Messenger+'s spyware Options

[Milk]

This is more a warning than anything else.

It has been highlighted that fewer people than expected are aware of the 'change of direction' taken by Messenger Plus' creator Patchou.

With the release of the new msn app, I feel it important that people are aware of the new content of Patchou's app - trojans.

Patchou decided that his code wasn't enough as a community project, and therefore took on a few 'sponsors' - most notably C2Media the owner of lop.com software.

For those of you who have never heard of it, lop.com software is classified as a trojan by antivirus vendors and as a browser hijacker by antispyware vendors. You can find plenty of information about it by doing a Google search for "lop.com".

One Anti-Spyware resource tracking the dev puts it so:

[SuranWrap]

I remeber when MSN plus was good!
I just make my own perl scripts now

[.::PHPfanatic::.]

Thanks for the information Milk otherwise I wouldn't have known about this I know for sure. I've uninstalled it now. This would actually be a good thread to pin.

Topic Pinned

[SuranWrap]

I think when you uninstall it, it leaves the spyware/trojan still in the computer.

[Milk]

Patchou maintains that since during the set-up, you can chose the 'no-install' option, therefore there is no issue here - I disagree.

I believe that the marketing strategy is targeted at those types of users, whome (as we discussed in the Gmail thread), require some 'help' in many of these areas. It is an underhand attempt to install software which is now exceptionally aggressive system-wide - with its own mutagenic code creating re-install potential.

Yes you can choose 'not to install' - but maybe you should ask yourself "what is this app worth to me?"

The trojans - and that's what they are, regardless of how much you might seek to requalify their role - are included by the deveoper to make revenue for himself.

Therefore he is seeking to make money at the expense of many of those who wish to support his app and coding by doenloading. Why not go donate-ware?, certainly there would be more than enough support considering the number of downloads the app receives. There is no reason to include this viri other than simply because it was the quickest way to make money - the net result, users should decide not to use it and therebye the deveoper receives no financial return.

Yes it's in the license agreement on the install, yes users have the capacity to read it, - does it make the choice the right one knowing what everyone does about these companies and their activities? - well, I guess you can all make up your own mind about that one.

As for the uninstall - the included uninstaller supposedly removes all traces of the 'sponsor' programme as well, however you would be better advised to run an aggressive anti-spyware app (SpySweeper / Spybot S&D etc.) at least in co-operation with the included removal system.

The fact that it sets off an antivirus application is not in itself a wholely significant issue, false positivies are not unheard of *cough* Symantec *cough* MacAfee *cough*, however when you approach these anti-virus vendors and ask them about this particular 'false-positive' they are keen to stress that it has been included not only as an indication of the 'backdoor' capabilities - i.e. TROJAN! - but also because as a vendor they are producing in the interests of a market, and that market has stipulated a need for the identification and removal of such malware viri crossovers.

Were users to make a selective stand against the developers mercenary activity, (seriously- why not stay with donateware options under a new platform?), then there might emerge a trend for developers less keen to prostitute their abilities for a straightforward financial gain, at the expense of new and inexperienced computer users.

(Incidentally - as with Google's GMail, all additional information such as the forum threads, were witheld until such times as the issue became common knowledge and users were inundating them with concerns; does it make it right that such transparency came 'after' the revelation?? )

Hopefully things will change since the application addition has consistently been of an extremely high standard, it's a pity that the developer has pimped their obvious ability for a short-term gain.

[Rezza]

topic title changed for clarity

[Milk]

[——Vampyric——]

[anakinsolois]

old news, can be unpinned

[GTX5_Crusader]

I agree. Done.

Yeah... someone lost the pin to this one. Oh well...

[mutinymonger]

Another prog with spyware - Internet Explorer. Dead serious, I just installed XP PRO, after formatting C: drive, and ran a spyware scan using ad-aware. BOOM! Spyware found.

[gofikphoenix]

IE doesn't have spyware when you download it, it comes with XP Pro. Of course i assume that if you just formatted you haven't updated and patched it, which will leave it immediatly open for spyware to get in if you decide to surf to a few sites. I have to say i find it hard to believe that the first thing you do is to install a spyware scanner and scan your computer for spyware, especially if you haven't used it yet.

Anyhow this thread is far to old so if GTX or Rezza would like to do the honours, or we could just let it bob down the list.

[mutinymonger]

I swear on my life that I did not connect to the internet once after installing Pro. In fact, my ethernet controller driver was missing, along with some other, so I couldn't connect to the net. The spyware progs I left in tact, along with multiple progs, media and games. Trust me, it comes with spyware. As for the scanning, I thought "May as well". Not likes there's tons of spyware in it, just 1 entry.

[gofikphoenix]

Stop swearing Mutiny, its against the rules to curse

Ok, i might as well believe you but i find it extremly strange.

[mutinymonger]

I just read your post, and I didn't see mine above it. It freaked me out! I'm thinking "I didn't swear did I?" Then I saw the emoticon, and read my post and my heart rate receeded to a normal level again..