OT: Public referrendums on destroying evil companies

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Loser:
I loath spyware, who doens't?

But the software company that chose to include Gator in their product should be your target on those 'stealth' installations.

I believe they are both equally guilty.

[Cyrien]

You should go after both of them. Unless Gator went to those companies and said
"Gee, we will pay you this money to have this program install with yours but you have to make sure that the user knows they are installing it and exactly what it does when it installs with yours."

I doubt that conversation occurred at all, ever. Thus both companies would be on my target list, but Gator would be on top because they produced it. I can target the other company but then Gator will just goto the next one and the next one over and over against and it keeps going. Get the source and it stops, get the symptons and you will be doing it over and over.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

guess i will read this a bit longer.

my point is that computer software can't be held to the same standard becuase it's impossible or nearly so for the maker to understand how it will perform in enough situations; unlike mechanics which is a lot more simple and has been practiced for thousands of years. of course it's not modern mechanics, but that's a lot of background and theory for something a lot more simple.

also, your computer games are unlikely to kill you if they fail. i do think there should be accountability for known bugs that they know they could fix, but how would you determine that? get a court order for another company to fix it, paid for by the first one?

[PvK]

In reply to the quote below, the current businesses behind the RIAA don't make much music at all, if any. Mainly they just monopolize the sales and distribution of the music, and reap billions of dollars off of the work of others, via cartel-like operations. They don't serve much useful purpose except for themselves, their stock holders, and the puppet stars who don't have enough actual talent to be successful musicians without a megacorporate hype engine behind them.

PvK

Originally posted by Thermodyne:
...
The RIAA is an evil solution, but the industry was left few alternatives. If the current situation continues, there will be little or no music industry left by the end of the decade. People and business have to make a profit; such is what makes to world go round. And the owner of a song or movie or code is entitled to charge for its use. Most bands make very little money as it is, and P2P has already adversely impacted the ability of new Groups to break into the industry. Just look at what has happened to the music industries profits and then graft it to CD-R sales and P2P net use. Do you want new music, or free oldies? That is where we are heading.

...

[DavidG]

So what's with McDonalds making the list? Don't like it don't go there. I've been there about once in the Last couple years. Now if they were like MS and say used illegal business practices to ensure that I had to have a Bic Mac because every meal I ordered anywhere in the world had to be eaten with a Big Mac and the Big Mac cause me all kinds of problems then I'd be pissed.
McDonalds is easy no ignore or avoid. MS not so much.

[PvK]

Well I was mainly interested to actually poll and see what people's opinions were, and to offer a range of businesses some people don't like in various different ways, to see how it affected the poll.

Including McFonalds on the poll was also partly for humor, and also partly to see how many fellow McDonalds loathers there were.

As far as my personal opinion (which I didn't expect the majority to share - and I see they don't - hehe), my main objection to McDonalds is that there are so many of them, all nearly identical, depressingly pLastic, and their corporate agenda seems to be to cover the entire planet with them. Their annoying advertizing with actors pretending their food is wonderful, combined with their food being awful, earns them more animosity points. I think the world would be a better place if they were restricted to the US, Canada if the people want them there, and then maybe like one per foreign nation. When I visit an ancient foreign city and see McDonalds logos on the trash buckets and lamp Posts, I think they've gone too far. They're a megacorp driven by investment capital, so unless someone tells them it kinda sucks to have them everywhere, they're just going to keep spreading.

PvK

Originally posted by DavidG:
So what's with McDonalds making the list? Don't like it don't go there. I've been there about once in the Last couple years. Now if they were like MS and say used illegal business practices to ensure that I had to have a Bic Mac because every meal I ordered anywhere in the world had to be eaten with a Big Mac and the Big Mac cause me all kinds of problems then I'd be pissed.
McDonalds is easy no ignore or avoid. MS not so much.

[SpaceBadger]

Originally posted by David E. Gervais:
FYI: (and this might shock the **** out of you..) When a 'Gator' dialogue box pops up and asks if you wish to install it [YES] [NO].

Clicking on either answer will promptly install the spy/ad ware. In fact the 'Gator Dialogue' only pops up after it is installed.

You're sure about this?

Dang, I run into one of those dialog boxes a couple times a month I think, just surfing the web (seems like one of those freebie places, like fortunecities or geocities or something like that, pops up the box every time I go there). Always click NO, of course. You mean that each time that has happened the site has installed Gator on my machine?

Sigh, I guess it is time to hunt up and install some anti-spyware app - any recommendations?

SpaceBadger