Thread: Cracking down on Spyware

  1. #1
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Cracking down on Spyware

    Anyone else think there should be some major changes in the legality and penalty for producing or being endorsed by spyware?

    I mean, it really doesn't seem that hard. Every time I get some spyware I get the same popups from the same companies offering the same scams. Shouldn't these companies get in some sort of trouble? What they do corrupts peoples computers, makes them lose important data... I personally think it's much worse of a problem than it's treated.

    I know you can't really govern what's on the internet because it's completely international, but I believe if it were pushed, there could be some sort of international act that penalizes these spyware developers.
    Sent from my iPadŽ

  2. #2
    Yes, my avatar is stolen anonytmouse's Avatar
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    Good luck with that. I've heard it worked for spam, child porn and pirated music. All have disappeared from the internet.

  3. #3
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Punishment is the only answer. I think all internet crimes should have their sentence carried out in one of those countries where any crime is settled with an equivocal number of lashes.
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  4. #4
    Yes, my avatar is stolen anonytmouse's Avatar
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    Do we really want every element of the internet regulated and legislated? Personally, I like the fact that you can say ........ on the internet. ........, it's already happened!

  5. #5
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    No, not every element. I think the internet should be a place with a lot of freedom. But a freedom o'so valuable to the internet experience is the freedom to refuse what you don't want. If people don't want to see the endless amount of porn, they should be able to avoid it. If people don't want to see advertisements, they should be able to avoid it. Nothing should be forced upon you.

    Imagine television... except imagine a television where the show didn't take breaks when the advertisements came on. They just happened... and when you change the channel, they make sure to send an ad with you because you're trying to avoid them and they know that.
    Sent from my iPadŽ

  6. #6
    Dump Truck Internet valis's Avatar
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    Just run as a normal user (as everyone should) and get a spyware murdering utility that doesn't suck like ad-aware. There would be no good way to stop it unless it was globally attacked.

  7. #7
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by valis
    Just run as a normal user (as everyone should) and get a spyware murdering utility that doesn't suck like ad-aware. There would be no good way to stop it unless it was globally attacked.
    Yeah, but isn't that kinda like saying, "You can't stop crazy people from throwing bricks in your windows, so just get some thick damage proof windows so they don't do as much damage." When things are a threat, the first priority to stop it is to keep it from happening not keep it from affecting you.
    Sent from my iPadŽ

  8. #8
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    Well it is at least a little safer for the time being, instead of waiting for the world to become a better place, and totally ignoring all the spyware murderers already around.

  9. #9
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    No, not every element. I think the internet should be a place with a lot of freedom.
    I agree. I ad-blocked your avatar because that stupid dancing milk jug really gets to me after a while.
    Last edited by joeprogrammer; 05-05-2006 at 10:28 AM.

  10. #10
    Ethernal Noob
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    Quote Originally Posted by SlyMaelstrom
    "You can't stop crazy people from throwing bricks in your windows, so just get some thick damage proof windows so they don't do as much damage."

    ...as my father used to say.

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    the Great ElastoManiac's Avatar
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    We are all evoluting : from monkeys we turned into humans, decades later we'll become advertisment free creatures.
    I hate this advertisment monopoly...
    I'm willing to start a war to prevent it, anyone with me ?
    lu lu lu I've got some apples lu lu lu You've got some too lu lu lu Let's make some applesauce Take off our clothes and lu lu lu

  12. #12
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ElastoManiac
    We are all evoluting : from monkeys we turned into humans, decades later we'll become advertisment free creatures.
    I hate this advertisment monopoly...
    I'm willing to start a war to prevent it, anyone with me ?
    Ads suck... let's kill a human.
    Sent from my iPadŽ

  13. #13
    the Great ElastoManiac's Avatar
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    Everyone is a victim of ads. Even the ones who make them.
    So if we could just explain to everyone that they are bad, maybe the world will become add free.
    And if it doesn't we might kill a human!
    lu lu lu I've got some apples lu lu lu You've got some too lu lu lu Let's make some applesauce Take off our clothes and lu lu lu

  14. #14
    C maniac
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    I hate non-text ads myself. Text ads are fine.

    [edit]
    I also hate spyware. Thats why I use Linux. :P
    [/edit]

  15. #15
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Ads, I don't mind.

    If a website needs ads to help pay for their web hosting and they make the user fully aware that they're on the site, then I have no problem. Cprograming.com has ads on their site and they don't bother me. I just don't like getting software on my computer that harm it and interfere with its use.

    All they have to do is up the penalty. If it wasn't worth it, people wouldn't do it. I mean, we know who they are. They're on the ads. If a spyware displayed a Pepsi ad and Pepsi was truly paying the spyware software to place that ad, then Pepsi should be fined greatly.
    Sent from my iPadŽ

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