Re: [Pan-users] Re: OT: freedomware vs... Was: Building Pan onWindows?

[Alan Meyer]

Travis <address@hidden> wrote:

> From: "Alan Meyer"

> > ... I have found that a number of closed source
> > programs I have installed on my Windows machines included
> > spyware. ...
>
> Why don't you name names?

I have run the ZoneAlarm free firewall program on my Windows
machines.  It blocks outgoing traffic that you, the user, has not
specifically authorized.  It reveals that a great many programs
attempt to silently send messages out on the Internet and, in a
few cases, act as servers for incoming messages.

Examples of programs that call out include Adobe Reader, the Sun
Java SDK, and others that I don't remember.  I'm pretty sure that
these programs are checking for updates on their vendor sites,
but what else they're doing is anyone's guess.

However there was one program I particularly remember that was
indisputably spyware.  I bought a Memorex branded scanner at
Staples at a big discount.  After I installed the driver,
ZoneAlarm told me that a program called BM.EXE was attempting to
use the Internet.  I looked it up and it seemed to be a program
running a "service" called "Bookmark Central" that gathered up
the identities of all my web browser bookmarks and sent them to a
central server that, no doubt, sold information about what and
where I was browsing to who knows whom.  I was particularly angry
that Staples, a company that is normally very consumer friendly,
and Memorex, a company with a long history and reputation,
participated in this underhanded practice.

It won't make me stop buying at Staples.  As far as I can tell,
their competitors are no more ethical than they are and their
rebate and return policies are about the best and most ethical of
the retailers I've dealt with.  But it was pretty annoying.

This happened around 10-12 years ago.

    Alan