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Computers

by Carlo Longino

Wed, Jan 25th 2006 9:01am





Academics To Take On Spyware

from the revenge-of-the-nerds dept

Internet centers at Harvard and Oxford universities are setting up a project to name and shame spyware vendors. The project's web site -- StopBadware.org -- will compile a list of software that carries "badware" for users to check against before they install something, as well as turning the spotlight on companies that make the software in an attempt to draw unwanted attention to them or even support lawsuits against them. Other people are taking a similar approach, but given the groups behind the project and its big-name backers (Google, Lenovo and Sun), this one should prove highly visible. The first order of business for the group, though, is to settle on a definition of badware.

4 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  1.  
    identicon
    fredfrumppy, Jan 25th, 2006 @ 9:09am

    No Subject Given

    finally. its about time someone tells us what has spyware. it would also be nice to know what companies distribute it...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Tech Support, Jan 25th, 2006 @ 9:53am

    Who would buy from them anyway?

    I don't know about anyone else, but if a company puts software on my computer which slows it to a crawl and continually pops up advertisements which claim they can fix my problem, I would not even consider buying their product. Advertisements are annoying to the point which they cause me to AVOID the product, not buy it.

     

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  3.  
    identicon
    Dam, Jan 25th, 2006 @ 10:50am

    The Sharks Are Circling

    Can't you hear the theme from Jaws in the background? It's because the lawyers for the adware scum are circling the waters, just waiting to sue them into the 22nd century.
    I wish them lots of luck, God knows it's needed. But watch them damn lawyers.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Jan 25th, 2006 @ 11:07am

    No Subject Given

    Badware Vendor #1: Microsoft

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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