Malware (Radlight)

April 24, 2002 8:40 AM

Malware (Radlight) will silently remove (vi fark ) Ad-aware when installed. The forums on both sides have already sparked some heated discussions.
posted by ambirex (8 comments total)

pretty crappy stuff. installing shareware (and any program with advertising in it) seems increasingly like a risk not worth taking to me.
posted by moz at 8:46 AM on April 24, 2002

The other Radlight Thread where "DAvenger" doesn't apologize.
posted by ambirex at 8:49 AM on April 24, 2002

Actually, the point was NOT to destroy the adaware . This is almost impossible. BUT TO SHOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THE PROGRAMS START UNINSTALLING EACHOTHER.

Reminds me of the classical, "haha, just joking/testing/wasn't me, it was my friend on my account."

More from DAvenger... Why should I trust a program that looks into every directory on my harddisk, into every registry key, into my mails (it even wanted to delete my personal mails to WhenU) searching for SOMETHING rather than believing in MYSELF ? I felt like the local SWAT team just went through my house... When I AM THE ONE who installed the HELPWARE program, IT SHOULD BEINSTALLED. When I don't want to use it anymore, I can uninstall it either manually orgoing to CONTROL PANEL\ADD REMOVE PROGRAMS.

Man, can you really argue from his PoV?
posted by hobbes at 9:05 AM on April 24, 2002

The problem is that the users that are installing the shareware packages are often not aware of either the installation of, or the function of the spyware that is being installed. The statements about exactly which other programs being installed are usually only vague notices, or at the bottom of a long EULA or both.

Besides, as far as I'm aware, Ad Aware doesn't actually uninstall anything without an expressed request from the user (unlike this Radlight POS).
posted by bshort at 9:13 AM on April 24, 2002

He views adware as a utility, I view add-aware as a utility just like the uninstall control panel or the uninstall utility bundled with Norton utilities. I run it, because I want to run it. In addition, the issue is that in many cases we are not given a choice in installing spy ware. One of the many reasons why I don't use Netscape, is because of their practice of bundling other software along with their install.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 9:28 AM on April 24, 2002

One of the many reasons why I don't use Netscape, is because of their practice of bundling other software along with their install.

I have similar feelings about Windows...


(oh come on, someone had to say it ;)
posted by inpHilltr8r at 9:44 AM on April 24, 2002

Radlight, which bundles with the spyware application "Savenow"

Where does that evil little nugget come from? I have fixed half a dozen friends' "system hangs" problems by rooting out the little bastard. Savenow not just spyware, it's bug-ridden spyware.
posted by jpoulos at 1:36 PM on April 24, 2002

jp, you're right. SaveNow is too buggy even for Microsoft. (See Knowledge Base Q302463.)

I did make the effort to come up with a pointful reply on the other boards (radlight.com) originally, but what's the use? This guy can't be much over 14 judging by his posts. Apart from the incessant swearing he seems incapable of sticking to a position without changing his argument at each step.

I'm amazed he has the skill to put one line of code after the other.

anyway. More on SaveNow. (Click the 'parasites' link there for an on-line check-up.)
posted by BobInce at 4:56 PM on April 24, 2002