Adware Firms So Incompetent They Can't Even Merge Right

from the good-work dept

Wed, Jun 7th 2006 6:01pm — Mike Masnick

All of the "adware" firms out there have been claiming that they've changed from their earlier questionable surreptitious install ways -- but many of us have been wondering, if that's true, how they actually plan to stay in business. The answer, so far, is that they haven't actually stopped surreptitious installs. However, it sounds like at least some of the backlash has eaten into the business, so some of the more hated names in the business, 180solutions and Hotbar, have decided to merge, and combine under the name "Zango." Of course, if this is a move to build more confidence, it seems likely to backfire. It's reminiscent of similar adware maker Direct Revenue repeatedly changing names to confuse angry victims of their software, or Gator's name change to Claria. Except, even here, it seems like the move shows the company's incompetence. The name they chose, rather than having no meaning, is the name of one of their current adware products -- and it's not hard to find numerous complaints about the software, including recent complaints that a botnet has been sneaking it onto computers.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

9 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Tim Arview, 7 Jun 2006 @ 6:48pm

AdWare Inc. coming soon
Yeah, that about sums up my take on it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
charlie potatoes, 7 Jun 2006 @ 8:48pm

well ... great. thanks for sharing that bit of enlightenment. i had been wondering.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
dude, 8 Jun 2006 @ 12:47am

???
Hi Mike...that one was REALLY hard to understand...chill out...don't type so fast...consider your reader...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jason, 8 Jun 2006 @ 1:04am

How?
How was that hard to understand?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Sneer, 8 Jun 2006 @ 3:10am

So on one hand you say it's bad when adware companies change their name to confuse the users, on the other hand you bash the company when it decides to stick to a recognisable name - taking it after one of their products. Can you make up your mind then?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2006 @ 6:54am

I think the point is that both are bad. One way confuses customers and makes finding information hard (bad for the customer), the other makes the company far to recognizable as the developer of some virulent adware (bad for the company). In this case, they were stupid enough to choose the second option.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
SailorAlphaCentauri, 8 Jun 2006 @ 10:22am

To go along with Anonymous Coward, chosing to name your new merged company after something that's already hated is about as logical as merging two health organizations and calling them Asbestos (assuming that one of the organizations made asbestos before we all found out that it was very bad...but that's getting a little too conspiracy theory for the point). I think the point, Sneer, is that a name change is a deliberate attempt to get people to not realize that it's still Adware which, unless you like that sort of thing, is something people don't want to deal with, while chosing the name of something that's already reviled won't make people like you, it'll make it easier for people to hate you faster due to previously existing reputation.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
chris (profile), 8 Jun 2006 @ 4:00pm

i used to work across the hall from 180solutions
when i worked for a now defunct dotcom in bothell washington.

i had no idea what they did at the time. i talked to their receptionist once, she was hot.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
fatman, 27 Jun 2006 @ 2:35am

Re: i used to work across the hall from 180solutio
well the hotties are gone and the combined company is not close to being a $100m revenue producing company. another wishful promise from the zango bigmouths, too bad they can't deliver as good as they lie....
[ link to this | view in thread ]