Not all spyware removers are good...

[Bungleau]

From Mark Russinovich's BLOG... Mark's the guy who identified the Sony rootkit in certain audio CDs.

The Antispyware Conspiracy Since the release of the first antivirus products many people have believed in a conspiracy theory where antivirus companies generate their own market by paying virus writers to develop and release viruses. I don’t subscribe to that theory and trust the major security vendors, but recent trends show that there’s a fuzzy line between second-tier antispyware vendors and the malware they clean. The most innocuous of malware-like antimalware behaviors is to advertise with web site banners and popups that mislead average users into thinking that they have a malware problem. Most of the advertisements look like Windows error dialogs complete with Yes and No buttons, and although the word “advertisement” sometimes appears on the dialog background, the notice is usually small, faded and far from the area where users focus their attention. Even more unlike Windows dialogs, however, is the fact that clicking anywhere on the image, even the part that looks like a No button, results in the browser following the underlying link to the target page. Here’s an example I ran across recently on a popular web site... Read the rest here...

I found it interesting, but I really liked this comment further on down...

I believe that the people who have given the world such programming gems as SpyAxe and SystemWarning should be treated with compassion when they are finally brought to justice. My definition of "compassion" includes the following: * Burial in sand, honey, and plenty of fire ants. * Hanging by thumbs. * Hot coals, pokers, and the removal of fingernails. * Electrical stimulus of the genitals. * A bath of beef broth in the presence of some very hungry pit bulls. * Bullets, but only to graze and maim. Survivors should be prosecuted, tortured, and jailed with a number of hardened criminals who are told they are pedophiles. Upon release from prison, they should treated to the following < g >: * Visits by a number of insurance salesmen who are members of a religous cult. * A savings of 15% on their car insurance. * A free Lexmark printer. * Permanent assignment of AT&T as their long distance carrier. * Hemorroids * Calls from politicians and pollsters, who are exempted by law from the "Do Not Call" list. If they can survive all of that they should be punished severely. Thanks for a terrific blog!

I'm glad that guy has never been my DM...

[johnny]

He has a good point though.

[Bungleau]

I didn't say I disgreed... just that I don't want him as my DM...

[Luvian]

Yeah, my mother has an "anti spyware" program on her computer, it was almost inpossible to remove, and it always suggested getting rid of stuff that was clean.

Other "anti spyware" programs are malware. You know, they trick new users into installing them from those IE install popup, and things like that. One in particullar I've seen install ads on your computer, and then give you warninr messages saying you got ads, and send you to their "anti spyware" program website, they can get rid of the problem, you just have to buy their program...

[Albromor]

Luvian, I hear you loud and clear. I keep warning people about so-called "Freeware" and the hidden spyware of their own. I speak from painful experience -- twice. One buried itself so deep in my registry it was a bane for over a month. Can you say "reformat"? I learned my lesson. I don't care what anyone says, I *buy* name brand firewalls, anti-virus, spyware detectors/removers, as well as having a router.

[Sir Degrader]

[quote]Originally posted by Bungleau:

[qb]I believe that the people who have given the world such programming gems as SpyAxe and SystemWarning should be treated with compassion when they are finally brought to justice. My definition of "compassion" includes the following: * Burial in sand, honey, and plenty of fire ants. * Hanging by thumbs. * Hot coals, pokers, and the removal of fingernails. * Electrical stimulus of the genitals. * A bath of beef broth in the presence of some very hungry pit bulls. * Bullets, but only to graze and maim. Survivors should be prosecuted, tortured, and jailed with a number of hardened criminals who are told they are pedophiles. Upon release from prison, they should treated to the following < g >: * Visits by a number of insurance salesmen who are members of a religous cult. * A savings of 15% on their car insurance. * A free Lexmark printer. * Permanent assignment of AT&T as their long distance carrier. * Hemorroids * Calls from politicians and pollsters, who are exempted by law from the "Do Not Call" list.

Grow the hell up. I wouldn't perscribe this for a murderer, much less some poor dumb bastard out in ass crack nowhere who types code for a living.