RSSMicrosoft Denies Claria Favoritism
By Ed Oswald | Published July 11, 2005, 12:48 PM
Microsoft took extra steps Monday to quash any talk that it is going light on Claria adware, by posting a statement on its Microsoft AntiSpyware Web site. The move comes after a researcher discovered the company had changed its recommendations on how to deal with the software.
Eric Howes at Spyware Warrior discovered the changes during a recent test and found that Dashbar, Gator, PrecisionTime and Weatherscope had all been switched from a "Quarantine" classification to "Ignore." According to further research by Alex Eckelberry, president of Sunbelt Software, the changes occurred on March 31.
In light of Microsoft's rumored plans to purchase Claria, the change raised eyebrows among users. However, Microsoft giant was quick to deny any accusations of favoritism.
"The analysis of software is based on a single set of objective criteria," the company wrote.
The criteria, which can be found on Microsoft's Web site, judges software on a number of categories including deceptive behaviors, privacy, security, performance impact, and industry and consumer opinion of the product.
According to the statement, Microsoft allows all companies to request a review of their classification through a dispute process. Claria filed a dispute to revaluate their programs, which Microsoft accepted.
While Microsoft said "continued detection of Claria's products was indeed appropriate," it changed the classification to be in line with similar programs and alerted the company to its decision at the end of March.
"All software is reviewed under the same objective criteria, detection policies, and analysis process. Absolutely no exceptions were made for Claria," Microsoft reiterated. "Windows AntiSpyware continues to notify our users when Claria software is found on a computer, and it offers our users the option to remove the software if they desire."
Stop touching me spyware. Just stop.
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|There is one easy way to deal with this. Use different software other than Microsoft when dealing with security and privacy. The biggest mistake people make is putting all their eggs in one basket. I've used the MS Anti Spyware then followed up with 2 other well known anti spyware products and surprise...surprise the other software still found threats that MS missed.
Nothing wrong with using other software for second and third opinions in regards to what's spyware and what's not.
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|This may be true, but if you'll do your testing in the reverse order you'll also see that MS AntiSpyware finds things that the other big names do not. I prefer MS AntiSpyware over ther other leader as it has automatic updates, and realtime scanning. However, this does not mean that I am so naive as to think it is the only spyware detection software that should be used.
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|Shot that right out of the sky.
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|All I know is Claria does that 180solutions crap and some BS dashboard thingy - both of which are so insidious and evil that Claria owners and the purveyor of their adware should be flogged....daily.
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|"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied."
-Otto Von Bismarck
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|"Business is business--politics are politics."
-bourgeoisdude :)
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|"Business and politics are pretty much the same thing, when you look at it from a distance. But then again, most business are eventually held accountable."
-PhoenixPath
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|"Hi"
- ArabianNight
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|Microsoft is teh bomb.
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Hooked on Foniks helpin' kidz reed gooder.
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|That last paragraph sums it up for me...I'm not that worried MS will make spyware, MS may have done some 'questionable' or immoral things in the past. The thing is Microsoft has always done good business (in the sense that they always manage to beat the competition), so I doubt MS is stupid enough to allow rumors of spyware to circulate for long without publicly denying it...as they did. As far as MS buying Claria--no problems here unless they start integrating Gator with Windows or something. At this point Microsoft isn't dumb enough to do that. Maybe the next MS CEO--but not Bill.
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|HA HA HA! thats funny bourgeoisedude. I wouldn't trust BG to walk my dog.
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|"I wouldn't trust BG to walk my dog. "
Me neither, but he does good business. If he could get away with it he might make spyware, but due to fanatic MS haters all around they'd scream to everyone about MS making spyware--THAT would be bad for Microsoft in the long run. Bill likes making money, and embracing spyware would not help him. It's not that I TRUST MS just that they usually won't do something that screws them in the long run.
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|Bill Gates is not CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer is.
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|That's what i was thinking, we hardly ever hear a word out of Bill shmucks mouth. It's all Ballmer. What's Bill doing during all these press releases.....Sitting in the back room playing his XBOX ?
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|...I knew that, but I--nevermind (DOH!)
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|The bundled XP with Alexa...what's to stop them bundling Gator (or a derivative) with Longhorn?
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|I heard very little screaming...even among the M$ haters concerning the fact that they bundled Alexa with Windows XP. It may have been just a little sh*t browsing tracker, but it is, by definition, spyware.
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|... so, BG does good biz and that's why MS has paid over $1billion in settlements?
I see that more like "paying your way"... or a new definition of good biz.
On the other hand, how come Claria's category set to Ignore is a coincidence with the conversations in the background? Good biz too? Alexa is good biz too? I'm not a MS hater, but I do like to see my options very well before being forced to take them by granted.
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|How come everyone that has a single complaint about Microsoft is classified as a hater?
Really, the people calling them haters are the only real haters.
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|Yeah, but I don't HATE the haters :) Really most of the people I classify as 'haters' are not in this forum. I'm referring to the ones who say Micro$oft and Windows Xtra Profit edition and other stupid comments. They act like only fools born from planet Moron just off the bas**** Belt use Microsoft. You actually have many legitimate complaints.
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