 moo2
join:2003-02-14 | Well... Time to switch to Linux I guess... | |
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 | 
lkicck
| Re: Well... Perhaps M$ will adopt the position that if they can't keep this stuff from being installed on the windows Operating system, then just buying the companies and getting rid of the software is the next best thing? | |
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a
@qwest.net | cool, obviously ms will be able to turn them into something useful instead of a pain. | |
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linicx
Caveat Emptor
Premium
join:2002-12-03
United State | I'm with you, I'll wait and see. Most of Gates ideas that were called dumb by experts were catastrophic by proportion. Rewriting IE is one example. It opened users to a 10K percent increase in SPAM, in the last say 7-8 years. | |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY | Re: Well... How does rewriting IE open users to spam? To spyware, perhaps (via ActiveX installers), but spam? | |
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linicx
Caveat Emptor
Premium
join:2002-12-03
United State
 ·CenturyTel Inc.
| X???? Well, let's see.,, Hmmm, There was an internet long before Active X. Heck there was even an Internet and good software before Microsoft. Then SPAM was minimal -- maybe one piece per every six months, and developers actually wrote clean code. When IE was released it was purely awful and it had a lot of competition from browsers that didn't crash every keystroke. The second and third releases weren't any better and Netscape steadily gained in popularity.
About that time I got really interested in Unix and security, and paid little attention to MS until the security experts started talking about the problems VBS was going to cause if it was released in the same form as the Beta, and it did. And the same experts warned about rewriting IE in VBS citing the ease of finding and/or writing poison scripts and other potential problems it would cause.. And it came to pass the experts were right just as they were with the release of XP.
Now before we start the trolling let me say one more thing - just to clarify my position. I don't' like MS operating systems. I didn't like MS DOS, I didn't like the first version of Windows, and I don't like the current version, Maybe Longhorn will be better, I hope so. I built PCs for a number of years because I always hoped Bill Gates would get a clue. He didn't because he didn't want one. He still doesn't, but the difference is today he can do it from behind the doors of his $30b empire. He became a millionaire while he sold snake oil. And I finally had enough micro-managing of Windows to last a life time. I reached a point where it was taking more hours per day to keep Windows running properly than it did to take care of a two year old. I haven't owned a PC for a couple of years. Last year I gave a PC nut five complete, running PCs - the smallest of which was a nine bay, six drive, tower.
We can throw sand at each other all you like but the facts won't change. Bill gates was warned about the spam and viruses and he released the re-written IE anyway. And we, his adoring public got exactly what we were promised.
Go find someone who was on the internet before ICANN. and when the original U of I Mozilla browser was popular, and ask what the time line was. | |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY
| Re: Well... Actually, I've been on the Internet since about 1993. I was there before the first Mozilla browser was released when Gopher was the hottest thing around. I've seen quite a lot of the development of things online. Spam was minimal back then because simply there were very few people online then. As the Internet became more popular and more and more people went online, the spammers found they could make money sending more and more spam e-mails. This has nothing to do with IE, however.
VBScript doesn't let you find out a person's e-mail address. Spammers find that out by various methods (e.g. spiders that cruise the web in search of e-mail addresses or generating possible e-mail addresses by using common names and service providers). None of these methods involves VBScript, JavaScript, or cookies. Bill Gates isn't to blame for the current level of spam. Spammers and the people who purchase from spam are to blame.
Internet Explorer has it's share of problems (some might say more than it's share). For the longest time, it's ActiveX default settings left users vulnerable to spyware infections. It's CSS support is ancient by Internet standards. It doesn't support recent innovations such as tabbed browsing natively. But spam e-mails aren't something that you can pin on Internet Explorer.
Oh, and just a question. What do you mean by the following statement?
said by linicx  :And the same experts warned about rewriting IE in VBS citing the ease of finding and/or writing poison scripts and other potential problems it would cause.. Is it just your phrasing or are you actually suggesting that Internet Explorer is itself written in VBScript? If it's the latter then you're sadly mistaken.
