Wednesday, May 18, 2005

A New Category of Software

Computer users are learning a virtual taxonomy of types of “bad” software. Viruses, worms, Trojan horses, adware and spyware are all becoming part of the regular vocabulary of computer users. Microsoft is now making a tool to detect and remove what it collectively calls “malware”. And Congress is even now trying to define exactly what “spyware” means in order to make it illegal.

As with many technical issues that become political issues, many people are fighting over the definition of the terms involved. In this case, companies making software addon’s like Weatherbug want to make sure they are not lumped in with the bad guys. But many IT professionals consider these programs to be part of the spyware problem.

Some types of spyware are obvious to everyone. When a program watches which web pages a user reads, and reports it as marketing research, almost everyone agrees it’s wrong. This type of spyware invades our privacy, often without our permission. And even when it gets our permission, it does so in the fine print of the License Agreement for other software.

Weatherbug is installed with software like AOL Instant Messenger. It displays current weather conditions and sends severe weather alerts. The only information about the user it displays is the user’s location, and even that is selected by the user. And the weather information is often the same that is displayed by web pages like Yahoo. So why do many people call it spyware?

In order to understand the problem, remember that in many cases, the best upgrade to speed up a machine is memory. When the total of the operating system and the applications in use exceeds the actual RAM installed on the system, the computer starts using the hard drive swap file as memory. The hard drive is far slower than RAM, hundreds to thousands of times slower depending on exactly how you measure it. So not having enough RAM for all your programs can slow a computer greatly.

The problem with programs like Weatherbug is they add more memory consumption, slowing your computer. And they do it without being asked, since they are installed with some other program you need. They can be uninstalled by a knowledgeable user, so they are extra work for an IT department to remove. Since they arrive secretly, and suck the speed from your computer, I have taken to calling them “vampire ware”.

They are not just a problem for inexperienced users. When I am traveling, I find playing Online Role Playing Games a good way to spend time with friends I can’t see face to face. Playing games on a laptop with limited memory means I had to remove everything I could. When I looked at my memory consumption, I saw that Real Audio’s Message Center was taking a noticeable chunk. But I could not find how to uninstall it. So I called their tech support, and was told there was no way to remove it without removing Real Audio itself. Which, of course, I did.

By uninstalling Real Audio, there are many web sites with video that I can’t watch. Many programs people rely on are starting to include “vampire ware”. Adobe’s Acrobat Reader’s new version requires you to install a toolbar from Yahoo. I can’t live without Acrobat Reader, but I’m hoping I can live without the new version until I find a way around it.

The current round of legislation against spyware is not going to stop this problem. These programs do not do things everyone agrees should be illegal, like invading privacy. Too many big companies are adding them, and they will be sure to educate Congress that their programs are different. Unfortunately, it will be difficult for market forces to stop companies like Real Audio and Adobe from abusing their position as market leaders. I’d like to think the title “vampire ware” might shame them into changing. More likely complaints from IT departments might be enough to convince them otherwise. At least by differentiating software that invades our privacy from software that drains our computers, maybe we have a chance to be rid of them both.