Spyware - a PR Opportunity

[Michael_Anthony]

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Hi - the guy at The Sunday Times who included my site in his piece last Sunday has asked me to help him find out more about spyware. I have pointed him to the forum but if anyone there would care to contact him with more details he is hungry for information.

Please contact me 01277 372895/07747612181/michaelanthony@btconnect.com if you want more info.

Can someone also please point me to the excellent screenshot and video examples of spyware in action that were posted here last year, as he has asked to see them.

Many thanks in advance,

Michael Anthony

[Fraser]

Most of the spyware info is now gathered together here

http://www.a4uforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=53

[Paul Wright]

Hiya,

I think the video thread you are talking about was this one....

http://www.a4uforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=19373

The videos were hosted here on the a4uforums but as you'll see the links are no longer active. I believe Matt is away at the moment but drop Tom a line and he might be abale to help. Failing that Rich or Fraser should be able to help.

Cheers
Paul

[Paul Wright]

lol, too quick for me fraser

[Fraser]

Didn't realise that the videos aren't available any longer on the forum. I probably still have them somewhere if they are needed. Although it was a year ago and so these should now be viewed as a general example of the type of thing spyware does and not specific examples of what is happening today.

[Michael_Anthony]

Fraser - can I point him to the threads and provide a contact directly to him for the videos, maybe your details if you don't mind. His story deadline is tomorrow and he is dead keen to "out" some of the nbigger high street brands using spyware in the UK, so it's a really great opportunity to bang the drum, as it were.

[Paul Wright]

bigger high street brands using spyware in the UK

I would have said that they are the ones being targeted not actually the ones using spyware. It's my understanding that more often than not the pop ups delivered on high st websites are through an affiliate link for a competitor program. In which case it's the "bad" affilaites that need to be named and shamed rather than the unaware high st. store.

[Michael_Anthony]

Paul - you weren't around when the threads above were posted, from what I can see. If you read them you'll see that it's the big boys that use these tools, not usually affiliates - names like Dell, Yahoo!, Alliance & Leicester, Norwich Union, etc.

Qui Gon Jinn - many thanks for your call and information this afternoon. It was a pleasure to talk to you and I'm most grateful for your assistance.

[Fraser]

PM - sent

There is truth in what Paul is saying too - it's not just the high street names there are affiliates doing this too and in an ideal world they would all be stopped.

[Michael_Anthony]

Accepted, Fraser and Paul, there are affiliates using these tools too. However, the real story for my man is the blue chips, who are supposed to be whiter than white, using such practises.

[Malcolm Cowley]

Hi Mate

If you get some free time tomorrow just drop me a line as Paul is well up with the current state of play and we have plenty of info about who is doing what etc.

Dont know how much of it would be Sunday Times fodder as the problem of spyware has matured somewhat in the affiliate industry in the UK and the issues which are current are much more to do with abuse of spyware by affiliates as opposed to spyware and merchants hooking up at least as far as most networks are concerned. Im sure we will be able to find you something interesting for some gratuitous PR

We went to see a potential new client to day and they were amazed to see a live running report of their own url being targetted by spyware.

Cheers

Mal

[Paul Wright]

On such a large topic I doubt it will be possible to squeeze in all angles but I do look forward to reading this, even more so seeing that it's going to be in a broad sheet. Have we got a publication date? I don't want to miss it.

Cheers
Paul.

[Qui Gon Jinn]

By highlighting the "blue chips" involved would obviously create more attention, interest & awareness to any readership rather than a SME or SOHO.

[Michael_Anthony]

AFAIK, it's planned for this Sunday - last week's item was in the "Money" section, but the journalist is a freelance, so I guess it depends on what other stories are competing for the press. I'll be sure to post a link to an online version and let you all know if it does get printed.

[Zanox]

I think he might hold off for just one week on this, hes going to follow through with a current merchant ad to get to the bottom of it whether its merchants themselves or agencies/affiliates involved.

That for him would make a better story, i can just picture it merchant xyz declined to make a comment (which is as good as admitting for a journalist )

ala story, will be nice to get some press on the issue.