quote:
Originally posted by masken
@lou_habs, did you have problems understanding what application I meant? Why else the ridiculus pointer?
We knew what you were talking about because this is the main subject of this forum and therefore we _assumed_ you were talking about Messenger Plus! and not about MSN Plus!. It is also essential that you name the things with their correct name, especially when the wrong name you used is an existing program/service so no misinformation and confusion can spread. Also, there are legal reasons...
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quote:
Originally posted by peaky1988
I've not signed the petition because I use the Microsoft AntiSpyware and yeh it shows up in the list, but you just uncheck the box. I use loads of applications that appear as spyware or a trojan. If you don't want to remove it, don't. It gives you the option! Also if you don't want to run into this problem uninstall the MS software and get Spybot search & destroy or Adaware.
If people don't want to run into this problem, MSAS should fix their buggy routines. By removing the sponsor from Plus! or even by using other anti-adware/spyware software you don't fix the problem and potential problems that exist in MSAS. If you like it, you sure also wouldl ike that MSAS does things correctly and that you can trust upon it, otherwise why using it?
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quote:
Originally posted by TemMan
Much as though I like Messenger Plus, I have to say for the millions of mums and dads and computer illiterates who are naive and just install software without reading the fine print... by even installing adware Messenger Plus is part of the adware/spyware problem.
TemMan (and the others), what you seem to forget (or not know) is that MSAS' detection is buggy! It is not about removing Plus! from the adware bundler list at all, it is not about Plus! having a sponsor or not. If all things equal, the problem still exist that MSAS has a buggy detection _and_ above all, bad removal scheme...
Those mums and dads you spoke of, often rely on programs as MSAS. It is therefore essential that such programs get it right and don't cause more trouble then they should fix as those mums and dads don't have the knowledge to reconize where the real problem is. The petition is about Plus! (of course), but it might as well be about some other program. This problem is, not only for Messenger Plus!, but for other programs as well (even programs which totally did not contain or bundled adware).
And that is what the petition is about. To change MSAS' buggy detection method; it is an attempt to fix bugs.
In Plus!'s case, some people say: "click the ignore button". This does not solve the problem that MSAS' dection and removal code is buggy and should be fixed.
Some people say "remove the sponsor from Plus! and problems are solved". No this is not true. The problem isn't with Plus!, it is with MSAS. Even if Plus! didn't had a sponsor, MSAS is still known to have some wrong detections for other programs etc.
The petition is to change the attitude from MSAS from
"we are right, you're wrong. period." to
"ok, we'll look into it, any advise you can give to us or a procedure on how to remove the adware of your program?". Such attitude has already almost got them in court once or twice in the past fyi.
Some people like to use MSAS but don't realise that MSAS isn't holy and does contain bugs. If their attitude (of those people) is that by pressing the ignore button everything is solved, then they are wrong. By pressing an ignore button you don't solve a bug which caused the ignore button to appear.
quote:
Originally posted by masken
And again, technically, I think it's motivated. The line has to be drawn somewhere, and that it's drawn at the state where an application in any way could install ad- or spyware is totally right if you ask me. Even if Patchou's application handles this in an ethically correct way, there are ALOT of coders who doesn't, that's why we have a problem in the first place. Couldn't be more logical if you ask me....
as said, even if that line is drawn where you say it should, then still MSAS doesn't do it correctly!!! It *beeps* up the correct removal of the adware (IF it was installed) and activly helps in stopping the removal. Something totally the opposite of what a program like MSAS should do...
And again, this isn't only about Plus!, this is also about other wrong detections and actions in MSAS...
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It is in the best interest for everybody (as well as for all the 'mums and dads' as for us) that MSAS fixes their wrong detections. And with this we do NOT mean removing Plus! from their adware bundler list, but to fix it so Plus!'s installer is detected before Plus! is installed and afterwards that the sponsor is removed correctly instead of only corruption the uninstaller and thus actually preventing the adware to be uninstalled completely.
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