
analyzed to "create research reports on internet trends and e-commerce
activities."

Even data entered on secure websites - such as passwords, credit card
numbers, and bank account numbers - is accessible to Marketscore,
since the company has developed a method that allows it to view
encrypted information.

But some users of iMesh didn't seem to be troubled by the actions of
Marketscore. Users at iMesh forums chided those who complained,
posting messages stating that "without spyware there's no such thing
as free software."

"I think some internet users are exhausted by security threats and
privacy leaks and are beginning to decide to believe that spyware is
necessary for the greater good. If your personal information isn't
private anyway, if businesses and governments are trading it at will,
then why not give a little more away and get some free software too?"


http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65906,00.html

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: misc.consumers,alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

In article <s12hr01p0e404aefup3jijudmumk9v3g9q@4ax.com>, qty@jfg.inv
says...

> Excerpts from Wired magazine -
>
> ============================
>
> Not all web surfers think spyware is a problem. Some say the software
> is a fair trade-off for free applications.

<snippety>

"Web surfers" like those described are the reason that spam
continues to be a major problem, to say nothing of what their
lackadaisacal attitude towards basic system security leaves them open
to.

Spyware is almost as much of a problem as spam is now, and it's
going to get worse before it gets better.

Protect yourselves, people. Learn as much as your brain can
possibly hold about computing/network security, etc. Use SpyBot Search &
Destroy, AdAware, and AVG Antivirus. Forget McAfee and Symantec. They're
not worth the packaging they come in, IMO.

Also, be paranoid! Shred your receipts, get yourself removed from
consumer marketing databases, and get hold of a copy of your credit
report to make sure there's nothing nasty in there. If there is, deal
with it! Get a post office box, and use it instead of your home address
as much as possible.

Keep the peace(es).



--
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute.
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR,
kyrrin (a/t) bluefeathertech[d=o=t]calm -- www.bluefeathertech.com
"If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped
with surreal ports?"

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: misc.consumers,alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Thu, 9 Dec 2004 18:40:17 -0800, Dr. Anton T. Squeegee
<SpammersAreVermin@dev.null> wrote:

>In article <s12hr01p0e404aefup3jijudmumk9v3g9q@4ax.com>, qty@jfg.inv
>says...
>
>> Excerpts from Wired magazine -
>>
>> ============================
>>
>> Not all web surfers think spyware is a problem. Some say the software
>> is a fair trade-off for free applications.
>
> <snippety>
>
> "Web surfers" like those described are the reason that spam
>continues to be a major problem, to say nothing of what their
>lackadaisacal attitude towards basic system security leaves them open
>to.
>
> Spyware is almost as much of a problem as spam is now, and it's
>going to get worse before it gets better.
>
> Protect yourselves, people. Learn as much as your brain can
>possibly hold about computing/network security, etc. Use SpyBot Search &
>Destroy, AdAware, and AVG Antivirus. Forget McAfee and Symantec. They're
>not worth the packaging they come in, IMO.
>
> Also, be paranoid! Shred your receipts, get yourself removed from
>consumer marketing databases, and get hold of a copy of your credit
>report to make sure there's nothing nasty in there. If there is, deal
>with it! Get a post office box, and use it instead of your home address
>as much as possible.
>
> Keep the peace(es).

For free credit report go to www.annualcreditreport.com. New law
states you get 1 free a year from the 3 companies. Got mine.



Kirk

"Moe, Larry, the cheese!", Curly

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: misc.consumers,alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Steve" <qty@jfg.inv> wrote in message
news:s12hr01p0e404aefup3jijudmumk9v3g9q@4ax.com...
>
> Excerpts from Wired magazine -
>
> ============================
>
> Not all web surfers think spyware is a problem. Some say the software
> is a fair trade-off for free applications.
>
> IMesh, maker of a popular file-sharing application, recently began
> bundling an application called Marketscore. Some would view
> Marketscore as a privacy nightmare - the program routes all of a
> user's web traffic through Marketscore's own servers, where it is then
> analyzed to "create research reports on internet trends and e-commerce
> activities."
>
> Even data entered on secure websites - such as passwords, credit card
> numbers, and bank account numbers - is accessible to Marketscore,
> since the company has developed a method that allows it to view
> encrypted information.
>
> But some users of iMesh didn't seem to be troubled by the actions of
> Marketscore. Users at iMesh forums chided those who complained,
> posting messages stating that "without spyware there's no such thing
> as free software."
>
> "I think some internet users are exhausted by security threats and
> privacy leaks and are beginning to decide to believe that spyware is
> necessary for the greater good. If your personal information isn't
> private anyway, if businesses and governments are trading it at will,
> then why not give a little more away and get some free software too?"