--
-Jason Levine
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/
http://www.PCQandA.com/
http://www.urateit.com/ | |
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| | gh4456
Premium,VIP
join:2004-04-07
Beverly Hills, CA
1 edit | Apparently he had one good idea that any of us wouldn't have mind having (regardless if it was original or not)
I wouldn't mind the $30 billion +
~DSL Tech | |
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| lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL
| I agree, especially after reading the article.
When you peel off the altruistic reasons for this acquisition you are left with the inescapable truth. Those that want this want it because the company will "benefit from the anticipated increase in personalized advertising."
My guess is that they will embed this crap into all their supported software and there will be no getting away from unwanted advertising or unwanted snooping. | |
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Portmonkey
scurvy
Premium
join:2004-04-09
Southern IL | Agreed, or anything that's not MS. Likely the straw which breaks the camels back that will send some, hopefully many looking for alternatives to Microsoft products.  | |
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redxii
too big to fail
Premium,Mod
join:2001-02-26
Austin, TX
Host:
/dev/null
Broadband Tweaks
ISDN
Fiber Optic
AOL Broadband
3 edits | Re: Well... said by Portmonkey :Agreed, or anything that's not MS. Likely the straw which breaks the camels back that will send some, hopefully many looking for alternatives to Microsoft products. When it comes to Microsoft, why do we always assume the outcome of something (the worst one)? Either read the article if you haven't, or find something else to do, or better yet go register on Slashdot.
Linux still has a lot of shortcomings. For years to come I wouldn't touch anything that's touched it.
Asinine statements like "Oh better get Linux then" DO NOT contribute anything...
I'll leave the judging to after I get the facts, NOT ASSUMING.
--
"If you like linux then use it otherwise stop preaching about linux we all already know about it and if we like it we'll use it. If you keep pestering people you look like those annoying Jehovah's witnesses... [..] with nothing better to do." | |
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Portmonkey
scurvy
Premium
join:2004-04-09
Southern IL
| Re: Well... I said what I did because I like Microsoft and out fear of the potential it could someday become something I don't like. The last thing I want to do is go to Linux or any other OS other than Microsoft. I've always felt that when it looks like something bad is about to possibly happen to something you like or love then stand up and at least voice your opinion against it. If enough people cry out together then perhaps it will reach the ears of the powers that be and will never happen.
--
I have seen the shadow of the creature I have always feared in the dark. By the light of a candle as I paced restlessly through the night calling my lost love it stretched before my path and the shadow twas mine. | |
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| | | Spudge_Boy
join:2004-09-17
Orange, CA
| "When it comes to Microsoft, why do we always assume the outcome of something (the worst one)?"
Because it always is the worst one that is why. The people bitching here are bitching for good reason. They have history with Microsoft and their products. That is why. | |
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| | | itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA
| quote:
Linux still has a lot of shortcomings. For years to come I wouldn't touch anything that's touched it.
There's always OSX from www.apple.com. Easier to use than Linux, has the lowest TCO of all OS's and hardware platforms, and Just Works.
I made the switch 3 years ago and laugh at the BS I have to do to keep Windows working. But that's my job and it puts a roof over my head, a car in my driveway, and a Mac on my desk! 
If any other product were as defective as Windows, it would be long dead. Yet people keep on buying it....
Seriously, though there are options other than Windows - Macs and Linux are very close. | |
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evermoresg
join:2001-08-02
Miami, FL | Possibly good? I say this is a good idea. MS buys Claria, owns the IP, then sues all the adware vendors for patent infringement. *POOF* Eliminated the current forms of spyware.
--
"I wish I wish I hadn't killed that fish."-Homer S. | |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Possibly bad? Also consider the flip side: Microsoft "integrates" adware into Longhorn to the extent it can't be easily removed (see ref: IE) so we now have adware permanently put into our OS.
