Claria/Gator drops Kazaa
p2pnet.net News:- Microsoft AntiSpyware now offers a ‘Recommended Action’ of ‘Ignore’ for Claria {read Gator], as we recently reported. That’s because Bill and the Boyz are after the company.
Gator was described as one of the two worst spyware applications but Claria says it’s now stopped bundling its “pop-up ad serving software with Sharman Networks’ Kazaa file-sharing software,“ says Adweek, going on:
“By simplifying its distribution channels, Claria would answer a long-standing complaint that its bundling relationships with services like Kazaa lead to consumers not knowingly consenting to installation."
Claria is already installed on about 50 million desktops, "and in its April 2004 filing for an initial public offering, which was withdrawn last August, Claria said it expected to rely on Kazaa for a ’substantial portion’ of its distribution in the future," says Adweek.
Claria has moved to “transform its business from pop-up ads to behavioral targeting and personalization services,” it says, quoting chief Claria chief marketeer Scott Eagle as saying that while it continues to operate its pop-up ad network, “ the focus of the company is on its BehaviorLink ad network, which uses its tracking technology to display targeted ads.
“Claria has a companion offering, PersonalWeb, which uses its tracking software collects information on users’ Web habits to compile customized content”
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See:-
recently reported – Microsoft downgrades Gator, p2pnet, July 2, 2005
Adweek – Claria Ends Kazaa Distribution , July 6, 2005
July 6th, 2005 at 5:46 pm
Man, I downloaded Gator by accident when I was fresh out of college in my new job in 2001. I had little idea about pc’s and spyware in general at the time, and was stuck with the bastard for months… I tried everything. When I see that smiley retard gator picture now I get shivers and that sick feeling. You know the feeling when you’re being chased… ok, that’s just me… urgh. The Gator MUST die.
July 6th, 2005 at 7:33 pm
I went through the same process with both Gator and with Xupiter. Neither are something that anyone would want in their right mind. If nothing else, they taught me the reason to seek security and why it was wise. In the end both resulted in me finally formatting the hard drive to dump them.
Thankfully I now run Linux. While it might not be totally 100% secure, I settle for 98% and be far happier. I love to see those hidden toolbars that install when you go to some website return a 404 error because they don’t find the files they need to install. I learned lately how to configure and write the equivalent of a host file to block those unwanted ads. But Gator and its like is no longer a concern.
July 7th, 2005 at 2:55 pm
People always hear me preach about Linux. Since the vast majority of people I know refuse to run Linux, I will give two security tips for running Winblows on an Internet connected computer.
1. Download the Latest version of Mozilla FireFox and make it your default web browser. It is free, and it also allows you to download adblocking extensions.
2. Download the latest version of Mozilla Thunderbird email client and use it instead of Outlook or Outlook Express.
3. Use Internet Explorer only for websites that you ABSOLUTELY TRUST and only if Internet Explorer necessary for the web page to be correctly displayed.
4 Use Ad-aware and a not so well kinown antivirus program (many virused are designed to disable Norton and McAfee) such as AVG, ClamWin, F-prot, etc.
I am forced to use Windows at work (because I write Windows software), yet I have very few problems with spyware.