Comments on: Have You Paid A Hacker Today? http://affiliatefairplay.com/newsblog/2007/04/02/have-you-paid-a-hacker-today/ Resources For Fair Practices In Affiliate Marketing Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:17:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Catwoman http://affiliatefairplay.com/newsblog/2007/04/02/have-you-paid-a-hacker-today/#comment-9382 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:05:41 +0000 http://affiliatefairplay.com/newsblog/2007/04/02/have-you-paid-a-hacker-today/#comment-9382 Unfortunately... [quote]Are the standards in the Industry how much money someone is making regardless of how it’s being made?[/quote] I read this in forums all the time and for many (both affiliates and merchants) that's exactly what matters - how much money they make regardless of how it is generated. Some merchants turn a blind eye to spam because it makes sales, and that's probably even more true in the adult industry. However, these days I get a lot more mainstream spam than porn, so... who knows? They turn a blind eye to adware because they THINK it makes them more money. But most times, if not 100% of the time, that's far from being the case. The bottomline is still the same, it makes them money and probably costs very little. I think that the rental/trading of "bots" is what makes the most money. I call adware the icing on the cake because it's extra bucks for downloads, not necessarily their main source of income. Maybe I'm totally wrong, I need to read up more on that. Here I think it's important to distinguish adware from spyware/malware. I know I've been guilty more often than not about calling everything spyware, but there are instances where it's important to see the difference. Although everything seems to be interrelated in one way or another. I find it interesting to see how it's done, how they're discovered, and what they can do once they get their bots, you know, how it all works. I wish I had more technical knowledge to dig deeper into that dark side of the cyberworld. It's a very sophisticated ring that few people understand and even fewer know about. Even in this day and age... for so many, just the mention of "adware" is like a foreign language to their ears, how do you explain botnets to them? Catwoman Unfortunately…

[quote]Are the standards in the Industry how much money someone is making regardless of how it’s being made?[/quote]

I read this in forums all the time and for many (both affiliates and merchants) that’s exactly what matters - how much money they make regardless of how it is generated.

Some merchants turn a blind eye to spam because it makes sales, and that’s probably even more true in the adult industry. However, these days I get a lot more mainstream spam than porn, so… who knows?

They turn a blind eye to adware because they THINK it makes them more money. But most times, if not 100% of the time, that’s far from being the case.

The bottomline is still the same, it makes them money and probably costs very little.

I think that the rental/trading of “bots” is what makes the most money. I call adware the icing on the cake because it’s extra bucks for downloads, not necessarily their main source of income. Maybe I’m totally wrong, I need to read up more on that.

Here I think it’s important to distinguish adware from spyware/malware. I know I’ve been guilty more often than not about calling everything spyware, but there are instances where it’s important to see the difference. Although everything seems to be interrelated in one way or another.

I find it interesting to see how it’s done, how they’re discovered, and what they can do once they get their bots, you know, how it all works. I wish I had more technical knowledge to dig deeper into that dark side of the cyberworld.

It’s a very sophisticated ring that few people understand and even fewer know about. Even in this day and age… for so many, just the mention of “adware” is like a foreign language to their ears, how do you explain botnets to them?

Catwoman

]]> by: Kellie AFP http://affiliatefairplay.com/newsblog/2007/04/02/have-you-paid-a-hacker-today/#comment-9303 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 06:06:37 +0000 http://affiliatefairplay.com/newsblog/2007/04/02/have-you-paid-a-hacker-today/#comment-9303 Merchants and Networks really need to wake up to where some of their dollars are going, hence what they are actually helping to fund. "I didn't know" isn't good enough. Is this really the type of stuff we want connected with this industry? IMO, turning a blind eye to it is just as bad as allowing it. Merchants and Networks really need to wake up to where some of their dollars are going, hence what they are actually helping to fund. “I didn’t know” isn’t good enough. Is this really the type of stuff we want connected with this industry? IMO, turning a blind eye to it is just as bad as allowing it.

]]> by: Catwoman http://affiliatefairplay.com/newsblog/2007/04/02/have-you-paid-a-hacker-today/#comment-9270 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:25:13 +0000 http://affiliatefairplay.com/newsblog/2007/04/02/have-you-paid-a-hacker-today/#comment-9270 Thank you for posting the presentation link. It was interesting. I find botnets "fascinating" in a sick way. I tend to call them the "cake" and adware the "icing on the cake". I will definitely be reading up more on that. Catwoman Thank you for posting the presentation link. It was interesting. I find botnets “fascinating” in a sick way. I tend to call them the “cake” and adware the “icing on the cake”. I will definitely be reading up more on that.

Catwoman

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