I have used Limewire Pro for several years now. I remember when the upheavel about the free version of the installer haveing spyware. I personally dislike any method of of tracking that is not fully disclosed large enough for all to see and realize you are being tracked. I have just discovered web bugs on the Limewire pages and yep, this forum.

If you do not know what web bugs are, they are invisible or near invisible images with demensions of 0 x 0 or 1 x 1 and whose source URL is different than the host pages. Most of the URLs originiate from ad servers such as doublclick and are used for the sole purpose of tracking people as they enter a site.

Are they legal? That is for lawyers to decide. Unethical? In my opinion YEP if it is not fully disclosed (and I do not mean in the small print no one reads but in plain site as you enter the web site). Personally, I perfer a big bold statement or banner that says "this site tracks its visitors" this way you either visit or not, but you know where you stand.

I do know that Limewire as well as MANY commercial sites use these web buts to relay information back to ad servers.