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Adware - Is It Safe?
What is Adware?
Adware is a software program that you install on your computer that displays advertisements while the program is running, either as a banner within the program or as a popup. This can be a good thing. It helps keep the program free or low-cost for the end user.
If the program displays random advertisements without gathering information about your online activities, then it's considered safe or ethical. You'll see the same advertisements that every user of the program is seeing. And the program isn't gathering information about your surfing.
Why Should You Have to Put up With Ads?
I don't have a problem with advertisements on the Internet or even ads within free or low cost programs. This, in my opinion, is no different than an ad on television or in a newspaper. It's what keeps these things low cost and keeps businesses in business.
Advertising has a purpose. It tells us about a company's product. I can think of a lot of great products I've bought that I would've never even known about if it wasn't for advertising.
I do have issues with some tactics that are used. For instance, adware programs that bury deep within their EULA statement (End User License Agreement) the fact that they collect information about what you're doing while you're online.
Most computer users don't read the EULA, especially if it's long and full of legalese. We should read them, but the fact is, we usually don't. Or we quickly scan them until our eyes glaze over.
The advertisers may have what they consider valid reasons for gathering information about your surfing activities. Usually it's stated that they want to display ads in which the user would most likely have an interest.
From an advertisers point of view, that's probably a pretty good idea. But that should be your decision whether you want them to profile you or not.
When They Cross The Line.
There are also adware programs (or more specifically, the code written into them) that gather more than just information about your surfing habits. They can send your IP address, computer name, and information from web forms you've submitted to their servers and this crosses the line to actual spyware.
Strictly speaking, spyware is a program that does this "phone home" activity without your knowledge. And
when an ad supported program crosses this line, it's spyware.
It shouldn't matter if they tell you in section 12, subparagraph 15, item 1.5a of their EULA or not...it's still spyware when they do this. Put it up front in the license agreement. Let the user know what they're installing.
Is There Any Such Thing as a Good Adware Program?
One comes to mind as I write this...Eudora email client. According to their claims (and I have no reason to doubt them), their program doesn't spy on you.
When you install Eudora, you fill out a user profile that you can modify whenever you want. This profile (minus any personal information) is used to serve advertisements from Qualcomm servers. Qualcomm is the maker of Eudora.
Should You Use Ad Supported Programs?
I'm not anti-adware. I've used these programs in the past, and I'll probably use them again, but I want them to tell me what information they're gathering, why they're gathering it, and where they're sending it.
Be up front with it. Make it easy to understand. Most users aren't lawyers. Like I said, I understand advertising and I support advertising...ethical advertising.
After researching the company, I may decide to trust them and install their program. That way, I get a good program for free and they get their advertising revenue...it can be a win/win situation.
What can you do to protect yourself?
Educate yourself. Know what you're installing and using on your computer. Read the EULA.
Visit websites like PCPitstop.com and check out their Spyware Information Center to learn about spyware and adware. Run their free online scans to keep your computer safe.
Also visit websites like Safer-Networking.org or Lavasoft.com. Read their articles and forums. Install Spybot Search & Destroy and AdAware, which you can get for free from those websites.
And, as you'll see me write over and over, back up your computer regularly.
About the Author
Article courtesy of: Dennis Welch Computer Help Guide - Tutorials, Tips, Freeware Reviews Computer Help Guide provides comprehensive guides, tutorials and tips to help you manage and maintain your personal computer.
Copyright 2005 Computer-Help-Guide.com, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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Tucows Downloads - Download Freeware and Shareware Software |
Download freeware, shareware, and demos. Maintains over 45000 software titles that are tested, rated, reviewed and ready to download. |
www.tucows.com |
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Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com |
Download shareware, freeware and Demo software for PC, Mac, Linux, and Handhelds categorized into categories, plus software reviews. |
www.download.com |
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Computer software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
This includes application software such as a word processor, which enables a ... Application software is often purchased separately from computer hardware. ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Shareware.com - Search for shareware programs and free software ... |
Search for shareware programs from more than a dozen downloadable software directories. |
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Jumbo: Free & Shareware MP3 files, Games, Screen Savers & Computer ... |
Source of free and shareware computer programs and utilities for PC and Mac. Evaluate software and read product reviews. Download games and screen savers. |
www.jumbo.com |
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Computer Software in the Yahoo! Directory |
Browse categories featuring sites devoted to computer software, including shareware and freeware download sites, operating systems, desktop customization, ... |
dir.yahoo.com |
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IEEE Software |
IEEE Computer Society's magazine covering all aspects of software, including software engineering. |
www.computer.org |
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Free Downloads on ZDNet | Shareware, Trialware, Evaluation Software |
ZDNet's Software Directory is the Web's largest library of software downloads. Covering software for Windows, Mac, and Mobile systems, ZDNet's Software ... |
downloads.zdnet.com |
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FSF - The Free Software Foundation |
Free software is a matter of liberty not price. Think of "free" as in "free speech". |
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Apple - Software |
Software products for your digital life. ... The perfect addition for professional review. QuickTime Broadcaster. Encoding software for live events. ... |
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Open Directory - Computers: Software |
In Partnership with AOL Search. about dmoz | report abuse/spam | help. the entire directory, only in Computers/Software. Top: Computers: Software (38471) ... |
dmoz.org |
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freshmeat.net: Welcome to freshmeat.net |
About: The Web browser is probably the most frequently used software today, ... Web professionals can use the software for functional testing and regression ... |
freshmeat.net |
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Software - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF) |
Listing of the GNU software packages. |
www.gnu.org |
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Sun Software |
Get enterprise-class software--Solaris 10 OS, the Java Enterprise System, ... Sun Java StorageTek Software reduces cost and complexity with a single, ... |
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Internet Real Estate.com -- owns and operates a portfolio of the ... |
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Joel on Software |
A weblog by Joel Spolsky, a programmer working in New York City, about software and software companies. |
www.joelonsoftware.com |
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Amazon.com Software: Computer & video games, business, accounting ... |
Online shopping for computer & video games, business & office productivity software, software from Microsoft, Apple, Adobe & more; accounting, antivirus, ... |
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IBM Software - Home Page |
IBM home page for all of its software products, including Lotus and Tivoli, with keyword search, category browse and AZ product names. |
www.ibm.com |
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Opera web browser: Homepage |
Copyright © 2006 Opera Software ASA. All rights reserved. Skip navigation. Opera Software ... Copyright Opera Software ASA . All rights reserved. ... |
www.opera.com |
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Google Directory - Computers > Software |
Search only in Software Search the Web ... Software Categorized by Letter: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ... |
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