Rumored Microsoft Adware Deal??

tdinc

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I was going to post this on the front page but due to its pending "Rumor" status.
I thought I would just keep it here in the board and would like to hear your opinion on this. tdinc:)

"Published reports that Microsoft is in discussions to purchase high-profile adware vendor Claria for as much as $500 million have set tongues wagging in the security sector, with analysts and vendors questioning the software giant's motives and whether the deal will actually occur.

Read the full story here


My take is if M$ does goes through with this, it will be a sad day.....
 
The first thing I thought when I read the news/rumor was...wtf?!
Then I saw this post and it made a little more sense.

Still, it would be a PR fiasco if MSFT went through with it. From what I understand, people within the company aren't too keen on this happening either. :ermm:
 
I don't care what the reason for M$ wanting to do it but I think its going make them even more unpopular
 
O.K. maybe they (MS) wants to get their hands on Gain. But also think, how much does it cost yearly to deal with Adware? Now what if MS bought out Claria and then just chucked the company and kept Gain. Maybe it's money well spent, they get rid of a huge Adware company (Claria) and they get Gain (which is the most advanced targeted advertising system on earth). Especially if they are to compete with Google.
 
So, what I'm wondering here...if MS gets Gain and integrates it into the next Windows release or something...a means to forceably remove it.

I don't like adware (including adware that comes bundled with the OS, that above all I would have payed a nice sum of money for the liscense). I wonder if products like Ad Aware or Spybot will be able to effect such things that could be provided OOB... Course we are talking rumor, so nothing might come of this
 
Even if they do integrate ads into any of their software, I highly doubt it'll be one of their paid products, including Windows. Even today, Windows Messenger that comes installed with the OS doesn't include any ads at all. MSN Messenger, on the other hand, which needs to be installed by the user and is available as a free download includes the little ad banner at the bottom of the contact list window like most other IM clients.

Gonaads makes a good point about how buying them out would help to wipe out a huge adware company, and that would be a great move, but it seems rather odd to essentially reward such a company with $500 million for that.
 
Well here we go again, Here is a Update to this story in which I believe to be a bit strange.

Benjamin Edelman who is Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Economics at Harvard University and a student at the Harvard Law School investigates methods and effects of spyware, with a focus on installation methods and revenue sources. In the course of this work, Ben has documented advertisers supporting spyware, as well as affiliate commission fraud......anyway on his website he unconvered some intresting clues. Microsoft's Anti-Spyware Beta now recommends that users "ignore" Claria. with the latest definitions. A very strange and unsettling find....:ermm: :suprised: you can read more by the link provided below

http://www.benedelman.org/news/063005-1.html
 
Ignore Claria...? Hmmmm, plot thickens.


Also @ NetRyder. If you think about it, MS buys Claria. That means they get all intellectual properties and any technologies that are in the works/development when the deal goes down. This is all speculation mind you. :D So they close up the company and they lock up all that Adware technology. MS gets Gain, woop tee do. Now the former owners of Claria are 500 million richer, but they can not use any of their former technology to start up shop again because MS now owns it. They have to start from scratch, with all new technology. Otherwise MS would eat them for breakfast in court.

Just a thought. Maybe just a wee bit far fetched. :nervous:
 
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Either way, if MS Antispy is currently ignoring claria's spyware with it's latest definitions, then the program is pretty much useless since it's not doing what the average user thinks it's supposed to be doing. Users infected with Gator and other such crap won't get much help until this is resolved (if they soley rely on MS Antispy).

I won't be recommending/installing this thing anymore (unless this issue is resolved somehow).
 
MS Anti-spyware isn't ignoring these programs, it has just changed the recommended action to 'ignore'. It has done this with various other spyware programs over recent months as these companies go through the MS vendor dispute process in place at MS. The software still detects the programs and still allows you to remove them.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
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Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
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