would this make my product an adware?

[ali1]

haha

nah actually the software's job is to talk.The character's gonna talk the user through the process of using the software.And,in the talking,he's gonna churp in a few sentences of advertisement

[Cybr1d]

hey Ali...its called Bonzi Buddy...and it aint cool!

[hypronix]

I guess what you could do to make it less of a spyware type program is to have the adserver send banners, and the program [based on adaptive rules based on keyword preponderance] could reject them. This way there's no outbound traffic from your program to the server, but it might have the server do more work.

Honestly, I also think you should drop the speech advertising. It really sounds uncool and could be very disruptive for most users.

[kryptonic]

They way I see it yes it would be Adware.

[zENGER]

Why don't you make it nagware and pop up a little disclaimer or something and make the user wait 5-10 seconds or something. This serves the same purpose of making the user want to get the full release without getting the nasty ad-ware/spy-ware tag added to it.

[the_JinX]

Let's have some fun with the agent..

add this to your website

<script language="VBScript">
<!--
' * Character Objects
Dim Robby

' * Variables
Dim UsedChars
Dim RobbyID
Dim RobbyACS
Dim RobbyLoaded
Dim HideReq
Dim Req

' * Initialize
UsedChars = "Robby"

' * Robby
RobbyID = "Robby"
RobbyACS = "robby.acs"
RobbyLoaded = False


' * Prevent Auto-Download of Microsoft Agent if not already installed
If AgentInstalled() Then
    Document.WriteLn "<object id=""AgentControl"" width=""0"" height=""0"""
    Document.WriteLn "  classid=""CLSID:D45FD31B-5C6E-11D1-9EC1-00C04FD7081F"""
    Document.WriteLn "  codebase=""#VERSION=2,0,0,0"">"
    Document.WriteLn "</object>"

    Document.WriteLn "<object id=""L&HTruVoice"" width=""0"" height=""0"""
    Document.WriteLn "  classid=""CLSID:B8F2846E-CE36-11D0-AC83-00C04FD97575"""
    Document.WriteLn "  codebase=""#VERSION=6,0,0,0"">"
    Document.WriteLn "</object>"
End If

Function AgentInstalled()
    ' Purpose:  Returns True if Agent 2.0 is installed, else False
    On Error Resume Next

    Dim AgentControl

    If ScriptEngineMajorVersion < 2 Then
        AgentInstalled = False
    Else
        Set AgentControl = CreateObject("Agent.Control.2")
        AgentInstalled = IsObject(AgentControl)
    End If
End Function

Sub Window_OnLoad()
    ' Purpose:  Runs automatically when page is loaded
    On Error Resume Next


    Call AgentMain
End Sub

Sub AgentMain()
    On Error Resume Next

    If Not AgentInstalled() Then
        Exit Sub
    End If

    AgentControl.Connected = True

    RobbyLoaded = LoadLocalAgent(RobbyID, RobbyACS)

    If Not RobbyLoaded Then
    	' Attempt to load default character
    	RobbyLoaded = LoadLocalAgent(RobbyID, "")
    End If

    If RobbyLoaded Then
        Call SetCharObj
    End If

    Call CheckLoadStatus
End Sub

Function LoadLocalAgent(ByVal CharID, ByVal CharACS)
    ' Purpose:  Attempts to load the specified character
    ' Returns:  True if successful, False if not
    On Error Resume Next

    If CharACS = "" Then
    	AgentControl.Characters.Load CharID
    Else
    	AgentControl.Characters.Load CharID, CharACS
    End If

    If Err = 0 Then
        LoadLocalAgent = True
        Exit Function
    End If
    LoadLocalAgent = False
End Function

Sub SetCharObj()
    ' Purpose:  Sets the character reference and TTS Language ID
    On Error Resume Next

    Set Robby = AgentControl.Characters(RobbyID)
    Robby.LanguageID = &H409
End Sub

Sub CheckLoadStatus()
    ' Purpose:  Determines if required characters have been loaded.
    '           If not, issue request to load next character
    '           else run the AgentIntro routine

    If Not RobbyLoaded Then
        Call LoadError
        Exit Sub
    End If

    Window.Status = ""
    Call AgentIntro
End Sub

Sub AgentControl_RequestComplete(ByVal RequestObject)
    ' Purpose:  Take action on completion or failure of requests
    On Error Resume Next

End Sub

Sub LoadError()
    Dim strMsg
    Window.Status = ""
    strMsg = "Error Loading Character: " & RobbyID
    strMsg = strMsg & Chr(13) & Chr(13) & "This Microsoft Agent Script requires the character(s):"
    strMsg = strMsg & Chr(13) & UsedChars
    MsgBox strMsg, 48
End Sub

Sub AgentControl_Click(ByVal CharacterID, ByVal Button, ByVal Shift, ByVal X, ByVal Y)

