What is Adware?

Adware is a software program that you install on your computer
that displays advertisements while the program is running,
either as a banner within the program or as a popup. This can
be a good thing. It helps keep the program free or low-cost for
the end user.

If the program displays random advertisements without gathering
information about your online activities, then it's considered
safe or ethical. You'll see the same advertisements that every
user of the program is seeing. And the program isn't gathering
information about your surfing.

Why Should You Have to Put up With Ads?

I don't have a problem with advertisements on the Internet or
even ads within free or low cost programs. This, in my opinion,
is no different than an ad on television or in a newspaper. It's
what keeps these things low cost and keeps businesses
in business.

Advertising has a purpose. It tells us about a company's
product. I can think of a lot of great products I've bought that
I would've never even known about if it wasn't for advertising.

I do have issues with some tactics that are used. For instance,
adware programs that bury deep within their EULA statement
(End User License Agreement) the fact that they collect
information about what you're doing while you're online.

Most computer users don't read the EULA, especially if it's long
and full of legalese. We should read them, but the fact is, we
usually don't. Or we quickly scan them until our eyes glaze over.

The advertisers may have what they consider valid reasons for
gathering information about your surfing activities. Usually
it's stated that they want to display ads in which the user
would most likely have an interest.

From an advertisers point of view, that's probably a pretty good
idea. But that should be your decision whether you want them to
profile you or not.

When They Cross The Line.

There are also adware programs (or more specifically, the code
written into them) that gather more than just information about
your surfing habits. They can send your IP address, computer
name, and information from web forms you've submitted to their
servers and this crosses the line to actual spyware.

Strictly speaking, spyware is a program that does this
"phone home" activity without your knowledge. And when an ad
supported program crosses this line, it's spyware.

It shouldn't matter if they tell you in section 12,
subparagraph 15, item 1.5a of their EULA or not...it's still
spyware when they do this. Put it up front in the license
agreement. Let the user know what they're installing.

Is There Any Such Thing as a Good Adware Program?

One comes to mind as I write this...Eudora email client.
According to their claims (and I have no reason to doubt them),
their program doesn't spy on you.

When you install Eudora, you fill out a user profile that you
can modify whenever you want. This profile (minus any personal
information) is used to serve advertisements from Qualcomm
servers. Qualcomm is the maker of Eudora.

Should You Use Ad Supported Programs?

I'm not anti-adware. I've used these programs in the past, and
I'll probably use them again, but I want them to tell me what
information they're gathering, why they're gathering it, and
where they're sending it.

Be up front with it. Make it easy to understand. Most users
aren't lawyers. Like I said, I understand advertising and I
support advertising...ethical advertising.

After researching the company, I may decide to trust them and
install their program. That way, I get a good program for free
and they get their advertising revenue...it can be a
win/win situation.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Educate yourself. Know what you're installing and using on your
computer. Read the EULA.

Visit websites like PCPitstop.com and check out their Spyware
Information Center to learn about spyware and adware. Run their
free online scans to keep your computer safe.

Also visit websites like Safer-Networking.org or Lavasoft.com.
Read their articles and forums. Install Spybot Search & Destroy
and AdAware, which you can get for free from those websites.

And, as you'll see me write over and over, back up your computer
regularly.