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MSG Plus! - update warning!

Asked by Monkeh,

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Monkeh

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FYI, When you install the automatically downloaded MSN Plus update (support for 6.2), it automatically installs a toolbar and some other kind(s) of spyware onto your computer. One was installed into the Program Files/Mp3Grid folder and another was installed into Documents and Settings/Local Data/Temp (Enable view hidden folders to view this folder).

So be careful when you try to update... and download it separately if possible, since the installer would probably have an option to disable the ad/spyware (unless Patchou has become greedier).

Edit: I was wrong :o. As long as you choose "I refuse, do not install the sponsor program" when the window that looks like an EULA agreement pops up, the adware/spyware will NOT install.

If you installed it with the sponsorship program already, follow this guide to remove it.

Also, feel free to flame me for my blunder (even Patchou agrees! do what your god says!). Hateful attention isn't that bad sometimes, especially when other people put a lot of effort into it :happy:.

Edited by Monkeh
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Grand Master

mipra

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Patchou must be hurt to hear this opinion :cry: . Try to read CAREFULLY during the installation..and you should be able to avoid all the spyware inside. I have been using Messenger Plus! (Yes.....the name is Messenger Plus!, not MSN Plus! :unsure: ), and I have found no adwares at all...as long as you choose I REFUSE not to install sponsor program. Yet, you still can continue :). Enjoy a great program guys! Patchou has done a really great job in creating this add-ons. This is the best out there.

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Patchou

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Thank you guys for defending my little program. It is true that the sponsor has never been forced to anyone's computer and it enver will. And the uninstaller works perfectly so I suggest you not to try to delete the sponsor's files yourself if you want to remove it.

Messenger Plus! 3 won't have an Automatic/Custom installation mode anymore, that way, I guess it will prevent posts like "nothign is asked in automatic mode", which is not true as you all already know. As for the auto-update, I may have to add an extra warning during the update, I don't know... it's always the same story each time I release one. I'll think about it.

Thanks for the support guys! It's much aprpeciated :). It's just too bad that the whole first page of this thread contains only negative things and insults regarding me about my software. That's what everyone will see when surfing on this topic.

Patchou

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Monkeh

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Thank you guys for defending my little program. It is true that the sponsor has never been forced to anyone's computer and it enver will. And the uninstaller works perfectly so I suggest you not to try to delete the sponsor's files yourself if you want to remove it.

Messenger Plus! 3 won't have an Automatic/Custom installation mode anymore, that way, I guess it will prevent posts like "nothign is asked in automatic mode", which is not true as you all already know. As for the auto-update, I may have to add an extra warning during the update, I don't know... it's always the same story each time I release one. I'll think about it.

Thanks for the support guys! It's much aprpeciated :). It's just too bad that the whole first page of this thread contains only negative things and insults regarding me about my software. That's what everyone will see when surfing on this topic.

Patchou

Well, it is our fault for not carefully reading the options, and I apologize for that and for overreacting a bit for seeing 2 huge bars pop out of nowhere, having my homepage chained to some weird site and getting 2-4 pop ups for each page opened.

However, most people will mistake it as a 100 page EULA agreement and just look at the first word, I ACCEPT. So, you probably figured "what better place to put it than in a window that looks exactly like an EULA and that most people wont bother reading and just choose I ACCEPT?" ...be honest, who reads EULAs.

Thanks for at least providing info on how to completely remove the sponsor programs. You might want to find a better way of warning users of what they are going to install in the sponsorship window; such as displaying the name of the sponsors in the I ACCEPT label and at least add a visible "spyware or adware" to the options. Yes, I learned my lesson, but I'm sure you've ticked off a lot of other msn plus! users... and some probably don't know how to remove the sponsorship stuff.

As for the people that are flaming and not providing any help on how to remove it (my thanks to those who did), you're just pulling yourself down to my level.

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JorgeIvan

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i dont knwo WHAT the **** you people are talking about.. i have used plus since it was first around, AGES ago, and i have yet to have adware put onto my computer.. i dont know what your peoples problem is, but you do realize its an OPTION to have or not have the adware?

the people are stuped buddy they don READ THE OPTIONS

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john smith 1924 Veteran

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Hi patchou, welcome to neowin :)

And thanks for making a great program. As ever (and as i'm sure you appreciate), peoples innate ability to ignore warnings / readmes / help files is the problem here. As members have suggested, it might be cleared up by just making it a touch more clear as to what is being ticked.

