“Spyware” Under Attack by Government

October 12, 2004 D. H. McKee

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AccountingWEB.com – October 12, 2004 – By taking advantage of a hole in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser, hackers have been able to introduce ‘spyware’ or ‘adware,’ which is downloaded on to hard drives without owners’ knowledge. The scourge causes countless ‘pop-up’ ads to appear, driving many users away from their computers. But now, the government is cracking down.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission last week filed a legal complaint against two companies that allegedly infected computers with spyware and pop-up advertising, then tried to sell their owners spyware-blocking software, IDG News Service reported.
And, last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SPY ACT (Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass), which outlaws computer technology that downloads programs onto users’ computers without their permission. The spyware legislation is not yet law, IDG reported.
The FTC charges the two defendants, Sanford Wallace, owner or president of Seismic Entertainment Products, based in Rochester, New Hampshire, and SmartBot.Net, based in Richboro, Pennsylvania, with using unfair business practices by marketing “purported” antispyware software called Spy Wiper and Spy Deleter to Internet users through pop-up ads on websites controlled by Seismic Entertainment, IDG reported.
‘Spyware’ Under Attack by Government

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As a guy who occasionally curates art shows and wrangles artists together, I often have to edit and post artist bios, profile pictures, and artwork images. This can be a problem, since many artists and writers aren’t used to selling themselves. Artists rarely know how to present their art for display in a brochure, and writers aren’t used to writing about themselves.

Writers often treat the bio like it’s an interview or something. Maybe like they’re having a conversation with you, the reader. While it may work sometimes, the most common way to write a bio is to write in the 3rd person.

I’m like those writers, and I’m talking to you directly, unlike the common way to do a bio. You should see my About page. It makes sense to me, since this is a bit which describes my blog’s website. When I get famous enough that I don’t have time to talk to you, I’ll have an intern write everything in 3rd person. Until then, you get to talk to me.

Like blogs of old, this one is a personal document of the comings and goings of me. Articles I’ve written, links I’ve posted, videos I liked, etc. Here, a first-person perspective is the way to go, at least for now. So, this is my site. I’m D. H. McKee, a sometimes artist, sometimes writer. Mostly just a guy on the internet.