would this make my product an adware?

[ali1]

Hi.
I'm considering to include a feature in the freeware version of my product that displays banner advertisements to the user.Also,the program would monitor the user's activities to find out what his/her interests are and display related ads.I might even include a feature that displays extremely targetted ads,for example,if the user is typing an HTML document,then the program would display an ad from a web designing firm.However the ad(s) would be displayed only when the user is running the program,and no hidden software or cookies would be installed.Also,no information would be sent to any 3rd parties,or even me!All of this ads stuff would be removed in the paid version.
Please tell me if that makes my software an adware,if yes,what should i do to minimize the adware effect while not seriously reducing my revenue?

[Cybr1d]

well what type of program is it? So far it sounds like spyware ...by tracking down what their activities. Give us some more information.

[nihil]

Ali,

To be quite honest, yes that would be adware

But that does not make it WRONG...............after all Jupm send me adverts?

Monitoring people's activities is WRONG..............don't do it

I guess you need to think it through?

[Soda_Popinsky]

Yes it would be adware. How would the ads be updated? They would have to be hard wired and would soon be outdated. In that case, it would have to phone home to know what the new pop ups would be.

If you ask me, strip the functionality of the software, and unlock or plugin the functions with the paid version. Or display banner ads on the gui? You could retrieve the banner ads from http and you could update the place they link to when you change the ad.

Otherwise, monitoring user activity aint cool. And pop ups suck.

[Tedob1]

there's nothing wrong with ad sponsored software or adware but traking how the product is used definitly make it spyware. IMO its theft of services and an invasion of privacy when you use the internet connection im paying for to conduct your survey with out my permission. ask people to fill out a form or make it so they have to fill out the form in order to use it. thats up-front and i dont think anyone would complain about that. you may get a few stupid replys but you product wont be deleted by spysearchers and shunned because of it.

[Spyder32]

Yes, that is adware/spyware. However:

Also,no information would be sent to any 3rd parties,or even me!

Then where is it going? Also are you alerting the people using your product that you are taking information from them and monitering their activities while this program is active? To me, it doesn't sound all to good of an idea to put all that into your program. Soda hit the nail on the head:

monitoring user activity aint cool. And pop ups suck.

[SirDice]

Just something to think about:

Spyware is illegal in Holland, adware isn't.

[ali1]

Hi everybody.

Yes it would be adware. How would the ads be updated? They would have to be hard wired and would soon be outdated. In that case, it would have to phone home to know what the new pop ups would be.
If you ask me, strip the functionality of the software, and unlock or plugin the functions with the paid version. Or display banner ads on the gui? You could retrieve the banner ads from http and you could update the place they link to when you change the ad.

Thats what I'm going to do.I'll only display banner ads or text ads which'll be retreived from Http and incorporated into the GUI.However,there would be seperate categories of ads,and the program would monitor which websites the user goes to.if the websites he goes to include a keyword,say,"sports" a lot,then it'll retreive only sports related ads.No information would be given out to any 3rd parties.

I cannot strip the functionality of the software,because I have a bunch of competitors who are already doing that.I want to blow them away by providing my software for free and still earn revenue through advertising while they struggle to make a few sales.

there's nothing wrong with ad sponsored software or adware but traking how the product is used definitly make it spyware. IMO its theft of services and an invasion of privacy when you use the internet connection im paying for to conduct your survey with out my permission. ask people to fill out a form or make it so they have to fill out the form in order to use it. thats up-front and i dont think anyone would complain about that. you may get a few stupid replys but you product wont be deleted by spysearchers and shunned because of it.

I'd like to have them fill out a form rather than track their activities.But in that case,is there anyway I'll display only the ads their interested in?I mean yea I could ask them to check all that they're interested in,and then provide a list of interests,e.g Computers,Sports,Money,etc.But how will I send this information to my proggie so it'll display only the ads related to their interests?

are you alerting the people using your product that you are taking information from them and monitering their activities while this program is active? To me, it doesn't sound all to good of an idea to put all that into your program. Soda hit the nail on the head:

Not alerting them as in displaying a message box or something.But I'm going to put up something on my website that tells them that the free version of the software is fully functional but it displays ads.I'd probably write it down on the page they go to when they're about to download the software.And I'll include a full description of the way their activities are monitered in the Privacy Policy.(would it cost me sales?)
I wont do pop ups,only banner ads or text links.Actually my program uses a Microsoft Agent Character,and I'll often have him speak out the ad text.It'll increase the probability of the user responding to the ad.

i'm sorry about not explaining all of this in the first place which caused a lot of confusion .
So,now that you know what I'm going to do,could you tell me what should i remove,replace,or add?

[Soda_Popinsky]

Actually my program uses a Microsoft Agent Character,and I'll often have him speak out the ad text.

Its going to advertise through SPEECH?

If it were me, and I heard your software talk, I would ditch your software quicker than you can say "Antionline Popups"

[Cybr1d]

Actually my program uses a Microsoft Agent Character,and I'll often have him speak out the ad text.

I'd get a heart attack...ever got a porn popup that talks to you dirty? That **** aint funny if your speakers are on and your neighbor passes right by your door in an apartment!