Re: Not all adware is badware

[security curmudgeon <jericho () attrition org>]

: There is a lot of confusion among Internet users as to the difference 
: between adware and spyware.
: 
: Adware--generally defined as software installed by consenting users 
: seeking free, value-added services in exchange for exposure to 
: advertisements--is often confused with, or used interchangeably with, 
: the term spyware--advertising-based software often installed without the 
: user's knowledge or consent. As a result, adware is frequently, yet 
: inappropriately, treated like spyware as a virus or malicious software 
: by anti-spyware programs.

I don't think the confusion is in the terms at all. The confusion may 
arise when you have "adware" installed w/o consent. It isn't spying, so 
it isn't "spyware".. and it is just serving up ads like it was inteded 
to.. but without your consent. So what is it then? It's "adware" and it is 
bad.

: Industry leaders such as Symantec have come to recognize the need to 
: differentiate between adware applications and also between vendors that 
: practice 100 percent transparency and those that do not. As such, 100 
: percent transparent advertising-based software will be classified by 
: Symantec as low-risk with the recommendation not to remove. That 
: provides users with the choice, and it is a meaningful step for the 
: whole industry.

Right, and the big A-V products haven't had *any* problems in the past 
with classifying software as 'bad' when it shouldn't have, that just 
happened to coincide with commercial ties/interest or other motives.
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