I can just see Clippy now:
"I see you are trying to write a resume. Would you like help? Visit CareerBuilder.com for all job-hunting resources. Office Depot has a wide variety or designer papers to give your resume that extra bite. Visit ePostage.com for customized postage instantly available on your home PC." --
"What gives them the right to come in and do this?" she said. - Lady complaining that she was getting FIOS in her backyard. | |
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| | 
inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK | Re: Possibly bad? ugh.....oh man....ugh. | |
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footballdude
join:2002-08-13
Imperial, MO
| said by cdru :I can just see Clippy now: "I see you are trying to write a resume. Would you like help? Visit CareerBuilder.com for all job-hunting resources. Office Depot has a wide variety or designer papers to give your resume that extra bite. Visit ePostage.com for customized postage instantly available on your home PC." Man, that sounds like a MLB broadcast!
"We're here in the top of the 3rd, and if the top of your house is hurting, call Frederick Roofing. For a hole in your roof or a whole new roof. The pitcher takes the mound, and if a mound of termites is causing you problems, call the Orkin man. We know bugs. Here's the pitch, a little outside for a ball. If you'd like perfect pitch, call Martina's voice studio now and you could become the next American Idol! The batter takes another ball low, but not as low as the rates at Equity Mortgage!" Etc, Etc.
Advertising has crept into all forms of entertainment. If MS sells out, there will be no refuge. | |
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| | | bassnguitar
join:2003-09-11
Imperial, MO
clubs: | Re: Possibly bad? You forgot the frosty ice cold Busch Beer!!!  | |
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footballdude
join:2002-08-13
Imperial, MO
| Re: Possibly bad? said by bassnguitar :You forgot the frosty ice cold Busch Beer!!! Seeing as how the Cards play in Busch stadium and the organ plays the Budweiser song every time someone gets a hit, it kind of goes without saying. | |
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Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1
clubs: | lol | |
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BetaTron
Sinz
Premium
join:2002-08-18
Brooklyn, NY | $$ Is MicroSoft running out of ways to spend it's money? | |
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| neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA | Re: $$ If they are running out of ways to spend money then they should talk to me. I work for a Non-Profit in need of money. | |
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| | rgillis70
Premium
join:2002-12-30
Herndon, VA | Re: $$ I too work fo a non-profit. But we are not in need of money.
However I am in need of money.
Send it my way - Bill - I can handle it. | |
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Nightshade
sic semper tyrannis
Premium
join:2002-05-26
Salem, OR
| Re: $$ Say Bill can I have a million bucks? I am sure it's nothing more than just pocket change for you so it's not like you'll miss it. Help me out here man.
--
Just say "no" to bad code | |
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russotto
join:2000-10-05
Collegeville, PA | If MS really wants to help its image... They could buy them and shut them down. | |
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footballdude
join:2002-08-13
Imperial, MO
| Re: If MS really wants to help its image... said by russotto :They could buy them and shut them down. Can't see how that would help. No shortage of spyware creeps out there. Either MS is selling out to spyware or it's buying the company to learn all of the ropes so that it can fight it more effectively. It would be cheaper to just hire an ex-employee of Claria, though. | |
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Nightshade
sic semper tyrannis
Premium
join:2002-05-26
Salem, OR | Re: If MS really wants to help its image... True, but we are talking about MS here. Where things done as inefficient and expensive as possible and we are the ones paying for it cause well, they can for the most part get away with it.
--
Just say "no" to bad code | |
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| the niTz
Premium
join:2004-07-05
Sahuarita, AZ | but then others will pop up cause they think they will make money off of ms, it will end up worse then before | |
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GercekSeytan
Premium
join:2001-10-19
RoT
·TTNet
| I've No Idea What... ...Claria's personalization software is or means, but I think it is definitely a bad move from a PR stance and it does qualify as one those things that cause me to go "hmmm" and look over my shoulder (virtually speaking, of course). 
