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General discussion

CNet Challenge: Anti MalWare Leadership?

Sep 9, 2004 11:32PM PDT

Given that most "authorities" (including MS and Dell) now reccommend running Ad-Aware &/or Spybot SD routinely, why is it that CNet (and other major web-based information outlets) still use marketing tools that are identified by these anti-malware applications as potentially harmful or at least undesireable?

To me, this fully undermines the credibility of CNet and similar web resources.

Yes, I understand the CNet and other "free" resources exist because of the revenues generated thru marketing and merchandizing activities. This is not objectionable. What is objectionalbe is that there are no clear and simple statements of what their practices are. Privacy statements are complex and rife with reference to third parties and conditional statements prefaced with "we may"...

Burdens to translate what is practice or what could result from marketing practices are squarely placed upon the user and are best illustrated by running the reccommended anti-malware applications.

CNet and it's parent organization should take a leadership role and insure that their practices are not routinely identified as potential malware methods. Privacy statement should be quite simple and state what thier practices will protect against (and not be interpretable in terms of what could occur).

The current industry standards for "disclosure" are patently disingenuous. Read most any privacy statement and see how the basic issues are obscured by the multiple conditional statements and reference to unamed partners and third parties. To me it's alarming and simply,obfuscation.

Trust and credibility are fundamental; To this user there is a current and significant mis-match, particulary from information resources where independent authoritiy & credibilty is proshould be implicit. Optimally, it should be up to the marketplace to address this, the only question is who will the leaders be?

Discussion is locked

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Re: CNet Challenge: Anti MalWare Leadership?
Sep 10, 2004 5:52AM PDT

as bob asked what programs, ads are you speaking about please post so TPTB can look

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Re: CNet Challenge: Anti MalWare Leadership?
Sep 10, 2004 12:58PM PDT

*

That is exactly what I was saying in my post which is now below this one. It is completely possible to have all the advertising needed to support this site "without" the added malware. It should be no concern of Cnet to where any of us surf to after leaving here!

Read my post below to find the lame answers I got.

*

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Re: CNet Challenge: Anti MalWare Leadership?
Sep 10, 2004 1:56PM PDT

well ave a is a tracking cookie if you run adaware, and spybot you will remove it but as it being harmfull its not

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Is this the Ave A question?
Sep 11, 2004 4:46AM PDT

If you use IE, consider setting it's cookie blocker to end that one. It's a tracking cookie and not known to be a pest.

Bob

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Re: Is this the Ave A question?
Sep 11, 2004 5:23AM PDT

bob i havent a prob it was the other post i respondid to

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Mark....
Sep 12, 2004 9:31AM PDT

This forum software is a little cumbersome. I may mistakenly respond to you rather than the right person.

Sorry about that,

Bob
(reaching for shoephone)

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(NT) (NT) np bob i cant begin to read your mind was just saying
Sep 12, 2004 11:31PM PDT
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It's my AFDB working !
Sep 13, 2004 2:53AM PDT
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Re: It's my AFDB working !
Sep 13, 2004 5:12AM PDT

thank you ive been wanting one for at home useHappy

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Re: It's my AFDB working !
Sep 13, 2004 1:49PM PDT

*

Thanks for that link, Bob ... just made my first AFDB and it's working great! Wink

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I think the TPTB are wearing AFDB's so that ...
Sep 13, 2004 11:27PM PDT

they can't hear our ongoing calls for a simple answer to this question, which has been raised before. Lee suggested the Virus & Security Alerts Forum. Personally, I would like the TPTB to tell us straight one way or the other. At least we would know what we are dealing with, or not, as the case may be.

My view has not changed - I think we should be told, full stop.

It is not a case of "which ??? is causing a problem on your computer?".

It is a case of CNET stating quite simply that their advertising contracts stipulate "free-from" - then we can all sleep easy in our beds.

It doesn't seem a lot to ask, and I still don't understand why this assurance is not forthcoming.

I would take CNET's assurance as being honourable, were it to be given. It is still a question mark to me that such assurance continues not to be given.

If such assurance has actually been given, please direct me to the Forum / Thread. (My apols for this burden, but I guess you are closer to TPTB than I am.)

Regards
Mo

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I read your post and...
Sep 14, 2004 1:49AM PDT

Didn't find YOUR QUESTION!

There will be cookies. There will be tracking to see what ads are seen, what pages are viewed and more.

So far, so good.

You didn't post YOUR QUESTION here. So I don't get it.

If you don't want cookies, disable them.

Bob

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Thanks Bob - The question is and always has been....
Sep 14, 2004 3:00AM PDT

(since CNET introduced advertising into the Forums) that whilst cookies gather info on sites visited, does CNET vet their advertisers - i.e. have a contract with them - that there is nothing more harmful in the adverts beyond such "benign" info-gathering cookies?

Thanks and regards
Mo

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The question is and always has been....
Sep 14, 2004 3:44AM PDT

Sorry, too vague for me to give you any clue.

A clear question would do better.

Bob