If these people wish to buy their software with their privacy rather than
with cash, they should pay a sales tax on the fair market value of the
software just as those of us who pay with legal tender do.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: misc.consumers,alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>> Even data entered on secure websites - such as passwords, credit card
>> numbers, and bank account numbers - is accessible to Marketscore,
>> since the company has developed a method that allows it to view
>> encrypted information.
>>
>>> "I think some internet users are exhausted by security threats and
>> privacy leaks and are beginning to decide to believe that spyware is
>> necessary for the greater good. If your personal information isn't
>> private anyway, if businesses and governments are trading it at will,
>> then why not give a little more away and get some free software too?"
>
> If these people wish to buy their software with their privacy rather than
> with cash, they should pay a sales tax on the fair market value of the
> software just as those of us who pay with legal tender do.

And another thing - if I pay cash for software, I'm paying with an asset
that's mine to give away.

Your banking password is *not* yours to give away - the bank has a
reasonable right to expect that you will keep it secure because they don't
need the mess of fraudulent access anymore than you do.

Anybody who knowingly accepts a deal like this should be held every bit as
liable as the spyware company regarding any leaks of confidential passwords
and information.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: misc.consumers,alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 00:58:04 GMT, "SpammersDie" <xx@xx.xx> wrote:

>Your banking password is *not* yours to give away - the bank has a
>reasonable right to expect that you will keep it secure because they don't
>need the mess of fraudulent access anymore than you do.

If you give away your PIN, then you have in fact given permission for
that person to access your account; therefore, any accesses that
person makes are by defiition not fraudulent. If you have a co-owner
on your bank account, and that person cleans out all the money from
it, you have ZERO recourse. As co-owner, it's as much their money as
it is yours. The same should be true if you voluntarily give your PIN
to someone.

--
Friends don't let friends shop at Best Buy.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Hi!

I guess there are computer users with every kind of taste.

> Not all web surfers think spyware is a problem. Some say the software
> is a fair trade-off for free applications.

They obviously haven't looked at some of the very good open source/free
software titles out there. I'd tell them to start with Mozilla and its
products and then donate if they see fit.

> Even data entered on secure websites - such as passwords, credit card
> numbers, and bank account numbers - is accessible to Marketscore,
> since the company has developed a method that allows it to view
> encrypted information.

Hmmm...sounds VERY dubious.

>
> But some users of iMesh didn't seem to be troubled by the actions of
> Marketscore. Users at iMesh forums chided those who complained,
> posting messages stating that "without spyware there's no such thing
> as free software."

That's a total lie. Anyone who thinks so hasn't looked. There is a LOT of
good (and spyware/adware free) FREE software out there today.

William

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: misc.consumers,alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>>Your banking password is *not* yours to give away - the bank has a
>>reasonable right to expect that you will keep it secure because they don't
>>need the mess of fraudulent access anymore than you do.

Banks spell this out in the depositor agreement. It's more than
a "reasonable expectation", it's a contractual obligation.

>If you give away your PIN, then you have in fact given permission for
>that person to access your account; therefore, any accesses that
>person makes are by defiition not fraudulent.

My bank claims that you do not have permission to share your PIN
with anyone, not even a joint accountholder on the same account.
In other words, you and your wife may have separate ATM cards on
the same account, but if you share one, that's grounds for closing
the account. The bank also won't help you get money back from
someone you gave your PIN to. About the only way you could get
caught sharing a PIN with a joint accountholder is to claim that
the transaction was unauthorized.

>If you have a co-owner
>on your bank account, and that person cleans out all the money from
>it, you have ZERO recourse.

Through the bank, true.
Through a divorce court or lawsuit, possibly you do have recourse.

>As co-owner, it's as much their money as
>it is yours.

Although the bank has no obligation to enforce it, there may
be agreements that specify how much each co-owner owns, for
example a business partnership agreement.

>The same should be true if you voluntarily give your PIN
>to someone.

From the point of view of the bank, I believe this is true: you
have no recourse through the bank. That does not preclude you from
suing someone you "lent" your PIN to to get the money back. If you
authorized the person to use it for buying gas, and they pay their
college tuition with it, you should be able to get your money back
from that person (if they still have it). The bank isn't obligated
to help you.

Those court shows on TV are filled with cases of people who lent
credit cards or ATM cards, with that person claiming the money was
a loan, and the other person claiming it was a gift. Unless the
defendant and plaintiff were living together sharing expenses
(applies to roommates as well as boyfriend/girlfriend) the defendant
often doesn't have any defense, or at best a lame one like "I needed
the money" or "I don't have it to pay back", and seems to lose most
of the time.

Gordon L. Burditt

 

[David]

Archived from groups: misc.consumers,alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Steve wrote:
> Excerpts from Wired magazine -
>
> ============================
>
> Not all web surfers think spyware is a problem. Some say the software
> is a fair trade-off for free applications.
>

I don't have a problem if the users knows about it upfront (like
prominently on the cover, download page, etc). Its when it is sneaked
in with little or no notice that I find sleazy.