Radlight no longer targets Adaware...

[Paul Wilders]

http://216.194.92.96/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=226

{QUOTE-> Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2002 3:08 pm Post subject: RadLight vs. Ad-Aware

All right, guys

here I'm again. You have posted really good posts. There are intelligent reactions to my hints and I must admit that I have a bit underestimated how powerfull
userbase Adaware has.

I'm sure that many of you ask, WHAT WAS THE REASON of KILLING adaware right after each start NOT looking into default directory (like some people think) but using the uninstall registry keys and uninstaller LOG file
(this is a hint for adaware developers to make it invisible) ?

Actually, the point was NOT to destroy the adaware . This is almost impossible.
BUT TO SHOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THE PROGRAMS START UNINSTALLING EACHOTHER.
As I believe that some of the "spyware" are just reguler legal programs I really feel for their authors to see how their program is being uninstalled. I WANTED ADAWARE
TO SEE IT TOO and to revalue their pose to their "enemies". I understand that ads brought by some programs aren't doing the clean job and don't have
approprietary uninstalling possibilites and they NEED TO BE REMOVED BY THE HARDEST WAY, but NOT all of them are such rude. When removing legal software (as you say now I remove adaware), having all what polite software should have (polite installer, EULA, Uninstaller and full description), it may be really VERY UNPLEASANT.

They put me on the MOST WANTED list ? Yes, that's what I expected. It is natural and if they didn't do that it would look STRANGE, wouldn't it.

They removed me from CNet ? Oh yes, again, I expected problems but you all must admit that adaware is a "remover" too.

They wanted to send me to all AntiVirus companies ? Heh, detecting a "virus" having EXEPath in regisry and no other files copied in any directory would be pretty easy, don't you think ?

You all are angry on me ? Yes, I expected it. But if I didn't do this and only started to talk about my opinions I would be just SOME ANOTHER GUY SAYING SOME
BULLSHIT and ignored (my life-experience with many people).
Generaly the people must see the acts first and then they will PERHAPS start thinking more.

The non-adaware-killing RadLight was compiled 5 seconds after the adaware-killing version. I thought that people would find it out immedieately but it took
more than a week until they noticed. It will be released immediately and no more software-removing actions will be taken. I can only hope that Lavasoft will think about the reasons why this happened.

I know i will loose many of users who will ignore my player but It will at least solve my server problems and I may rest for a while.

I can apologize now

" I apologize to LavaSoft for all inconviences that happened by my RadLight software when removing the ADAWARE application silently and without users request.

I apologize to all RadLight users who may be disappointed or hurt by these events.

I apologize to all ADAWARE users whose adaware was removed when launched RadLight. "

Your indignation is an evidence for me that I succeeded and now, at least the people who read messages on this forum understand how does it feel when YOUR SOFTWARE is being removed.

With friendly regards,

Igor "RadScorpion" Janos <-QUOTE}

No comment needed - other than: IMO it will be necessary to guard one's system. Who knows what vendor will come next.

regards.

paul

[javacool]

{QUOTE-> http://216.194.92.96/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=226


No comment needed - other than: IMO it will be necessary to guard one's system. Who knows what vendor will come next.

regards.

paul
<-QUOTE}

Agreed. While this was the first, it CERTAINLY won't be the last. I would watch programs like KaZaA, etc. that are known the be full to the brim with spyware for any of this type of activity...

Sadly, I believe some companies may take this as a good thing:
1) They get free publicity (doesn't matter if its good or bad for some of these companies - any publicity is good publicity to them).
2.) Lots of people come to their sites and download their product - probably even just to test it out (to see if it really does perform malicious acts).
3.) Forums become full with links to their site(s) (again, free publicity) in talks about the malicious activity.
All these points might make this sort of action irresistable for some of the spyware companies of today (did I say Brilliant Digital?). Plus, now that RadLight did it, I will bet that a wave of viruses that delete AV programs will come out any day now...

I just hope these new threats are detected before they cause even bigger problems.

[Paul Wilders]

Amen to that, javacool.

regards.

paul

[Detox]

How pathetic... "I just wanted to make a point"

ffs what BS man... He just discovered he was messing with the wrong crowd! And calling Ad-Aware a remover... yeah a remover of proggies that installed THEMSELVES w/out permission... Ridiculous reasoning. My Ad-Aware never removed anything that I put on my puter myself... barf!

[snowman]

* * * * * this was the second try by a software vendor to bundle hidden software.......an now way will it be the last...........

* * * * * Spieing on computer users is a multi-billion dollar industry....an the spys are not just going to close shop an give that up......they are lossing money in a big way an these sort of exploits will soon become almost common place........the snakes are even warring among themself.......there is no longer "enough to go around"

* * * * people like javacool..pepi....will be the heros in this war.....people like Paul wilders who generously gives computer users a central point to download protecting computer software.....

* * * how many years have the snakes been gathering information on computer users.......an still most computer users either don"t know its happening....feel to overwhelmed to stop it.....or just plain don't care.

* * * this activity *has actually become acceptable by much of the world.......its never mentioned during computer classes in our schools.....an imo should be...its scary to think that the next generation is nearly already profiled.

* * * yes there are answers...certainly there is....but leaders are needed desperately.......if its nothing more than one mother writing a letter to the local school
board....one dad sending an e mail to a state attorney general..........we have the entire world at our finger tips...just use the keyboard............our voices can be heard.....over and over again.....

* * * * I have no problem saying to government representives "you were voted in..you can be voted out"
its not what they want..its what the people want that matters.......has that been forgotton?

* * * *I am not and never will be a computer expert....but if javacool and pepi can so un-selfishly give of their time...the very least I can do...is do something!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * snowman

[Checkout]

When is a lie not a lie? *RadLight seems to be writing software in that ancient programming language, T*tal B*ll*cks.

Still, I'm surprised Igor backed down so quickly. *I wonder what the pressure was? *Legal?

[MickeyTheMan]

{QUOTE-> Still, I'm surprised Igor backed down so quickly. *I wonder what the pressure was? *Legal? <-QUOTE}
He simply terribly misjudged the power of privacy advocates and privacy conscious users all over the net.
I had warned him about this in email exchanges and he was quite defiant about his positions. *That is until he realized how quickly and drastically opposition from all sides jumped all over him.
Hopefully (wishful thinking) software developers will realize that users are becoming more sophisticated and will not tolerate privacy invaders to do as they wish anymore and will fight back more than ever!
He was warned, ignored it, actually challenged it would be more appropriate, and paid the price !

[WhiteMateria]

Yeah ok whatever. *As far as I'm concerned something that removes Ad-aware is just like something that disables a virus scanner or a firewall. *Ad-aware gives me a little peace of mind and I love the program very much! *The idea that this person even attempted to remove a program without my permission is no shocker but certainly not ethical. *So ad-aware removes spyware componets.. big deal! *It was the reason I downloaded Ad-aware in the first place... To take back my privacy and get rid of crapy spyware that companies like RadLight try to get into my computer without consideration for the user. *Trying to go with the sneaky way first considering how if you had actually told users the program was going to do this the first time they might laugh and *gasps* deleate the RadLight Program after they click I do not accept. *At least with ad-aware I'm removing something I want to remove and even then it offers choices for me to keep, backup, or remove the spyware components. *Guess that what he was doing was not exactly the same no matter how in the right he thought he was by prevailing such an attack on anti-spyware. *RadLight has my vote of no confidence and I shall not be looking to them again for any future needs.