AluriaSoftware's "Spyware Eliminator" denounced

[Vernon Frazee]

Spyware Weekly Newsletter: November 4, 2004
http://www.spywareinfo.com/newslette...ves/1104/4.php

In a surprising and unpopular move, the maker of Spyware Eliminator, Aluria Software, has announced that they have entered into a partnership with WhenU.com, a well-known adware company.

...

Aluria's questionable decision has earned them the denouncement of nearly all of the antispyware community. Aluria has been expelled from ASAP, a group of antispyware message board sites formed earlier this year in response to the denial of service attacks on SpywareInfo, TomCoyote and Net-Integration.

Many web sites in the antispyware community are removing Aluria from their list of recommended spyware cleaners. [WhenU's] Ucontrol Scanner may well end up being listed as a rogue application on the Spyware Warrior web site.

...

The entire situation is very sad. I like Aluria and I like their antispyware program. I've recommended and promoted it here in this newsletter several times in the past. I have friends that work there. I've put my own credibility on the line more than once to defend the company from accusations of wrongdoing.

My relationship with this company soured quickly after word of the WhenU partnership came out. I even received a harassing email from their CTO at one point. I thought it was a prank at first but it turned out that it was really their CTO writing to insult me and make threats.

It is with profound and sincere regret that I say goodbye to Aluria. Our long and friendly relationship is over.

Links:

http://pcpitstop.com/spycheck/whenu.asp :: WhenU Survey at PCPitstop
http://www.benedelman.org/spyware/whenu-privacy/ :: WhenU Violates Own Privacy Policy
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/main-nf.htm :: Eric Howes' Privacy Web Site
http://asap.maddoktor2.com/ :: ASAP
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/rema...3816~mode=flat :: WhenU Enters the Anti-Spyware Market
http://www.spywareinfo.net/mar26,2004#aluria :: Some bad business at Aluriasoftware