Oh, the Shark Bytes...

February 25, 2003 10:11 PM

"ByteShark is the TIVO of the Internet" Prominently featured in the Reuters Internet story "Imagine a World Without Ads". But that's not all the ByteShark claims to do. Is this going to be the killer app that does to Google what Google did to AltaVista? Or should we trust a guy whose previous product was simulated interactive interrogation software for solving murders"? Something about this whole enterprise smells like spyware, or worse. But there are lots of better webware experts at MeFi than Me. Would YOU swim with this Shark?
posted by wendell (11 comments total)

ByteShark - "It lengthens, it strengthens, it does the laundry, it takes the kids to school, it finds you a job......it IS a job!
posted by troutfishing at 10:24 PM on February 25, 2003

I don't think google has anything to worry about.
posted by password at 10:28 PM on February 25, 2003

No, it will never be a killer internet app, as it only runs on windows. Imagine if your TiVO said it would only work on a Sony TV.

It could be a killer windows application, but there's been enough of those, I doubt it'll overshadow the likes of Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer.
posted by shepd at 10:29 PM on February 25, 2003

I kind of like the ads on google.

It says something when some companies are willing to spent money on advertising.

But maybe that's just me.
posted by enda at 11:02 PM on February 25, 2003

TiVo for the internet in 3 easy steps (for Windows):

1. Download this file and unzip it to either c:\windows (for Win98/ME) or c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\ (for NT/2000/XP)

2. Edit your default 404 error message (located under WindowsDir\help\common\404b.htm) and erase all the stuff between the BODY tags.

3. You can add additional sites to block by following the format in the HOSTS file.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:27 PM on February 25, 2003

This site's so bad I'm wondering if its a parody...

Its got "As Seen on TV" extras like free trademark infringement detection. Its looks like its been proofread by a 5 year old "Lap Top", "un wanted". Its got testimonials from people off the street including a "Levi's Product Manager" who I can only imagine is restocking the 501s on the shelves as we speak. Its got a whopping 90% discount off its "regular" price (who can resist a deal like that). And to top it all off its credit card processing for isn't on a secure/ssl server. (not that you have to fill out any real info to "successfully")

Is there anything here that would make someone think this thing will work? How'd they possibly get Reuters coverage when I left the site wondering if its just a front for a big credit card scam?
posted by 10sball at 11:47 PM on February 25, 2003

ByteShark - "It lengthens, it strengthens, it does the laundry, it takes the kids to school, it finds you a job......it IS a job!

byteshark - "it jumps itself"

i've seen vb apps that were uglier, or more poorly designed, but only in nightmares. this thing is doa.
posted by complex at 1:38 AM on February 26, 2003

Yeah pretty bad.
Runs on any Windows PC, including your Lap Top.

There's a joke there I'm sure.
posted by jeremias at 4:13 AM on February 26, 2003

At first glance -- and that's all I'm going to give it -- this thing looks like another piece of TUCOWS Visual Basic shovelware.

If it's ad filtering you want, try Privoxy, which is an expanded version of the venerable Internet Junkbuster and runs on just about anything. For Windows users inclined to play with configuration files, even more flexibility is to be had with The Proxomitron, which lets you do clever things like rewrite pages as you receive them. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Web Washer, which offers fairly little configurability but is pretty much a click-and-go affair.

If you don't mind some simple monkeying around with your system configuration, you can play with your /etc/hosts [warning: a bit of condescending For-Dummies hyperbole before you get to the useful part] file -- applicable though it may have another name on Windows or Macs. This is the least effective approach by far, but requires no additional software.

And whadda ya know, another googling reveals there's a page with most of these links and a handful of others as well.
posted by majick at 5:52 AM on February 26, 2003

Whois:
Organization:
Penal Code 187
Bill Bradley
1725 Mongomery
San Francisco, ca 94111
US
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]


The interesting thing is that Penal Code 187 of California says:


187. (a) Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being, or a
fetus, with malice aforethought.
(b) This section shall not apply to any person who commits an act
which results in the death of a fetus if any of the following apply:

(1) The act complied with the Therapeutic Abortion Act, Chapter 11
(commencing with Section 25950) of Division 20 of the Health and
Safety Code.
(2) The act was committed by a holder of a physician's and surgeon's
certificate, as defined in the Business and Professions Code, in a
case where, to a medical certainty, the result of childbirth would be
death of the mother of the fetus or where her death from childbirth,
although not medically certain, would be substantially certain or
more likely than not.
(3) The act was solicited, aided, abetted, or consented to by the
mother of the fetus.
(c) Subdivision (b) shall not be construed to prohibit the
prosecution of any person under any other provision of law.

Makes you wonder if he has some sort of agenda, no?
posted by signal at 6:55 AM on February 26, 2003

In the interest of full disclosure, my comment - "It lengthens, it strengthens, it does the laundry, it takes the kids to school, it finds you a job......it IS a job!" - is a ripoff of lyrics from a Tom Waits song.
posted by troutfishing at 7:15 AM on February 26, 2003