p2pnet - rss feed: Kazaa bites Gator
p2pnet.net News:- “You know you’re in trouble when your adware fires you,” writes John Borland on the CNET Music blog.
He’s talking about the fact that Claria (Gator that was) has dropped Sharman Networks p2p application Kazaa, which is highly ironic given that Gator has been described as one of the two worst spyware applications going and that Altnet, one of Sharman’s favourite associates, could almost be called the Father of Spyware.
Adding to the piquancy of the situation is the fact Gator (oops, Claria) is still listed as a member of Sharman’s DCIA (Distributed Computing Industry Association).
“Kazaa parent Sharman Networks issued a grumpy press release today noting that reports of its dissociation from adware maker Claria (formerly Gator) have been misunderstood,” says Borland, going on:
“Granted, Claria was the one to terminate its relationship with Kazaa. But Sharman had already been concerned about Claria’s ‘lack of performance’ under a contract in which the oft-maligned advertising software company had agreed to ‘adhere to high standards’,” Sharman said.
“(Sounds to me like one of those ‘You can’t fire me, I quit,’ protests.)”
Gator (oops, Claria) is, meanwhile, apparently about to be swallowed whole by Bill and the Boyz.
Microsoft has been discussing the possibility of buying it to the extent that where once, when MS AntiSpyware detected Gator (oops, Claria) products, it offered a ‘Recommended Action’ of ‘Quarantine,’ it now says ‘Ignore’.
And while the music goes around and around, Gator (oops, Claria) says it’s transforming its business “from pop-up ads to behavioral targeting and personalization services”. Chief marketeer Scott Eagle says the focus of the company is now, “on its BehaviorLink ad network, which uses its tracking technology to display targeted ads”.
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
See:-
CNET Music blog - Kazaa grumpy about adware loss, July 7, 2005
buying it - Microsoft downgrades Gator, p2pnet, July 2, 2005
personalization services - Claria/Gator drops Kazaa, p2pnet, July 6, 2005
July 9th, 2005 at 12:05 pm
Microsoft buying more spyware companies. Don’t they have enough built-in spyware and backdoors in Windows/Office already?!
July 10th, 2005 at 1:09 pm
Always a good answer to that one. Run Linux, and you won’t have to worry about spyware, malware or virii of any sort. Plus,you won’t have your software ‘phoning home’ every time you use it. Bill and the Boyz will rot in their little cubicles before I use Micro$oft to surf the Web. Stupid kludge of an OS.
July 10th, 2005 at 2:26 pm
“Gator (oops, Claria)”
Once was enough.