ComScore: Spyware or 'researchware'?

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I agree

I agree that anything that gets installed must request to be so, but unfortunately, the average computer user never reads occaissional dialog boxes, they just click on the "Yes" button. So in the case of most spyware, it just gets installed (take Kazaa, I would guess that 95% of all Kazaa users don't even know they they agreed to install additional software besides Kazaa).

That's why I suggest the requirement of constantly asking permission to log a transaction ... the first few times, the user will probably just say yes, but after the 3rd or 4th time, they will say "What does this say, and why does it keep popping up everytime I try to buy something".

The ONLY way to ensure that people know EXACTLY what is getting installed is to pull a trick from the OLD MS days of Win3.11 and DOS- Triple Yessing - the practice of asking permission, then saying "you said it was ok to install this - are you sure" and then again saying "You will be installing spyware are you REALLY sure" and just to make the point because as stated earlier, the average user just clicks on yes without reading, ask one last time in big bold flashing pink and green and yellow vibrating letters "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO MESS UP YOUR COMPUTER AND ALLOW EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD ACCESS TO YOUR BANKING INFORMATION"

The other thing to keep in mind is that most people surf with reckless abondonment ... I own a small computer company, and I spend a fair chunk of time cleaning spyware and virii off PC's and Laptops - and these people HAVE up to date protection - but if you just go to any site what-so-ever, you're going to catch something - it's like sexually transmitted diseases, if you're protected, and cautious about who you're with, chances are you'll be fine, but if you don't protect yourself, and sleep with anything that's warm, we'll be reading your name in the obituaries.

(I'm using 'you' and 'your' in a generic way, I'm not pointing fingers)

Just my humble (yet outspoken) opinion.

Ludo

Posted by: Ludovit   Posted on: 12/20/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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