mvdu
Premium
join:2003-07-28
Collegeville, PA
| Is AWS Weatherbug spyware?
Now it's not in Spybot S&D's definitions, and Ad-aware took it out - but my Outpost log shows it scanned ports 1060, 1065, 1067, and 1068. ZAPro also has said it tried to connect to the internet - at least when I don't give Weatherbug full internet access. |
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John2g
Qui Tacet Consentit
Premium
join:2001-08-10
England | Read this thread: »Weatherbug?
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. |
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Randy Bell
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Santa Clara, CA
| reply to mvdu
Some consider WeatherBug to be spyware, but I don't. My wife's cousin had it on her computer when we visited recently, but I didn't say anything to her because I didn't think it serious or necessary to bother her about: she is a typical home user, not so security-savvy or concerned about such issues as we in the forum might be. Lots of folks like the WeatherBug service, which reports their local weather & forecast in realtime, showing the current temperature in the SysTray. JMHO .. HTH 
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"But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13:13) |
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Zupe
Premium,MVM
join:2001-11-29
New York, NY
clubs:
| reply to mvdu
I'm not sure what you mean by "it scanned ports 1060, 1065, 1067 and 1068"
The free version of Weatherbug is adware, meaning it displays ads, but from what I've seen, it's not really spyware. Here's their statement about this:
said by »ww3.weatherbug.com/aws/default.asp?cid=117:
WeatherBug is not Spyware
Spyware, as defined by CNET, generally refers to any technology that gathers personal information about your computer's configuration and your surfing/shopping habits - including information like Web sites you've visited, your IP address, your computer's host name. WeatherBug is incapable of tracking your overall web use or deciphering anything on your hard drive, etc. It is able to determine the last time that you have accessed your WeatherBug's "full-screen" display since each request for live weather data is tagged with your WeatherBug's registration number. If we didn't have this system in place, the weather data you requested may be diverted to another Bug user. Knowing how many active users WeatherBug has, is very important to us in gauging how many Server Computers and how much bandwidth we need to purchase to host WeatherBug so that we do not have any interruptions in service to you.
WeatherBug has no functionality to determine what you were doing/where you were surfing before you opened your WeatherBug program - or where you go after using the WeatherBug - or what your computer's configuration is. There are no "refers" sent to us. It simply sits there drawing the live weather data you asked of it, when you ask it. No more.
Additional information can be found by reading our Privacy Policy (»www.weatherbug.com/AWS/default.asp?cid=13). Should you have further questions, please email: privacy@weatherbug.com
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Brain: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky: I think so, Brain, but "Snowball for Windows"? |
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jp0469
JP
join:2000-12-13
Rochester, MA
| reply to mvdu
I've not seen any evidence of Weatherbug being spyware. I have heard of instances where a third party site was offering Weatherbug but it was bundled with Gator or some other junk. For this reason I always download WB updates directly from their site. Here is their statement regarding spyware: »ww3.weatherbug.com/aws/default.asp?cid=306
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Lather, rinse, repeat |
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Prairie Dog
Here's Looking At You Kid
Premium
join:2000-08-09
Langhorne, PA
 ·PHONE POWER
| reply to mvdu
This subject came up on a weatherboard, several months ago. He is the direct posted response from the customer support manager......This is Jay, I am the Manager of Customer Support at WeatherBug and I’m on this bulleting board to clear up the misconception that WeatherBug is “spyware”, because it is just not true.
The short answer is simply this; WeatherBug is not spyware. We do not track websurfing habits or 'spy' on our user base. WeatherBug is not capable of tracking your overall web use or deciphering anything on your hard drive, nor can it determine what you were doing before you opened your WeatherBug program or after you closed it. Any software program that is implying or reporting WeatherBug as 'spyware' is incorrect.
But I think you should also know a little bit more about us than just me saying, “we’re not spyware.”
We partner with about 100 NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox televisions stations to stream live data into the weather segment of their newscasts. Our partners include the predominant stations in the major markets including WRC( NBC4) in Washington, D.C., WNBC in New York, and KPIX (CBS 5) in San Francisco, to name a few.
We also supply 6,000 schools with a K-12 curriculum that utilizes the data collected by our weather monitoring stations. Our CEO, Bob Marshall, received the 2001 ComputerWorld Smithsonian Laureate for developing this curriculum. OurWeatherNet curriculum was also distinguished as the Education Technology of the Year by Media and Methods magazine (an education publication).
