(no subject)
Sep. 30th, 2002 10:21 amFile-sharing software steals from website owners.
(okay, that's a bit melodramatic.) The upshot is that, along with the adware and spyware that file-sharing programs like Morpheus and Kazaa install on your computer, there's one that hijacks affiliate site commissions for places like Amazon. So, if you try to order books from Amazon via Joe-Bob's Kewl Site, the software replaces the affiliate code so that it looks like you were ordering via Morpheus or Kazaa or wherever. Bah.
One developer says "While I agree that this is really a bit of a scam, it is a way for us to pay salaries while not adversely affecting our users." It's okay for us to steal as long as we're not stealing from our customers.
(okay, that's a bit melodramatic.) The upshot is that, along with the adware and spyware that file-sharing programs like Morpheus and Kazaa install on your computer, there's one that hijacks affiliate site commissions for places like Amazon. So, if you try to order books from Amazon via Joe-Bob's Kewl Site, the software replaces the affiliate code so that it looks like you were ordering via Morpheus or Kazaa or wherever. Bah.
One developer says "While I agree that this is really a bit of a scam, it is a way for us to pay salaries while not adversely affecting our users." It's okay for us to steal as long as we're not stealing from our customers.