MSAS and Smiley Central

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It owned by AskJeeves and isnt really a threat, It comes with MyWeb Toolbar
and other stuff built into the toolbar like FunBuddyIcons and Search
Assistant, I think the main reason it would be on the ignore list is because
it can be easily removed using the Add/Remove Programs screen, Removing
MyWebSearch is all it takes to remove the Toolbar, BHO, Registry entries and
files so MS Antispy could have problems if they flagged it as Spyware or
recommended it to be removed with it being so easy to uninstall.

Andy
 
What does "it is owned by AskJeeves" (now Ask.com) have to do with anything?
SmileyCentral is part of FunWebProducts - a bundle of badware which includes
Zwinky, CursorMania, SmileyCentral and a dozen or so "applications" which all
ride on MyWebSearch which not only funnels searches to Ask.com - but hijacks
the users search engine and depending on the version, the user's start page.

FunWebProducts injects advertisements into the search results and craftily
disguises them to look like search results. These injected ads appear BEFORE
the real search results. It does not matter whether the user searches with
MyWebSearch or Google, or Windows Live Search, or Yahoo, etc., advertisements
are injected.

Depending on the version of FunWebProducts installed, the SmileyCentral
interface displays ads in the interface - making it adware.

Further - if the user uninstalls MyWebSearch, none of the other programs in
the bundle will function. Removing SmileyCentral, CursorMania, Zwinky, or any
of the dozen or so other programs installed with this bundle does not remove
MyWebSearch.

FunWebProducts tracks user's Web surfing habits and displays "targeted
advertising" to the user - again regardless of the search engine he or she
chooses to use. FunWebProducts collects and tags the user's IP address and
assigns the user a unique identifier. FunWebProducts claims that it does not
collect any "personal" information - however, recently a high court in New
Jersey has ruled that a person's IP address is personal information and that
a person using the Internet has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

By installing FunWebProducts the user agrees to allow FunWebProducts to
provide "updates" the product which many times are more programs which have
been added to the bundle.

Most, if not all programs in the FunWebProducts bundle, run at Windows start
up causing an unnecessary drain on system resources. Unless a user is
knowledgeable enough to run MS CONFIG or some other program to control
startup programs, FunWebProducts and the bundle of programs it installs will
continue to run in the background unnecessarily using resources.

At best, FunWebProducts is deceptive bundle of unnecessary software
installed by goading users with the words "Free" "No Adware" "No Spyware" and
talking Smileys - whose sole purpose is to funnel searches to a 4th-rate
search engine (Ask.com). This indicates that Ask.com cannot gain a
competitive edge by providing first-rate searches, but most lower itself to
bribing potential users with baubles, talking smileys, toolbars and other
badware/adware and some say "spyware" in a deceptive attempt to funnel
searches its way.

The trouble with forums like these is someone like Andy writes with an air
of authority, but it's quite clear that Andy doesn't have a clue what he's
talking about.

TC
 
What does "it is owned by AskJeeves" (now Ask.com) have to do with anything?
SmileyCentral is part of FunWebProducts - a bundle of badware which includes
Zwinky, CursorMania, SmileyCentral and a dozen or so "applications" which all
ride on MyWebSearch which not only funnels searches to Ask.com - but hijacks
the users search engine and depending on the version, the user's start page.

FunWebProducts injects advertisements into the search results and craftily
disguises them to look like search results. These injected ads appear BEFORE
the real search results. It does not matter whether the user searches with
MyWebSearch or Google, or Windows Live Search, or Yahoo, etc., advertisements
are injected.

Depending on the version of FunWebProducts installed, the SmileyCentral
interface displays ads in the interface - making it adware.

Further - if the user uninstalls MyWebSearch, none of the other programs in
the bundle will function. Removing SmileyCentral, CursorMania, Zwinky, or any
of the dozen or so other programs installed with this bundle does not remove
MyWebSearch.

FunWebProducts tracks user's Web surfing habits and displays "targeted
advertising" to the user - again regardless of the search engine he or she
chooses to use. FunWebProducts collects and tags the user's IP address and
assigns the user a unique identifier. FunWebProducts claims that it does not
collect any "personal" information - however, recently a high court in New
Jersey has ruled that a person's IP address is personal information and that
a person using the Internet has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

By installing FunWebProducts the user agrees to allow FunWebProducts to
provide "updates" the product which many times are more programs which have
been added to the bundle.

Most, if not all programs in the FunWebProducts bundle, run at Windows start
up causing an unnecessary drain on system resources. Unless a user is
knowledgeable enough to run MS CONFIG or some other program to control
startup programs, FunWebProducts and the bundle of programs it installs will
continue to run in the background unnecessarily using resources.

At best, FunWebProducts is deceptive bundle of unnecessary software
installed by goading users with the words "Free" "No Adware" "No Spyware" and
talking Smileys - whose sole purpose is to funnel searches to a 4th-rate
search engine (Ask.com). This indicates that Ask.com cannot gain a
competitive edge by providing first-rate searches, but most lower itself to
bribing potential users with baubles, talking smileys, toolbars and other
badware/adware and some say "spyware" in a deceptive attempt to funnel
searches its way.

The trouble with forums like these is someone like Andy writes with an air
of authority, but it's quite clear that Andy doesn't have a clue what he's
talking about.

TC
 
A blast of the past?

Dave M said:
Since Andy is sadly not around to comment, it's worthwhile to point out
that his post was originally made on 10/24/2005 and MSAS no longer exists
in 2009, but thanks for the comments out of context in my newsreader.
Click to expand...
 
A blast of the past?

Dave M said:
Since Andy is sadly not around to comment, it's worthwhile to point out
that his post was originally made on 10/24/2005 and MSAS no longer exists
in 2009, but thanks for the comments out of context in my newsreader.
Click to expand...
 
Hi all,

Ask.com is also now with Nero Burning software, so they pay a good
software bundle to put the Ask toolbar in your browser.
So i dont think that Ask still has a spyware relation.
Like Yahoo toolbar in the good freeware CCleaner.
I dont like the toolbars at all, always slowing down the startup of any
browser!

Regards >*< TOM >*<


Bill Sanderson schreef:
 
Hi all,

Ask.com is also now with Nero Burning software, so they pay a good
software bundle to put the Ask toolbar in your browser.
So i dont think that Ask still has a spyware relation.
Like Yahoo toolbar in the good freeware CCleaner.
I dont like the toolbars at all, always slowing down the startup of any
browser!

Regards >*< TOM >*<


Bill Sanderson schreef:
 
I advise only adding a tool bar if you feel you will use one or more of the
features of that toolbar daily. And I'd also advise not adding more than
one toolbar. Yeah--they slow things down, they need to be kept
updated--better avoided.
 
I advise only adding a tool bar if you feel you will use one or more of the
features of that toolbar daily. And I'd also advise not adding more than
one toolbar. Yeah--they slow things down, they need to be kept
updated--better avoided.
 
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