Spyware Sucks

I had originally decided not to blog or otherwise comment publicly about Patchou's short lived MVP

And yet, fanboys are still bitching about how it's this persons fault, that persons fault, etc. Then there's the same old point they try to make, the fact the sponsor is optional should make it acceptable and he should get to keep the award. I don't understand them. Being optional doesn't make it harmless, it still exists and can be installed.

Honestly now, you don't need to be stuck up for this kind of stuff.. Patchou did NOT deserve to have that damn award taken away from him. He worked damn hard and earned it, like you did. He might have even worked -HARDER- than you.. So what's this *** about you saying "Oh yeah, he shouldn't have been awarded it at all, but I feel sorry."... Bunch of bullshit if you ask me. You deserve to go onto those MP Boards and give a heartfelt apology to Patchou ASAP. You probably won't, however, being the stuckup *** you are...

Hey, why don't you sponsor Patchou so he can remove the sponsor in his program? It's a win-for-all situation

I believe that Patchou's MVP Stature should be re instated.  He has done alot for messenger over the years.  The Plus! addon is a free program which he has spent too many hours to count on developing it and is only trying to gain some compensation for his time.  The so-called spyware is an optional install and is clearly marked in the installer.  Perhaps maybe MS should sponser him so he could remove the optional completely, i don't think that is too much to ask for.

Sandi says:

MP supporters keep saying that the Sponsor Program is "optional", as if that somehow makes everything ok.  It doesn't.

1. Those agreeing to install the sponsor would not be aware of the risk that they are taking on by doing so.  They know that they are getting adware, but even if they read the entire EULA they still will not know that the advertisements that appear have a history of being used by malware pushers as a vector to try and infect computers.
   
   
2. The advertisements generated by the lop.com adware that is the heart of the Messenger Plus Sponsor Program are a direct security risk, with malware pushers using pop-up advertisements generated by the sponsor as an infection vector to attempt to install malware such as winfixer onto user's computers.  These attempts can infect older systems, or systems with reduced security settings. Patchou seems unable to stop this from happening, yet is unwilling to forgo the income that the advertising generates.
   
   
3. Patchou said a long time ago, and I quote, "if no one installs the sponsor with the new agreement window, I'll change it back, sorry".
   
   
4. Patchou's work on Messenger Plus! does not, and can not, outweigh the fact that his Sponsor Program has been used as a malware infection vector, that it is presenting age inappropriate advertising to his underage users (and he must know that he has underage users - all you have to do is spend some time in his forums to see that) and that the advertisements generated by his Sponsor Program can put his users at risk.
   
   
5. Yes, Patchou knows that malware pushers use his sponsor program as an infection vector.  He has addressed individual examples of malware pushers using his Sponsor Program to spread when I have informed him that it is occurring, but that is not good enough.  I can't and won't spend all my time policing his Sponsor's advertisements for him.  There are many sites out there that use pop-up windows for advertising that do not have a problem with malware pushers or fake anti-spyware services hawking their wares.  So why can't Patchou's current "distributor", Circle Distribution, do the same? If his "distributor" does not have the skills or technology to clean up the advertisements then he should find one that does.
   
   
6. Patchou's software is used by *kids* yet he will not or can not stop the gambling, dating and age inappropriate advertising.
   
   
7. Some of the pop-ups generated by his sponsor program direct users to Web sites that are a security risk in and of themselves, also attempting to install additional adware or malware.
   
   
8. The sponsor program advertisements promote adware, they promote betrayware, they promote sites that in and of themselves are risky to visit.
   
   
9. Yes, Windows Live Messenger (aka MSN Messenger) has advertising, but those advertisements do not present a security risk like that described in this blog post, nor are fake anti-spyware products or malware advertised.