Best offers network - spyware?

[morleymouse]

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Is this spyware? http://www.bestoffersnetworks.com/advertisers/

from viewing the demo certainly looks like it but dont want to be too hasty

[TD Nick]

Hi Dan,

it's AdWare - in true terms, though, it's not really Spyware.

Adware definition: http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start.../glossary.mspx

Spyware definition: http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&start...902t-39000997c

Kind regards,

Nick

[pistol101]

We removed them from AF sometime ago.

[morleymouse]

Cheers Nick & pete

[Rich]

Do TD work with them Nick?

[TD Nick]

Hi Rich,

no, we severed all relationships with Direct Revenue a long time ago.

Kind regards,

Nick

[morleymouse]

rich was Awin I spotted them on

[Rich]

Thanks Nick, just had to check.

I'd put BestOffers/DirectRevenue in the very bad adware box. More here.

A report in August 2005 by an antivius company put them at number one, making up about 40% of all Spyware infections, closely followed by the 180Solutions adware, taking up 36% of all infections.

Unfortunately there are still some affiliates and many merchants (or agencies) using 180. I haven't looked at DirectRevenue's advertisers in detail.

edit: Sorry took me ages to type that as was going to put details of some of the merchants using 180 but decided no one was that bothered! Yeah I still see a few affiliates using 180 solutions to send traffic thru Awin links.

[pricethat]

Direct Revenue operate and have done numerous spyware applications, if this is labelled as Adware now then its only just dropped a category but the malicious installations still continue from dodgy websites, cant really comment on this one.

[Rich]

DirectRevenue does not 'report home' as much as, for example 180 solutions, does, i.e. it doesn't spy on what users are doing (as much).

In fact, very few - if any - of these apps are designed to spy on people, its just a result of them trying to desplay ads related to what the user is doing, so spyware was never really an accuate name.