--
"It is the black heart of Islam, not the black face, to which millions object." Will Cummins: »www.sport.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.. | |
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Primis1
join:2005-06-13
Coldwater, MI
| Sky's Not Falling.... Yet Don't everyone jump to conclusions about this.
For one thing, MS obviously knows (and knew) even thinking about this would be controversial. So they'd have to have a pretty good plan or reasoning (at least to them) to even have it get this far.
Secondly, if it's true I can't believe MS would want Claira just to use them in quite the same way. It's quite possible MS wants to use their tracking technology in some other way (something totally off-the-wall even that we haven't thoguht of but someone there has), and it'd be easier for them to buy Claria and modify from there on instead of starting their own from scratch. In which case... if it can potentially make a splash I wouldn't blame them for taking the PR hit for even considering it.
That's my thought -- they maybe don't want to track for advertising purposes, and they don't want to use it to fight spy/ad-ware. They want its tech to use for something completely different. | |
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| paperghost
join:2005-04-13
1 edit | Re: Sky's Not Falling.... Yet June 1st:
"In a surprising move, Sean Sundwall, Senior Corporate PR Manager at Microsoft, is taking the job of Director of Corporate Communications at 180Solutions/Zango.com."
Conspiracy! Conspira...
/ bang | |
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Nightshade
sic semper tyrannis
Premium
join:2002-05-26
Salem, OR
| That makes much more sense based on MS's history and practice of buying out software companies.
All MS cares about is how they can use the technology of the software itself, rather than what the software does. MS acquiring GIANT software is a great example.
--
Just say "no" to bad code | |
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techteam9
join:2005-06-17
Meadville, PA | M$ - Silly! I might as well just turn off my Internet connection now...
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garagerock
Premium
join:2002-06-14
Louisville, KY | CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet "buy em out, boys".... | |
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| Damon85
Premium
join:2004-12-25
Louisville, KY | Re: CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet I like the sounds of that... | |
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koitsu
Premium
join:2002-07-16
Mountain View, CA | Wow... I'm amazed. Incredible... | |
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jDaniel7
join:2005-06-30
m2p0e1
| Buying them out is rewarding them If MS is buying out Claria to shut them down then this is a terrible idea. The original investors and VCs responsible for building Claria need to be tought a lesson - don't sneak software onto people's computers to spy on them - not rewarded for having gotten away with it for so long. Buying them out means payday for all the guys who built Claria and provides an incentive for future spyware vendors follow their business model.
In any case I don't believe this 'buying out to shut down' theory - Claria profits $40 mil a year, making it's company worth probably at least half a billion dollars - no matter how much money Bill has he's not going to flush half a billion dollars down the toilet in some misguided attempt to clean up the internet.
Don't do it Bill. | |
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Combat Chuck
Too Many Cannibals
Premium
join:2001-11-29
Erie, PA | Just a thought Could it be MS is thinking of offering, say, an ad supported versions of their software or trying to revive the market for free (ad supported) internet access.
--
Beagles really should come in convienent 10 packs. | |
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| Nighttime
join:2001-11-30 | Re: Just a thought MS is already anoying enough! | |
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Titus Pullo
I came, I saw, I slept
join:2004-06-26
·Embarq
| said by Combat Chuck :Could it be MS is thinking of offering, say, an ad supported versions of their software or trying to revive the market for free (ad supported) internet access. Yes, I totally agree: MS's motivation for any business decision is always customer based.
--
"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on."- George W. Bush | |
|
Toilet Mouth
| Straight from the Sewer Ok... so here's the unoffical answer...
I got it after having to flush the toilet twice.
M$ is going to purchase Claria and as many other adware programs as possible.
Then during the registration / activation process, if you wind up being a pain in the tail feathers for M$ support, they send a small sequence of enablers to your system which turns all this crap on.
