Old Weird Ward
Unless otherwise noted, that which is posted here is opinion, which is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. If you don't like my opinions, go somewhere else. Nobody is forcing you to actually read this drivel.
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Sunday, December 05, 2004
- - - - - Spyware "Licensing" Agreement - - - - -
It isn't often that I agree with Dan Gillmor's politics. On computer-related and privacy subjects, however, we tend to agree, as in THIS article, which in turn links to Ben Edelman HERE.
A large part of my job (I work in a Very Small computer store here in SouthEast Georgia) is listening to the customer say "Right after I down-loaded and installed this neato program, my computer slowed down tremendously."
Almost invariably, some form of spy-ware/keystroke logger/home-page hijacker/pop-up ad generator, or other mal-ware is at fault. Frequently enough, it's stuff that's been installed by an outfit known as "Gator", which is actually a company called Claria (link HERE), that's based in Redwood City, California.
Now they're attempting to control how you remove their software from your computer.
Specifically, they want you to use Windows' Add/Remove Programs function - which would be OK, if Claria/Gator didn't screw it up, by making sure that "Gator" does not appear in Add/Remove Programs when you're trying to get rid of it. Instead, the names of other programs, such as "Screen Scenes", "DashBar", "WeatherScope", and others appear.
Grrrr....
Furthermore, and this is what really gets me going, Claria/Gator wants to forbid you to use any third-party tool to remove their stuff.
Buried about three thousand words into their End-User License Agreement (aka "EULA"), which is more than 50 screens of verbiage, you will find this little nugget:
"You agree that you will not use, or encourage others to use, any unauthorized means for the removal of the GAIN AdServer, or any GAIN-Supported Software from a computer."
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And, if you're a techie sort who wants to know what's going on in your computer, there's this little gem that's sure to gladden your heart:
"Any use of a packet sniffer or other device to intercept or access communications between GP and the GAIN AdServer is strictly prohibited."
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OK, so Claria/Gator says you cannot, under the terms of this 5000+ word "license", remove their hard-disk clogging, performance degrading, memory-eating, and deliberately obscured ....stuff.
I've got some news for you clowns. This is MY computer. Paid for by ME. It is MY private property. I refuse, absolutely, to allow YOU to dictate the method I choose to remove YOUR annoying software from MY computer. If I choose to use a third-party software detection and removal tool, such as AdAware (link HERE) or SpyBot Search and Destroy (link HERE), I damned well will. If I want to know what's going on in MY computer, I will find out, with or without your oh-so-gracious permission.
In other words, take your evil resource-hogging performance-degrading mal-ware, and BYTE ME!
THIS LINK takes you to the Claria/Gator web-page to give them "feed-back". Given their behavior as evidenced in their fabulous EULA, I wouldn't trust that link as far as I could throw it, myself.
If I still lived in San Jose, I'd think seriously about picketing your HQ, at:
Claria Corporation
555 Broadway Street
Redwood City, CA 94063
You can find a map and directions to Claria's HQ HERE.
Grrrr...........
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