Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!news.swapon.de!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: Sylvia Else Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: Download Wrappers and Unwanted Software are pure evil Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 11:59:33 +1000 Lines: 55 Message-ID: References: <20140819131059.a753a740.rsw@therandymon.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: individual.net PF8aX8zCZVQ0DPrWW+9XPATXdLmvrP6qUPcaqGt7LROnFbOmUE Cancel-Lock: sha1:yWLMgc4N+E3atHG0c459XEKDDds= User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:24.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/24.6.0 In-Reply-To: Xref: csiph.com comp.misc:4500 On 20/08/2014 4:09 AM, polygonum wrote: > On 19/08/2014 14:10, RS Wood wrote: >> On Tue, 19 Aug 2014 10:39:07 +0000 (UTC) >> Rich wrote: >> >>> http://www.hanselman.com/blog/DownloadWrappersAndUnwantedSoftwareArePureEvil.aspx >>> >>> >>> Call it Adware, Malware, Spyware, Crapware, it's simply unwanted. >>> Every >>> non-technical relative I've ever talked to has toolbars they >>> apparently >>> can't see, apps running in the background, browser home pages set to >>> Russian Google clones, and they have no idea how it got that way. >>> >>> Here's how they get that way. >>> >>> ... >> >> How funny, I just logged in to post that very article. It's a good >> read, not because it's new information but because it's well >> presented. The guy obviously spent some time on that page. Here's my >> favorite part: >> >> //--clip >> "Install Search Protect to set [CHANGE] my home page and [TOTALLY MESS >> UP] default search to Conduit Search [THAT I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF AND >> NEITHER DO YOU] and [NOW THIS IS AUDACIOUS...] prevent attempts to >> change my browser settings." >> //--clip >> >> >> Yes, may I please have some of that Internet download goodness? >> > Having spent far too many hours getting rid of Ask, Conduit, Bubble > Dock, et al, the ones I hate with even more vengeance than others are > those with malevolent uninstallers. Sure, to keep the tiniest bit the > right side of being absolute malware, they do actually have in installer > which can uninstall the "product". But as it does so, you go through > what seems like a never-ending stream of options asking you if you now > want to install some other pile of stinking elephant crap. You have to > read each one to make sure it isn't worded the opposite way round - > which could catch you out with lazy clicking. > Ultimately, the question is what the courts would make of this. With undoubted malware, the issue tends to be moot, since there's no identifiable party to sue. Until someone actually sues the supplier of one of these wrapper products, we won't know whether their attempts to sit just on the lawfulness side of the line really work in law. Sylvia.