Topic 'Nice idea but needs work' in forum '' - dslreports.com http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Nice-idea-but-needs-work-9583697 en Thu, 24 Mar 2022 11:52:11 EDT Thu, 24 Mar 2022 11:52:11 EDT Re: Nice idea but needs work http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Nice-idea-but-needs-work-9594816 said by Skippy25:
I'm no rocket scientist, but if the first offense is commited and the sentence is carried out accordingly, how can you have a future offense? Further more if by some magical way you did, how could the penalties actually be more harsh then death?


Well there is no HUMOR tag in HTML, so I had to make do with STRIKE....]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Nice-idea-but-needs-work-9594816 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 23:11:07 EDT Re: Nice idea but needs work http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Nice-idea-but-needs-work-9588150
Ideally, there would be a mandatory death penalty on the first offense for the executives of the companies whom distribute such software. Future offenses could carry even harsher penalties.


I'm no rocket scientist, but if the first offense is commited and the sentence is carried out accordingly, how can you have a future offense? Further more if by some magical way you did, how could the penalties actually be more harsh then death?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-Nice-idea-but-needs-work-9588150 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 10:43:53 EDT Nice idea but needs work http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Nice-idea-but-needs-work-9583697
For one, i really hate hate the term "spyware" when applied to most of these programs (as many of them do no spying). "Predatory software" better describers this class of malware - maybe even "Trojan horse" as they say they do one thing, (and may actually do it) but they also have "side effects" - popups, redirects, etc. This is like giving away candy to children tainted with a new experimental drug your testing (of course, you made them sign a 50-page document in 2-point type explaining what was in the stuff, right?).

Full disclosure is not enough, because the person on the end has no clue what it means. The end user has no clue, and is unlikely to get one however much you try (if you don't believe me, get a job at your local ISP helpdesk). The people that make this software - and those whom bundle it - are predators of the ignorant, because if they DID understand what this "shiny piece of software" did, they wouldn't install it. Of course, some users DO find out - usually after their machine has been trashed - and of course, there (usually) is either no uninstaller, it doesn't work, of course have to download off their website (after your winsock has been trashed, of course) - and unless you know how to apply an Winsock Rip or has a utility like LSPFix, time to grab that restore CD. Naturally the end user has no backups, or any clue what they are, much less how to do it.

I'd love to be able to help those who's computer have been fouled up such "spy/scum/parasite/preditorware" - and send the bill to the company who wrote the thing. (Usually my alarm goes off shortly after the idea).

The tough part will be defining on constitutes "predatory software" - lest we wind up with DMCA-like act (or worse); ;something with more perforations that the (You) Can Spam Act; or something that make distributors of badly written but legit software (like Windows!) have legit fears of getting sued-enjoined.. If a good definition can be found, the predators who distribute that software should be open to lawsuits, damages and injunctions to the people whom are victimized by their software, with punitive and treble damages for deliberate malicious activity (like some of the versions of CWS that go out their way to ensure "removal" of the program will render you machine unbootable, or automatically close and redirect all resources for removing them). Ideally, there would be a mandatory death penalty on the first offense for the executives of the companies whom distribute such software. Future offenses could carry even harsher penalties.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Nice-idea-but-needs-work-9583697 Thu, 04 Mar 2004 21:44:21 EDT