We would never do anything to compromise the reputation of our product with the either of these important client groups, let alone the tens of millions who have downloaded and use our program every day.
Any program that reports WeatherBug as spyware (or a data-miner) is simply wrong. Sometimes spyware detection companies make mistakes, and we have occasionally seen WeatherBug get listed. Once we contact the company and they investigate us, they realize we are not spyware and remove us.
Can you please tell me which software you used so we can contact them?
P.S. if it's Ad-Aware- you need to run an update b/c the newest version has corrected an earlier error and does not list us as a possible dataminer.
__________________
Jay
Customer Support Manager
WeatherBug |
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jp0469
JP
join:2000-12-13
Rochester, MA
| reply to mvdu
OK, I just noticed that there was a newer version of Weatherbug available so I did a download and upon installing I did see that there is an option to install the MySearch Bar. However, you are given the option to opt out which I did. After installing, I ran HijackThis and found no evidence of any naughties.
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Lather, rinse, repeat |
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mvdu
Premium
join:2003-07-28
Collegeville, PA | reply to mvdu
Thanks for your reponse, Jay - I don't know why Outpost firewall lists those ports as being scanned. I noticed it in the attack detection plugin. |
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Prairie Dog
Here's Looking At You Kid
Premium
join:2000-08-09
Langhorne, PA | just to clear it up, I am not jay. This is jay's post take from a weather board in regards to spy ware questions. I have used weatherbug for years, no problems. If it contained spy ware, it would be gone. Hope it helps |
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navalair
Navalair
Premium
join:2001-02-16
Arkansas City, KS
| reply to mvdu
I've never used Weatherbug, so I have no idea what it provides in the way of local or nation-wide weather, but my choice for current weather information and forecast weather has always been this NOAA site: »aviationweather.gov/
It is free, and, so far as I can tell, it never "calls home." One can click on "ADDS" and on the NWS map provided there to click on numerous locations throughout the U.S. to get current and forecast weather. Also, if one uses ICAO airport identifiers, any airports current winds, clouds levels, temps, etc. can be found. One can also do route planning for proposed flights and get radar (static and loop coverage) for any location. I could go on and on about all the various current and prog weather forecasts found here, but that would be drifting even further OT. Sorry for the lengthy post, but this site is free and all conclusive. Why pay some suspected spyware site for weather when your taxes pay for, and entitle you to, this government program?
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I saw the elephant. NAM Nov'65 - Jun'67. |
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mvdu
Premium
join:2003-07-28
Collegeville, PA | reply to mvdu
Thanks for the link - Weatherbug has a free version, though. |
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mrchris
We don't miss you Bush
Premium
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to mvdu
I have Weatherbug, and it's on my ignore list since it doesn't do any harm to my machine.
Very useful if I'm gonna go out to lunch or w/ friends.
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Play ET! |
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mew6977
We Never Shut Down.
Premium
join:2002-09-09
Louisville, KY
clubs: 
| We have Free Weatherbug on 3 Computers, Weatherbug Pro on 1. As Long as you DON`T put My Search Toolbar on with it, None of our adware, spyware programs say a word about it. Very Handy Program.. We would not be without it.. It hardly uses any resources, it will update the temp, etc every 10-15 minutes. And give you any alerts as the national weather service puts them out.
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Team Discovery.Team Helix.Seti@Home Club.Just My Thoughts . |
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anthrorules
Premium
join:2003-09-14
Rollinsville, CO
 ·Qwest.net
 ·IonSKY
| reply to mvdu
Weatherbug is not spyware as stated above....
I like it and have the licensed subscription version of Weatherbug installed on my computer, of all the Weather net services out there, Weatherbug is the best, IMO, in terms of features and also not being a resource hog, like others, including Weather.com's similar service.
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Earthlink/Direcway SRS - DW4000 | ver. 4.0.3.9 (DAK403_P14) | Proxy/Port 83 | G4R | 1250 | Dell Dimension 4550 - WinXP Pro SP1 - 256MG Ram | McAfee - VS 8.0.20 |PF 5.0.1.5 | PS 4.0.1.24 | Trojan Remover | SpyBot S&D | MailWasher Pro 3.2 |
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wmmc7
Premium
join:2001-12-13
Washougal, WA
| reply to jp0469
Spybot S&D
If the same thing spybot S&D sees my search as a Spybot.
If this is relevant. |
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