Theory: Since you'll be so busy tring to figure out:
• where all this junk came from
• why your dual processor has just ground to a halt
• how to fix it
• who you can complain to
you won't have any time to pester M$ any more | |
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jazzy112
join:2003-12-05
Fargo, ND
| It's all about money.... They will buy claria and put all of the combined resources towards making a product that will infect non MS-Users. I say good luck, but if they are going to be retarded enough to put this crap in their own products.....may they burn in hell. Well they are a big corporation...and therefore support republican idealogy... so they could be that close minded. | |
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devicenull
Premium
join:2002-12-01
Clifton, NJ | Bad move If this does happen, I think its seriously time for me to install linux. The last thing I want is a bunch of spyware integrated into the next "Critical Update" | |
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Toilet Mouth
| Re: Bad move Buzzzz.... Opps.. too late.. u know that big critical update you installed 2 days ago???? Opps.... | |
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Nightshade
sic semper tyrannis
Premium
join:2002-05-26
Salem, OR | Or worse yet, being intergrated into ActiveX.
--
Just say "no" to bad code | |
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abbyn
@capgroup.com | Why do they want it? "They want its tech to use for something completely different."
And THAT is exactly what would worry me, had I not switched to OSX. | |
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Defcon888
Premium
join:2003-07-22
San Bruno, CA | *Blinks* *Blinks Retardedly* | |
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Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1
clubs: | GET firefox after installing firefox i get only
"spyware" cookies | |
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| jsouth
Jsouth
join:2000-12-12
Wichita, KS | Re: GET firefox For now. | |
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compton
join:2002-02-08
Brooklyn, NY
1 edit | it looks It seems that Claria has technology that Microsoft want. Most likely MS wants to challenge Google. Maybe MS wants to embed personalize ads in IE. MS could then control most web based advertising. Another reason to use Firefox. | |
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| 
Dude111
An Awesome Dude
Premium
join:2003-08-04
USA | Re: it looks Or to have an older version of IE that MS cant touch!! | |
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Zyniker
Zyniker
Premium
join:2004-12-25
San Pedro, CA
| ... Are all the anit-Microsoft, anti-IE, anti-Gates, mouth-breathing, hunch-backed, Firefox, Linux, et cetera fanboys starting to annoy anyone else?
Do the lot of you realize how retarded you sound? All you do is complain constantly. How about you stop whining for a minute or two and actually think before you post? We don't need to hear you attempt to bash Microsoft et al simply because you have decided (for what reason God alone knows) that there are better alternatives to whatever it is you are bashing at the moment.
The point of these fora is not to house the comments of blithering idiots; stop whining and post something useful or crawl back into your hole.
--
Join the Theuth.com Distributed Computing Team!»distributed.theuth.com/deep_thought.htm | |
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redxii
too big to fail
Premium,Mod
join:2001-02-26
Austin, TX
Host:
/dev/null
Broadband Tweaks
ISDN
Fiber Optic
AOL Broadband
| Re: ... said by Zyniker :The point of these fora is not to house the comments of blithering idiots; stop whining and post something useful or crawl back into your hole. That's what I said earlier. Slashdot is a horrible place to be and I don't want BBR turning into a Slashdot clone  :(
--
"If you like linux then use it otherwise stop preaching about linux we all already know about it and if we like it we'll use it. If you keep pestering people you look like those annoying Jehovah's witnesses... [..] with nothing better to do." | |
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RDins
@comcast.net | Could be good Heck just buying them to stop the methods they were doing would be a huge stopper to spyware..... | |
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| 
brooklynman4
join:2004-09-07
Brooklyn, NY | Re: Could be good He dsent know what to do with his money he been around the world with it already so thats like a dollar for him lol he just spended. | |
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| 
Packeteers
Premium
join:2005-06-18
Forest Hills, NY | Clearly MicroSoft AntiSpyware (from GIANT)
will be the joke of the industry if
MicroSoft ends up buying a Crapware vendor. | |
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Microsoft to Buy Gator/Claria?
