SpywareBlaster & MyWay SpeedBar

I noticed a recent update included an entry for MyWay SpeedBar and was wondering why?
Though I realize there is a certain affiliation with MySearch, the MyWay folks are a different division and everything I have read (and experienced) seems to indicate that MyWay is playing things straight with their privacy policy and nothing untoward is happening.
Could this be an invalid entry (he says hopefully )?

 

Hi Will,

I can´t speak for javacool here, but I checked Tony´s BHO list to point you to it, but its status there has changed from X to L.
You can uncheck that one as far as I´m concerned. By clicking Remove protection for unchecked items you can keep on using it and still be protected from the rest.

HTH,

Pieter

 

SpywareBlaster currently only protects against the install - it should not disable the bar itself. This was in response to several users who requested the addition after the bar had been installed in a drive-by-install.

If a user wishes to install the speedbar, they can certainly uncheck the item. Having the item checked if you have the speedbar installed shouldn't hurt either (the speedbar should still work).

I am taking another look at the issue. Until a decision is made, please realize that the added item should not block the functionality of the speedbar itself.

EDIT: A decision has been made to remove the MyWay SpeedBar installer from the block list. If a user wishes to block this item on an individual basis, they need only contact me and I will provide the method to do so. The item, however, will be remove from SpywareBlaster's protection in the next database update. (The company has cleaned up their act from the first version - and the privacy policy does seem changed.) - This database update is now released.

I may have to add a separate section to SpywareBlaster for "misc" items - i.e. items that many users may not want forced upon them (or installed at all) but that others may still want to use.

Best regards,

-Javacool

 

Thank you for the responses Pieter and Javacool. I have been un-checking it, but it is nice to know that it won't effect current functionality. Except maybe if an update to the speedbar were to try to be installed.

Only suggestion I might have is an ignore list if that is within the scope of your design.

Removal of an item does raise an interesting question though - if an item is currently checked so that an entry to prevent install is in the registry, if an update to the SpywareBlaster database removes the item, does the existing registry entry stay or go? i.e., becomes an orphan?

 

At this point, yes it would become an "orphan" of sorts. However, I did contact the company "MyWay" with the suggestion that they change the CLSID used to install their software. (I am extremely pleased with their current privacy policy, and the current policy regarding their software.)

This is the only item where enough changed that it warranted removal of the item, and the company did not change the CLSID (so the item was removed from SpywareBlaster). Future builds of the program may incorporate a "safe list" of items, so users can check if any software may have accidentally set a kill bit for a verified "safe" item. In addition, I may add a few "safe but annoying" items that users can block (again on a separate list/section of the program, and not in the current release) - for example, some users have requested the ability to block Macromedia Flash (obviously this would NOT be blocked by default, and the user would have to go to a separate section of the program to make the change).

Best regards,

-Javacool