Microsoft Buying a Spyware Company

[iago]

Microsoft is planning to buy Claria Corporation, which created the spyware that everybody loves: Gator.  It's going to help them compete with Google and Yahoo for ad revenues. 

Microsoft has also started calling Gator "moderate" and recommending that you ignore it. 

This is very shady.  I don't like it at all.

More information:
http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/340

The pre-article thing:

I don't get mad too easily, but there's one thing guaranteed to really get me steaming, and that's when someone is lying to me. Right now I'm feeling lied to, and while I could be wrong, I don't think I am. Worse, I don't think I'm the only one who's the victim here. I think virtually all of you are having your chains yanked as well.

[RoMi]

Whats next including Gator with the OS?

[deadly7]

Who wants to bet that Microsoft Anti-Spyware won't detect Gator anymore?

[RoMi]

I want to know who the genius was that made this move.  Either its just a rumor (coming from iago the odds of that are pretty low) or somebody is going to ruin Microsoft's reputation even more.

[iago]

The aquisition/partnership/whatever is being cancelled, I'm told.  I guess they realized how bad it looks.

And the check for Gator are now "moderate", even though it's the worst piece of Spyware I've ever seen.