[RedEyeJack]

Thanks many of us wish we had known about this six-eight months ago... If I am an example there is now a market for hunter-killer software to destroy this stuff. I wonder that there are not pay offs going on to stop that from happening. My own opinion is that anything that takes over your private computer without your informed consent should be illegal and that anyone distributing such programs and those paying to have it distributed (the engine that drives this train) should be held criminally responsible. A politician who would undertake such legislation would have an instantaneous, nation-wide following... a political hero (are you listening out there W?)

[drt1]

"I wonder that there are not pay offs going on to stop that from happening"

Agree. I keep wondering why Gates and his company are not the object of serious legal and legislative assault. All of their software products are, when used as directed (And expected I might add) simply defective. The problem is these "Defects" are really not such from Gate's standpoint and are engineered into the software. In this sinister process they are 1) Not disclosed to the consumer and 2) Exist for the sole enrichment of Microsoft itself or other Third Parties and to the detriment of Microsoft's customers.

Like you, I suspect Micro and it's cohorts have spent millions lobbying our lawmakers to ignore this issue - All to the enormous detriment of Computer and Internet users worldwide.

There - Now I've vented! :-)

[varon]

A politician who would undertake such legislation would have an instantaneous, nation-wide following... a political hero (are you listening out there W?)

If you're calling W for assistance you're barking up a wrong tree. Do you really expect W to be concerned about the integrity of your or my computer if he doesn't even give a rip about the security and integrity of our borders?

[Chemist_Geek]

My own opinion is that anything that takes over your private computer without your informed consent should be illegal and that anyone distributing such programs and those paying to have it distributed (the engine that drives this train) should be held criminally responsible.

It can be argued that spyware's actions constitute theft. Burglary, I suppose, although that depends on the statutory definition. The problem is that the "consent" is rarely, if ever, truly informed.