First, there was freeware.
No strings attached. Use the application as you pleased with no hidden motives.
Then, there was shareware.
For a small fee, you could either continue using a specific software or upgrade the software to a better version. Nice concept and it was fair for the provider of the program to ask for a little bit of compensation.
But, now there is "scumware."
Scumware is the term
that is being applied to software that puts links or banners on Internet
sites without your permission of the web site owner. Links or banners
you would never dare put on your site. Your competitor, gambling
links, porn links, etc.
Pretty scary huh?
These software programs are using predatory advertising to divert traffic from YOUR site to their paid advertisers. But the worse thing is that people who are using these software packages do not even know it!
These applications are usually packaged with other "Trojan Horse" style programs (what you get is really something else). Geez and I thought the guys at Gator were just really, really nice to design the form program.
Microsoft started this whole nightmare by releasing "SmartTags" in their newer versions of Internet Explorer.
What SmartTags does is it puts unauthorized links all over sites that you view on the Internet. If you are using a new version of Microsoft Internet Explorer, you might notice squiggly lines under some words. These are links to advertiser sites.
At first this option was going to be turned "ON" by default but because of a huge outcry from the Internet community, this option has to be now be manually turned on by the user to work.
You can manually prevent SmartTags to work by putting the following code on every page of your web site.
<META NAME="MSSmartTagsPreventParsing" CONTENT="TRUE">
Yes, you have to put the code on every page of your web site. However, when you have thousands of pages on your web site (like I do) it is extremely time consuming. Bill must be laughing on his yacht right now.
Here are the other top offenders.
Gator
http://www.gator.com
Although I don't know if Gator adds links to web sites, it is now putting a pop-up banner RIGHT over existing banners on a web site. For example, if you go to Yahoo, the banner at the top could really be Gator's banner and not Yahoo's.
Check out Gator's most recent press release regarding this topic:
http://library.northernlight.com/FB20010823550000160.html
Their press release is pretty hilarious. They claim that they are doing consumers a service by bringing them targeted advertisements. They go on to insult the rest of the Internet community by suggesting all other sites have failed advertisers, publishers and consumers in the advertising arena.
If you go to their site, they even show how they will superimpose an advertiser's banner on top of a banner at About.com. I am serious! Take the "Quick Tour" option at their site after clicking on the "Advertisers" link.
TopText
http://www.ezula.com
Now who would purposely want to install software that alters web sites? No one, and that is why TopText is installed on your computer without your knowledge.
How? Behind another seemingly innocent software application.
KaZaa is a Napster like file swapping service that is currently on over 8 million computers. KaZaa itself is not that bad, it is the TopText program that comes with it when you install KaZaa.
Here is a few screen shots showing how TopText alters a U.S. government site:
http://66.33.83.213/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12283
TopText works on Internet Explorer right now.
Surf+
http://www.filemix.net/
Mirazo
http://meltingpoint.com/pressmirazolaunch.html
Bottom line.
You will lose sales, visitors, commissions, ezine subscribers, repeat visits, etc.
If you run a site that you want to keep ad free, not anymore. If you think you have control over the content of your site, don't be surprised if people complain that you have links to porn sites. How would you feel if you put "NO PORN SITES" allowed on your links page only to have the word "porn" linked to a porn site? Defeats the purpose entirely.
This is exactly what is happening to unsuspecting webmasters.
No one is safe. For example, Ford automobile company's web page is not even safe from advertising another companies automobiles.
These companies are trying to take the sneaky way to profits. They do not want to follow the traditional pay-per-click search engine model. They want to control keywords on EVERY web site on the Internet. Heck, they are even stealing traffic from pay-per-click search engines!
HOW DO YOU FIGHT BACK
If you do not want an augmented view of the Internet, either remove these programs off your computer or find out how to disable them.
JimWorld has released a new *excellent* site that covers this topic in more detail:
http://www.scumware.com
Steve Shubitz has designed:
http://www.stopscum.com
This site covers a lot of detail. It even shows you screen shots of traffic being stolen from Goto.com.
Spread the word by posting this article on your web site or linking to http://www.scumware or http://www.stopscum.com/ from your web site!
OTHER RESOURCES
CNET
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6797640.html
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6759036.html
Allan Gardyne's newsletter
article:
http://www.associateprograms.com/search/newsletter173.shtml
Sunil Tanna suggestions
to take legal action:
http://www.suniltanna.com/ezula.html
Want to read more
of my articles?
http://www.freecoolcash.com/articles
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