http://www.cexx.org/gator.htm

Now there is the second article on Slashdot about Spyware in Gnutella: "The corporate response is that they [Kazaa, Limewire, Grokster] literally didn't know what was in these secondary applications that they were providing to be downloaded and installed alongside their primary program. Believe it if you wish." Read the full story

This is the real danger of ad/spy ware. All the assurances a developer may give are worthless if they themselves don't even know what's being installed.

Perhaps we need to ask the Lime developers - how can we ever trust them after they *admit* they've no control over their own product? How do they know other nasties aren't already lying in wait on the HD's of their unsuspecting users? Even when the initial install is ok, there's always the chance the adware will do a behind the scenes "software update" and change that.

These companies are the lowest of the low. This would be illegal done by a person rather that a corporation - these guys are just crying for a class action suit. Developers who fall into their clutches are dooming themselves. You can be sure the slimeware execs will sacrifice and destroy the Limewires of the world before they themselves are finally drowned in their own filth.

Or if they just don't care. Either way, they can't be trusted.

True, but we have too many lawsuits in the world today. Often their outcome is irrelevant (just ask Microsoft). There is a better way to deal with the spyware/trojan issue: Boycott programs that bundle spyware! Go out to all the forums and spread the word!

Developers bundling spyware with their products are a lot like a virus writers "bundling" virii with dropper programs.

After 67hours of step by step, routine, by routine, instruction by insruction, dis-assembling I am very please to say that ver 2.04
of limewire is very clean, and contains no spyware, unless u include a small transmission that send what appears to be only the version number, and build. I dis-miss this as a accecptable function, and not spyware. As far as Whom ever actually programs the code, there is still an issue that I found debugging the earlier versions, that they overlap the stack space, with the Code segment, which can cause freeze ups, under circumstances where the data segment code flows into the code segment, all pushed registers and pointers are lost , thus ending your session with Limewire. Im supprised that they overlooked this, since MASM did detect it immediatley......

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If the program swaps any iformation without consent of the user it should be illegal.

Ok, first things first buddy, most software does send information without you ever verifing its content, Windows XP is a prime example, when a crash occurs there is an option to send information about your system, including SwapFile content, register settings, and some memory areas, Is this spyware? no infact it is not. other programs include, Norton (most products), and more..

So wake up buddy, Im telling you, Limewire 2.04 is clean, except for what I have already said about stack errors. and a minor script error which is never delt with, when java debugging is OFF....!

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Well, it sure is acting like spyware when it does this. That being said, Windows is probably sending the information to help Microsoft debug the code, and does this only when something crashes. Spyware does this all the time. But I believe you about LimeWire being clean now.

Hey, pal! I'm awake and aware. lol

Just because lots of software does it makes it all right?

I consider it an invasion of my privacy frankly. It's not hard to put up some annoying little window pop up to let the user know exactly what kind of info is being requested and transmitted.

Just like everything else, a little "accept SPYWARE from this issuer all the time" button can be available.

I've used Microsoft Internet explorer error reporting for quite some time. Every time it wants to send an error report I am given the option not to send it. And it's a program that I CHOSE to have on my system.

So wake up yourself, BUD! It’s an invasion of my privacy!

(oops, I forgot to put in my username and password, bud!)