Y Combinator is funding the future of spam in Windows

At 30c to $1.50 per install, these software companies are under a lot of pressure to make their money back and convert users. This would inevitably lead to some questionable practises which Install Monetizer can claim to be at arms length from.

Software I accidentally install, or am offered to install always leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and reflects badly on the software I am originally trying to install.

Re: Y Combinator is funding the future of spam in Windows

#6

Post by btipling » Tue, Jan 15, 2013, 1:02 PM UTC

Winzip and Nero use the Ask Partner Network (I used to work there on the Ask Toolbar) to monetize their free software, so that is probably where that first email came from.

http://apn.ask.com/

There's also conduit:

http://toolbar.conduit.com/

Re: Y Combinator is funding the future of spam in Windows

#7

Post by jamesjguthrie » Tue, Jan 15, 2013, 1:03 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #2

[deleted]

It has spyware in it. It makes the user's IP and MAC available.

Re: Y Combinator is funding the future of spam in Windows

#8

Post by speeder » Tue, Jan 15, 2013, 1:04 PM UTC

Kliment wrote: post #3

[deleted] wrote: post #2

[deleted]

It is malware. It is immoral and evil. "Legitimate business" is just bullshit speak for "nobody lobbied to make it illegal".

Exactly.

It is like the Aaron case, what the prosecutor did was perfectly legal too and also actually normal in US justice system.

Re: Y Combinator is funding the future of spam in Windows

#9

Post by pflats » Tue, Jan 15, 2013, 1:05 PM UTC

venomsnake wrote: post #4

Well, a lot of education about sandboxie or similar software to the users and making the app recovery process more precise and this company is dead. Any business model based on annoying and abusing your users is not viable in the long term.

What about a business model based on encouraging other, more desperate developers to annoy and abuse their users? I imagine that's quite viable.

Re: Y Combinator is funding the future of spam in Windows

#10

Post by alanctgardner2 » Tue, Jan 15, 2013, 1:05 PM UTC

Likely they got funded because they have a real way to make money! Unlike whoever offers the next airbnb for dogs.

From an ethical standpoint, better the devil you know? Windows freeware developers deserve some compensation for their work, and this seems less scuzzy than other drive-by downloaders. If it became widespread it might break out of the user-exploitation ghetto and pick up real, actually synergistic software to intelligently recommend.