I am curious if all of you are as angry as I am about the Hijacking of our web traffic and also the alteration of our web site content by a new product called TopText (that comes bundled with Kazaa), which has been downloaded almost 7 Million times in the last month or two from CNET Downloads?
TopText takes your text on all of your pages and uses that text to link to your competitor's sites without your permission and knowledge.
As if that wasn't bad enough, they go one step further. TopText not only uses your keywords to advertise for your competitors, but all of your normal hyperlinked words are turned into "drop down lists" that force the user to decide whether they stay on your site or whether they want to visit your competitor's site. Your visitors are FORCED to choose to stay on your site when they encounter your own hyperlinked words.
This browser plug-in is hijacking visitors from your own web site against your will, and unlike Microsoft Smart Tags they have informed us all that we cannot opt out, the MS meta tags to opt out of Smart Tags doesn't work with TopText.
Not only that, but the program called "Kaaza" is what users are really downloading, and most are not aware of this "TopText" plague that is installed onto their system when Kazaa is installed, so users are not making a conscious choice but are usually unaware.
There are so many other facts that have surfaced regarding this issue in the last couple days, too many to list here, if you would like to get caught up on some important issues regarding this subject the below two discussions have been covering this issue, including responses from the company itself and a couple links to a free javascript that for now kills the effects (but it's only a temporary solution).
http://gethighforums.com/Forum10/HTML/001386.html
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showt...20&pagenumber=1
This issue is so important that it affects every webmaster on the planet, this is a new technology that far outweighs the damage of spam email, especially if it is left to grow without opposition.
Jaiem posted this at 12:56 — 15th August 2001.
They have: 1,192 posts
Joined: Apr 1999
One on hand, a very clever mechanism.
OTOH, I think a case can be made it is theft (not a lawyer).
Megan posted this at 13:10 — 15th August 2001.
She has: 10,228 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
We've already been talking about this in another thread - here's the link:
http://www.webmaster-forums.com/showthread.php?threadid=15045
Scary, eh?
Welcome to TWF BTW - I hope you'll stop by the Introductions forum and let us know a little more about yourself
Megan
My web design blog
mjames posted this at 22:08 — 15th August 2001.
They have: 2,064 posts
Joined: Dec 1999
Use Morpheus - you get access to all the files on KazaA and no spyware. I am not effected by TopText, I don't believe.
Marc James - marc@sports-central.org
Sports Central - Beyond the Scores
Sports Boards | Sports Newsletter | Spy Cam
Justin S posted this at 00:58 — 16th August 2001.
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Joined: Jun 1999
That's correct Marc. Morpheus doesn't install that "virus" like KazZa.
Jaiem posted this at 21:01 — 16th August 2001.
They have: 1,192 posts
Joined: Apr 1999
I just noticed a similar thing on a free email portal I use.
I received a message with the phrase "web hosting" in it. The phrase was highlighted (inversed) and when clicked on took you to a hosting site with the message "Sponsored by XXXX".
Very very cheesy!!!!
Jaiem
Ocean View Host - FREE domain name, 1 month FREE hosting!
Black Hole posted this at 01:19 — 17th August 2001.
They have: 4 posts
Joined: Aug 2001
by the way, ODP/DMOZ directory has created a whole new sub category for EZULA and it's unethical practices, listed below.
any new anti-ezula pages are being expedited and added within a day or two from what i understand, so if anybody adds an anti-ezula page to their site and submits it then it will surely get added to ODP very quickly:)
http://dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Business/Allegedly_Unethical_Firms/Ezula/