Aluria teams up with Spyware vendor WhenU

primesuspect

Aluria, a formerly trusted software development firm that was the home of SpywareEliminator (bundled with AOL) has now teamed up with WhenU, a known vendor of spyware. This is a very disturbing development that proves that the almighty dollar is the only real thing that most of these folks care about.

There is a discussion about this at DSLreports, involving Eric Howes (maintainer of the rogue antispyware apps list at SpywareWarrior).

SchWartz

WhenU is probably "forward-thinking" for trying to figure out how to get out of bed with organized crime and petty thieves. This clever article and diagram by Sharon Weinbar, an analyst w a sizeable venture capital firm is useful for thinking about what the online experience will be like in a couple of years.
http://news.com.com/The%20spyware%20inferno/2010-1032_3-5307831.html?tag=st.pop
(if the link doesn't work, google "the spyware inferno") WhenU's new PR piece is a sign of the times: hopefully, advertizers are learning that dumping malicious uninstallable scumware on other people's computers and rendering them useless isn't a great way to sell stuff. Interestingly, a principal opponent of the "Spy Act," which sailed through the House of Representatives and is stalled in the U.S. Senate, is the US Chamber of Commerce. I really think that the companies that advertize by stealing our computers need to hear from computer users.