hello All,
A web site was launched recently and announced on the radio today that I thought I would bring to your attention. We have been plagued in the last couple of years with adware and spyware and a host of other malicious software. In its most benign form, it intrudes into your work and fun; in its more malicious forms it collects sensitive data and can lead to identity theft. In between there are companies that do market research on the data collected without your knowledge. 

There are a number of solutions, of course--Google or Windows XP popup blockers, being careful about clicking on popups, installing anti spyrware software, using a limited user account instead of an adminsitrator account. 

Many individuals are fighting this malicious software in many ways, but this new web site seems to be taking a completely different approach. its main purpose seems to be to expose the actual companies that are doing this practice and finding ways to stop them by giving information about them and their software to the public. It is a non-profit organization with corporate sponsors such as Google and Sun. Harvard and Oxford univiersities are the primary organizers so it has a definite academic flavo to it. There is a FAQ and ways that we individuals can get involved in helping the project. 

Of course not all things are as they always seem, so if someone finds that the site is not what it seems, please let me know and I'll retract this. But, after taking a good look at it, it seems legit to me.

Take a look for yourself at
http://www.stopbadware.org/ 
or
http://www.stopbadware.com/ 

Pass it along--we need to have more than just a defensive stance on this.

thanks,
winslow 

Winslow Parker
Adaptive Technology Specialist 
Oregon commission for the Blind
535 SE 12th Avenue 
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 731-3221
ext 245
[log in to unmask] 


Winslow Parker
Adaptive Technology Specialist 
Oregon commission for the Blind
535 SE 12th Avenue 
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 731-3221
ext 245
[log in to unmask]


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