Microsoft to buy Spyware Company

[munkle]

Rumours are abound that Microsoft are looking to acquire Claria, the annoying adware company, link (NYT registration needed).

MS are obviously looking to catch Google on ad revenues but going after a notorious spyware vendor seems an odd choice, even if they are more interested in the core technologies being offered.

Anyone else having nightmares of a Bonzi Ballmer swinging onto their desktop and doing a "developers, developers, developers" dance?!

 

[spacefreak4]

They are doing this to include a new feature on Longhorn, obviously. Pre-installed adware.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Hey, it's the new Clippy...

 

[munkle]

Aaah, but it's personalised pre-installed adware!

 

[snkTab]

Lets not forget integrated with the OS. It's bound to be lightning fast. Lets see them click those close boxes fast enough.

 

[stubeeef]

and with password memorization, and auto form filling, you don't even need to be near the computer to get stuff done.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I am confused about spyware. You have programs like Spybot or Adware that check and clean spyware. Then you have spyware that gets automatically installed on your Windows machine (the bad kind) and spys on you and slows that fast Pentium M down to a Celeron with all the overhead. Is this Spyware Company that Microsoft bought the good kind of Spyware or the bad kind?

 

[Bigheadache]

I am confused about spyware. You have programs like Spybot or Adware that check and clean spyware. Then you have spyware that gets automatically installed on your Windows machine (the bad kind) and spys on you and slows that fast Pentium M down to a Celeron with all the overhead. Is this Spyware Company that Microsoft bought the good kind of Spyware or the bad kind?

Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad-Aware are both brands of anti-spyware software. Adware is a generic term for spyware that is involved in advertising. Claria, which Microsoft are thinking about buying is involved in spyware... not anti-spyware.

 

[Lyle]

Is this Spyware Company that Microsoft bought the good kind of Spyware or the bad kind?

The bad kind. Claria is a company that specializes in "online behavioral marketing", which is another way of saying that they offer their clients ways to display targeted advertising in peoples' web browsers. Claria used to go by the name Gator, but changed their name a few years back because they'd gotten such a bad reputation for being the company behind various pop-up advertisements and spyware. Software like Spybot cleans up the garbage that Claria (and similar companies) leave behind.

 

[Abstract]

I bet you this will be so embedded into Windows that we won't be able to get rid of it.

 

[mcarnes]

Ah the sweaty hog developers dance. Shudder.

 

[michaelrjohnson]

Wow. Even I didn't think they'd go searching for new "features" at the bottom of the spyware pond...

Stooping to new lows, I see.

 

[Abstract]

Windows XP is already like spyware and a virus all in one.

 

[Inkmonkey]

Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad-Aware are both brands of anti-spyware software. Adware is a generic term for spyware that is involved in advertising. Claria, which Microsoft are thinking about buying is involved in spyware... not anti-spyware.

Then maybe Microsoft can sell you the anti-spyware software at an extra cost. Brilliant!

 

[OryHara]

it was only a matter of time before microsoft gave up and decided to just embrace spyware

 

[snkTab]

Claria used to go by the name Gator,

Aw hell no, GATOR MUST BURN!!!!!!

 

[dubbz]

Slashdot: Windows AntiSpyware Downgrades Claria Detections

Concidence? I think not.