Re: www.hotphrase.com alter IE Gui and code without EULA
From: Robert Burris (fossil24@spamcop.net)
Date: 10/25/02
- Next message: David Cross [MS]: "Re: CA and RA"
- Previous message: Karl Levinson [x y] MVP: "Re: How work the web_based mail sites?"
- In reply to: Stephen van Vuuren: "www.hotphrase.com alter IE Gui and code without EULA"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] [ attachment ]
From: "Robert Burris" <fossil24@spamcop.net> Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2002 07:58:20 -0500
There doesn't seem to be anything new here.
You say that your user was prompted to download a "plug-in" and install it.
You say that is what the user did. Then you say, in the very next sentence,
that this all happened without his knowledge, as if he has no
responsibility. Then you have the gall to ask if this kind of thing should
be legal!
See the thread above where some guy is moaning about the "New IE 6 Download
Warning". That guy says that he's got "computer literate users" who really
need his plug-in, but he thinks that they'll be scared off by the new
warning dialog. Sheesh!
I'm sorry, but I'm not buying any of this. You need to educate your users
or lock-down your systems. Marketing sleezoids want and expect people to be
clueless and buy anything that is placed in front of them. If you operate
in a manner that supports that kind of thinking and practice then you are
part of the problem.
"Stephen van Vuuren" <svanvuuren@pinnaclebenefits.com> wrote in message
news:cba201c27b94$eb6f9590$36ef2ecf@tkmsftngxa12...
> Recently, a client of mine visited hotphrase which
> prompted him to download "hotphrase.exe" which he
> executed. It ran without prompt or display onscreen of
> anykind. To his chagrin, all IE based searched were now
> controlled e.g. if he typed "coke" in the address bar,
> search window, Google or any other search local, he went
> immediately to www.cocacola.com. No apparent way around
> it. Same for some similar searches, not all.
>
> A web search turned up nothing except various website
> identical to www.hotphrase.com claiming to be used by tens
> of millions. If you call them they want to sell you
> keywords for $1500 or so a year. They claim future
> versions will have a defeat, but no uninstall.
>
> I did some hunting on his machine and found that it does
> not use a startup TSR, registry startup of other normal
> way. It leaves no trace of install except that if you to
> into IE Advanced Options, under "Search from the Address"
> bar section, there are additional entries for "optimizing
> the search engines" etc. Turning all of these offer
> restores functionality, but deleting the corresponding
> registry keys does nothing as they are autocreated on next
> IE Launch.
>
> I'm not a programmer, but my guess is a good programmer
> could figure this out. Plus, is this even legal? I can't
> believe any consumer would be pleased with searches like
> this. Search for car and all you get is Daewoo.
>
> Anyone else seen, heard about this - have any ideas on how
> to remove?
>
> thanks,
> stephen van vuuren
> consultant
> greensboro, nc
- Next message: David Cross [MS]: "Re: CA and RA"
- Previous message: Karl Levinson [x y] MVP: "Re: How work the web_based mail sites?"
- In reply to: Stephen van Vuuren: "www.hotphrase.com alter IE Gui and code without EULA"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] [ attachment ]
Relevant Pages
|
