Spynet data

  • Thread starter Thread starter Martin
  • Start date Start date
M

Martin

Why hasn't Microsoft opened up the data about spyware popularity like Giant
used to? Spynet had great removal instructions and even let me know what the
top detected items were. I visited that several times a week to help me
figure out what I needed to write articles on for my site:
http://www.iamnotageek.com/a/spyware.php

Anybody know who I'd need to talk to to get access to this data again?

Thanks,
Martin Krohn
http://www.iamnotageek.com
 
I don't know the answer to this, but I can suggest a couple of possibilites:

1) providing access to this data costs money. This program, taken by
itself, is not generating any revenue, and is costing quite a bit. I expect
this to be leveraged in at least two products that will bring in revenue,
but that isn't happening yet.

2) Legal. Microsoft can afford good legal defence, but that also costs
money. It is perceived as having "deep pockets"--so is a tempting target
for an aggrieved spyware company. They don't want to be bleeding cash
unnecessarily.

3) A change in the philosophy about full disclosure. The current
recommendation by experts in the antispyware field seems to be to have
wiggle room in the statements about what is covered and what is not, and not
publish precise details. I can't give you the reasoning behind this, but I
think that it keeps the spyware folks from pressing too hard on absolute
legalities.
 
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