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Spyware is Lawsuit Coffee
by Ross Lasley
It has been pretty interesting for me to observe all the press lately on spyware, and some legislation that has been recently proposed is particularly amusing.
It seems many people are not in touch with the reality about spyware in many ways – you get what you pay for, be careful what you sign – all that stuff your wise old relatives used to tell you. |
This is why spyware is like McDonald's Coffee. Remember that person who filed suit when she dropped hot coffee on her lap and burned herself? (yes, I know some of the facts of this case make it not a perfect example of a frivolous lawsuit, but it is a famous one most people know about)
Spyware is like that.
Spyware does not “infect” any machine, nor does it “magically” appear – it doesn't do anything you don't instruct it to do. That is the difference between spyware and a virus – and unfortunately the line between the two is becoming blurred by an uninformed media and public.
One of the magazines I receive is a great one – eWeek. I would read it anyway but eWeek sends me this magazine for “free”, as I am a qualified professional. Based on the junk mail I receive it isn't very hard to see how this magazine has been provided to me at no cost – they sell my name to people who want to sell products to geeks like me. I consider this a pretty fair deal and recognize lots of this when I see it – mail-in rebates are like that, “free” information white papers are like that – all part of a long standing marketing tradition that has nothing to do with the Internet.
The vast majority of “spyware” comes from “free” programs – which of course are not free. All those little helper programs you download and install, all those boxes that you have clicked yes on – all of that is where the vast bulk of spyware comes from. You trade data about yourself to get this software, the same way I trade my name and address for a free eWeek subscription.
So as someone who thinks a hammer I bought at a hardware store should not have a sticker on the side that says “Warning, do not bash yourself in the head with this hammer,” I also think we don't need any legislation about spyware or new rules – we simply need consumer education.
So here is our handy dandy list of how to make sure spyware is never a problem for you:
- Recognize that free stuff is very rarely free
- Run a scan program to rid yourself of what may already be on your machine, like AdAware (this “free” item is used to promote the sale of the pro version and add-ons, but is itself not spyware)
- Run a firewall like ZoneAlarm to control access to the Internet for individual programs (the personal version of which is actually free, they try to sell you the pro version which does other stuff, too).
- Use your firewall to prevent programs from accessing the Internet (aka slowing down your connection). Each program that wants to access the Internet needs permission from you; when a new program tries to access the Internet, a little window comes up asking you if it is ok, and when it does, say no!
- Understand and use system restore, the very best feature of Windows XP. System restore is a built-in Windows utility that takes a 'snapshot' of your computer every time you make major changes (or more often if you tell it to). Then you can use the wizard to “rollback” your computer to a previous state – this is the ultimate tool for a common situation – I know I just broke it, how do I put it back the way it was?
The proposed Spyware legislation is a really bad idea and it is frightening to me. This is about safety versus freedom – a world of free choice is not totally safe and can't be made that way.
I don't think we should consider making hammers illegal because some people will bash their thumb with one today – same thing is true of spyware.
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 Tech Tip |
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by Michael
McGrath
Sunday's edition of my local paper (Cape
Cod Times) included
an article from a freelance writer (like me) that asked and
answered the question: “Do You Need a Web Site?” One
web developer was quoted in the article suggesting that everyone
in business today needed one. The article then went on to
quote a college professor who suggested that a web site was
not necessarily essential to business success.
Now, I do work for a web development company, and, of course
we believe every business needs a web presence. However,
today I will make no self-serving statement. I will present,
simply, some statistics. Last week's presidential election
provides an interesting peek at people's internet activity
and the extent to which the internet, in general, has become
such a dominating and ubiquitous medium in communication
today. Let's start there.
The New York Times web site had nearly 970,000 visitors
on Tuesday, election day. That's pretty heavy traffic for
one day. It fell short of The Drudge Report, though, a news
blog, decidedly conservative and supporting the Bush re-election
efforts. That blog had over 1 million visitors on election
day. Americans were following the election online in droves.
As blogs like the Drudge Report continue to provide bleeding
edge and up to the minute (if not up to the second) content,
they will become a more significant player in the news and
commentary world.
Still don't think people are into this “internet thing” sufficiently
to warrant a web site for your business? Well, then, let's
talk money now. A recent study done by Forrester Research
Group, a Massachusetts company, noted that 2003 online retail
sales were $93B (that's billion) and estimated that 2004
would see $144B (yes, that's billion, too). Further, Forrester
projected this figure will grow to $316B (“b” as
in boy) over the next five years. It's not chump change,
folks.
So, what do you think? Your business need a web presence?
The internet is an integral part of the political landscape,
and an equally integral part of the business landscape, now
and forever. The toothpaste isn't going back into the tube,
ever. If you aren't invested heavily in that concept, you're
falling further behind every day, whether you are running
a business or running for office. |
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