Blubster finds a better alternative to spyware - P2P-Zone

TankGirl · 08-08-02, 05:41 AM

Slyck has posted Blubster's press release where they announce co-operation with McAfee to help people in their network to avoid virii. The software is free and opt-in, and if there won't be aggressive pushing to those who don't want it, sounds like a good idea to me!

Quote:

from Blubster's press release:

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- McAfee.com (Nasdaq: MCAF - News), a leading provider of Web security services, today announced the launch of a special program to provide security services to the over 3 million users of Blubster, one of the world's most popular peer-to-peer file- sharing networks. Through the program, Blubster users will be offered the McAfee.com SecurityCenter free of charge both during the installation process and through a special security "tab" directly accessible from the Blubster client and created especially to showcase McAfee.com services. Since its launch last year, Blubster has frequently appeared on Download.com's list of Top 50 Most Popular Windows Titles, and is consistently signing up over 20,000 new users per week. The partnership with Blubster further expands McAfee.com's presence in Europe and extends its reach into the Spanish-speaking Internet market.

- tg

kento · 08-08-02, 05:57 PM

this is great news. thanks for sharing and I hope that more p2p applications will follow the progressive lead that Blubster seems to be taking in the p2p community.

btw nice smileys you have here!

alphabeater · 08-08-02, 06:07 PM

bearshare v4 already includes this 'security' tab (between the 'community' and 'theater' buttons on the toolbar). while not as bad as spyware, it's still an annoyance and clutters the interface. it's like an ad posing as a feature, and no way (that i can see) is offered to remove the button once you've seen it and decided you don't want it there.

blubster's been going this way for a while. their site is already pop-up hell with ads for bonzibuddy, internetboost, gator, a deal with a broadband provider and goodness knows what else. i don't understand why they can't just do as trillian (for example) does - make the thing donationware via a link to paypal.

i'm wondering how long until it becomes necessary for someone to make a 'clean blubster'/'blubster lite'.. heck, i already block the homepage in the client.

edit: this story at the register mentions the blubster deal, as well as a similar deal with morpheus (as well as aol and msn!). looks like mcafee are getting aggressive here.. personally i have no desire to install their crappy programs, and no amount of including it them other software is going to change that.

zombywoof · 08-08-02, 07:18 PM

I'd rather see all the bloat left out of these apps like audiognome has done over all this time and deal with security on my own.

JackSpratts · 08-08-02, 08:25 PM

hi kento and welcome to nu, hope you enjoy the boards!

- js.

ssj4_android · 08-08-02, 09:19 PM

You really can't get a virus from blubster. It would be better for McAfee to parner with kazaa.

kento · 09-08-02, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JackSpratts
hi kento and welcome to nu, hope you enjoy the boards!

- js.

thanks JS...there's a lot of reading to do here to get me caught up...i plan to be pretty busy just reading the backlogs in the p2p section for a while...lots of great information here. This site rocks!

Merijn · 09-08-02, 03:03 PM

In other news, a new P2P file sharing client was announced that looks suspicously like Blubster: Sphere

Does this look like a blatant ripoff or what?

kento · 09-08-02, 03:09 PM

that's interesting Merijn i did not know that blubster used md5 hashing....from that screen shot and some of the things being shared: ocx files and shortcut links from the desktop its looks like whomever's files you are browsing is sharing their entire harddrive!.

napho · 09-08-02, 03:27 PM

I don't understand the significance of this tie-in considering that you can already get the Security Center for free.

http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/msc/default.asp

08-08-02, 06:07 PM	#3
alphabeater Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: uk Posts: 97	bearshare v4 already includes this 'security' tab (between the 'community' and 'theater' buttons on the toolbar). while not as bad as spyware, it's still an annoyance and clutters the interface. it's like an ad posing as a feature, and no way (that i can see) is offered to remove the button once you've seen it and decided you don't want it there. blubster's been going this way for a while. their site is already pop-up hell with ads for bonzibuddy, internetboost, gator, a deal with a broadband provider and goodness knows what else. i don't understand why they can't just do as trillian (for example) does - make the thing donationware via a link to paypal. i'm wondering how long until it becomes necessary for someone to make a 'clean blubster'/'blubster lite'.. heck, i already block the homepage in the client. edit: this story at the register mentions the blubster deal, as well as a similar deal with morpheus (as well as aol and msn!). looks like mcafee are getting aggressive here.. personally i have no desire to install their crappy programs, and no amount of including it them other software is going to change that. Last edited by alphabeater : 08-08-02 at 06:42 PM.

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08-08-02, 05:57 PM	#2
kento Apprentice Napsterite Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 88	this is great news. thanks for sharing and I hope that more p2p applications will follow the progressive lead that Blubster seems to be taking in the p2p community. btw nice smileys you have here!

08-08-02, 07:18 PM	#4
zombywoof Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 2,160	I'd rather see all the bloat left out of these apps like audiognome has done over all this time and deal with security on my own.

08-08-02, 08:25 PM	#5
JackSpratts Join Date: May 2001 Location: New England Posts: 10,018	hi kento and welcome to nu, hope you enjoy the boards! - js.

08-08-02, 09:19 PM	#6
ssj4_android Redefining Reality Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 406	You really can't get a virus from blubster. It would be better for McAfee to parner with kazaa.

09-08-02, 03:03 PM	#8
Merijn Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: NL Posts: 107	In other news, a new P2P file sharing client was announced that looks suspicously like Blubster: Sphere Does this look like a blatant ripoff or what?

09-08-02, 03:09 PM	#9
kento Apprentice Napsterite Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 88	that's interesting Merijn i did not know that blubster used md5 hashing....from that screen shot and some of the things being shared: ocx files and shortcut links from the desktop its looks like whomever's files you are browsing is sharing their entire harddrive!.

09-08-02, 03:27 PM	#10
napho Dawn's private genie Join Date: May 2001 Location: the Canadian wasteland Posts: 4,461	I don't understand the significance of this tie-in considering that you can already get the Security Center for free. http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/msc/default.asp