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Yail Bloor
join:2004-01-07
Richfield, OH
| Spyware is not the user's fault
After reading this thread I'm a little surprised to see the opinions expressed by so many educated users. The whole issue of Spyware is one of PRIVACY. Web users who have not expressly consented to having tracking software loaded on their systems should not be made to feel that their actions have somehow justified the sites' irresponsible behavior. What began as a trend to install cookies into the cache files of visitors to a site has escaladed out of control and the cause of this is unscrupulous and greedy web marketers, software vendors, and OEM's. And while users do have a responsibility to educate themselves about their own PC's and the workings of the Web, the blame should be placed squarely on the heads of those who create this crap in the first place. Blaming users for Spyware on their computer is a bit like blaming someone with an email account for the existence of SPAM. | |
ChrisDAT
Google Keyword Compsysnyc
join:2002-02-26
Hollis, NY
|  I don't think anyone is blaming the end user -- I'm sure we all will agreee that the people who create this stuff with the intention of decieving the user, also do so to fool the advertising agency, google, dell, and anyone else who will accept their dollaz to test their sneaky warez.
It also seems like many of us don't think legislation is the answer -- I don't -- Privacy is the issue, I don't like to give anyone (or any tool) access to my private email, because in order to detect spam, the mail must be READ by the detector. I wouldn't want the post office to read my mail before sending it to me, anymore than I would want my ISP, or downstream mail server to do it.
Sometimes we get so frustrated, that we wanna bring a smart bomb to a fist fight -- Let the people who allow this to happen know, tell Dell that you won't buy their computer with that junk on it... but please, don't make a "federal case" out of it. | |
bigbearr
join:2003-11-16
Saint Louis, MO
| Oh yah, spyware doesnt exactly announce itself to you, except for the slow cpu speeds and pop-up ads, but not many people are educated on the source of this.
As an ISP tech support person, I get multiple calls a day on this issue. Alot of people blame the ISP, thinking that they do it.
The ironic part is, that, those of us whom had dial up before, and got an occasional pop-up, will now get alot of pop ups because of broadband. Not only that, but pop-ups will come up while doing things like writing in a word document.
I have had to educate many people on this fact and recommend that they look up spyware on the internet.
One person straight canceled his service because he did not believe me!
But all we can do, as an ISP, is educate and inform. Hopefully ISPs will not resort to this run-around game that DELL has proposed, althougth I wouldnt put it past them, as most ISPs have spyware on their install CDs (broadjump anyone?) | |
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