End Sub

Sub AgentControl_DblClick(ByVal CharacterID, ByVal Button, ByVal Shift, ByVal X, ByVal Y)
    ' Purpose:  Stop and Hide all characters on double-click
    On Error Resume Next

    Robby.StopAll
    If Not RobbyID.HasOtherClients Then
        If Robby.Visible Then
            Set HideReq = Robby.Hide()
        Else
            AgentControl.Characters.Unload RobbyID
        End If
    End If
End Sub

Sub InitAgentCommands()
    ' Purpose:  Initialize the Commands menu
    On Error Resume Next

    Robby.Commands.RemoveAll
    Robby.Commands.Caption = "My Menu Name"
    Robby.Commands.Add "ACO", "Advanced Character Options", "Advanced Character Options"
End Sub

Sub AgentControl_Command(ByVal UserInput)
    ' Purpose:  Determine Command that was selected either by menu or voice
    '           and run the applicable Command Script
    On Error Resume Next

    Dim BadConfidence
    BadConfidence = 10

    If (UserInput.Confidence <= -40) Then
        ' Bad Recognition
        Exit Sub
    ElseIf (UserInput.Alt1Name <> "") And Abs(Abs(UserInput.Alt1Confidence) - Abs(UserInput.Confidence)) < BadConfidence Then
        ' Bad Confidence - too close to another command
        Exit Sub
    ElseIf (UserInput.Alt2Name <> "") And Abs(Abs(UserInput.Alt2Confidence) - Abs(UserInput.Confidence)) < BadConfidence Then
        ' Bad Confidence - too close to another command
        Exit Sub
    Else ' High Confidence

        Select Case UserInput.Name
        Case "ACO"
            AgentControl.PropertySheet.Visible = True
        End Select

    End If
End Sub

Sub AgentControl_Bookmark(ByVal BookmarkID)
    On Error Resume Next

End Sub

Sub AgentIntro()
    On Error Resume Next

    Call InitAgentCommands

	Robby.Show
	Robby.Get "State", "Hiding"
	Robby.Play "Greet"
	Robby.Speak "Hey you !!!"
	Robby.Play "GetAttention"
	Robby.Speak "Yeah you . . . .                 Lamer !!"
	Robby.Play "Acknowledge"
	Robby.Speak "You are using Windows and Internet explorer.."
	Robby.Speak "You invited me !!"
	Robby.MoveTo 300, 250
	Robby.Speak "Muahahahahaha!!"
	Robby.MoveTo 100, 150
	Robby.Play "Write"
	Robby.Speak "That's noted.."
	Robby.Play "WriteContinued"
	Robby.Speak "lamer using windows and internet explorer"
	Robby.Play "WriteContinued"
	Robby.Speak "having office or some other agent enabled software installed"
	Robby.Play "WriteContinued"
	Robby.Speak "heh.. let's have some fun.."
	Robby.Play "WriteReturn"	
	Robby.MoveTo 10,400
	Robby.Play "Read"
	Robby.Speak "Whell a clean install would do.."
	Robby.Play "ReadReturn"
	Robby.Play "Acknowledge"
	Robby.Speak "Why don't you go download a real browser?"
	Robby.Play "Think"
	Robby.Speak "Or better yet, a real Operating System...."
	Robby.MoveTo 300, 50
	Robby.Speak "not some 32 bit frontend to a 16 bit operating system, originally designed for an 8 bit CPU, with a 4 bit system bus, made by a 2 bit company that can't stand 1 bit of competition."
	Robby.Speak "I hear the only place you're ever invited is outside."
	Robby.Hide
 	
End Sub
-->
</script>

Works on most win systems with internet explorer and that agent thingy

[al1aprize]

well... it depends on what kind of speech program it is...if it is a speech recording/meeting program, the user can get confused...usualy, if theres an ad-free alternative, the user will change to that program instead, so be careful

[mungyun]

Robby.Speak "not some 32 bit frontend to a 16 bit operating system, originally designed for an 8 bit CPU, with a 4 bit system bus, made by a 2 bit company that can't stand 1 bit of competition."

Hahaha, I like that.

Ali, I am just a consumer and from what I've read I'm not too interested. No matter what it is, I'd think it would be too much of a hassle. A lot of product buyers want simplicity, and having to hear someone telling them what to do won't give that.

Just a consumers opinion.

[wildred]

I can say this....I work for a company that sells an antispyware program. This being said, I can promise you your program would get "caught" and removed from the stuff you mentioned having added in to your program.

[ShagDevil]

Ali1, I think a good idea would be to check the guidelines that Spybot S&D uses to classify adware, spyware etc. Maybe this can give you a good idea on what one of the leading spyware/adware cleaners looks for in a program. While your intentions may be legit, you have to remember that you won't be generating any revenue if you get a bad rep and nobody downloads your free program, let alone invest in a paid version.
Personally, the minute I see anything that says "track" or "monitor" in the EULA, it's an almost instant red flag.