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NtOrZor

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i like msn plus, they son't force anything apon you, but i accidently installed sponcer program once and the blue bar doesn't go away 

All you have to do is uninstall messenger plus and then reinstall it again and remember to REFUSE installing the sponser programs.

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saxondale.

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come on people, patchou has done nothing, he just makes great software for people to enjoy. Just to make it clear for some people:

accept sponser: "ad-ware" is installed

refuse sponser: just Plus!

When you update Plus! through the "check for updates" is goes through the same set up again if i am not mistaken:

accept sponser: "ad-ware" is installed

refuse sponser: just Plus!

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Eli

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I would like to personally say that no one is an idiot here or stupid. I have been using MSN Plus since it was still in its first stages and loved it ever since. I myself almost came close to installing the sponsership program many times because I was mislead by the agreement. Patchou just a suggestion, after you click "I AGEE" to the sponsership, just place a pop-up-box that says "Note that you accepted the sponsership program to be installed on your computer. Are you sure you wish to do this".

I have never had a problem with the sponsership program before and unless he forces it on you, I don't see why I ever will.

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itsnotabigtruck

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The "Messenger Plus! Community Forums" are a bunch of spyware Nazis. Everybody there would launch a full blown attack on anyone who questioned the addition of spyware to Plus!.

I don't care if you can click REFUSE. All the NOOBS will still click ACCEPT because they think that it's like a regular EULA IN ANY APP and think that they have to ACCEPT. PATCHOU MAKES MONEY OFF THIS. LOP.COM WOULDN'T PAY PATCHOU UNLESS A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE INSTALLED THEIR SPYWARE.

I don't care if Patchou argued with Lop.com to make it a little more benign. SPYWARE IS SPYWARE. THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE. Patchou keeps arguing in favor of the spyware because HE MAKES MONEY THAT WAY.

I am so tired of people DEFENDING SPYWARE IN PLUS!. I know that I can always click REFUSE, and reinstall Plus! if I ACCIDENTALLY INSTALLED the spyware. HOWEVER, most people DON'T KNOW THAT REINSTALLING PLUS! WILL REMOVE THE SPYWARE.

Finally, EVEN THOUGH I AM AWARE OF THE SPYWARE, I am now forced to double-, triple-, quadruple-check that REFUSE is selected.

Edited by memodude
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john smith 1924 Veteran

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It is - - the titled will be edited for clarity.

memodude, end of the day you authorize the installation of this software. I think i know who is to blame here- and it isn't patchou. I'd rather have people bundle optional spyware to fund such great program development. Although i think i would pay for msg plus- it's that key a program to me.

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NtOrZor

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Posted
I don't care if you can click REFUSE. All the NOOBS will still click ACCEPT because they think that it's like a regular EULA IN ANY APP and think that they have to ACCEPT. PATCHOU MAKES MONEY OFF THIS. LOP.COM WOULDN'T PAY PATCHOU UNLESS A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE INSTALLED THEIR SPYWARE.

So what? He should make money off this. Just in cased you didn't know, developing a program isn't exactly "easy". It takes time and resources. Patchou could spend his time working and earning money instead of developing a program everybody loves. So in return, I think it is only fair that he's putting spyware on his program, and let poeple OPTIONALLY install the spyware if they choose to do so (or if they can't READ CAREFULLY). Everybody needs money to live, Patchou included.

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el22

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Posted
Is this Msgplus (msgplus.net)?

Im not certain

Yep, that's what we're talking about.
PATCHOU MAKES MONEY OFF THIS.

Oh the drama! Patchou lets users choose whether to continue helping him with money or not! Patchou is being rewarded for his time put in the program! God, that's being greedy ain't it?!

And as for the one who mentioned making it payware, we all know it will be cracked in 5 minutes and everyone who is willing to pay for the program will download it illegally if they find it anywhere rather than actually buying it (and given the quality and popularity of the product, they will). IF he made it shareware, everybody will complain even more.

Now, I don't see the problem.

Those who don't want the adware won't install it.

Those who don't care about it will install it and support Patchou.

Those who accidentally install it and are bothered by the adware will research and find out that they just have to uninstall the software and reinstall it without the sponsor.

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zhangm Supervisor

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Bah, this thread is just the byproduct of some moron's sense of 1337ness being hurt because they didn't bother to read and accidentally (on purpose) installed adware on their computer, and they can't bring themselves to admit that it was their fault and that they were stupid...

There's really very little point in defending Patchou; its not his fault. I'd really hate to see Plus! become payware because of a few immature brats screwing themselves over with their own ineptitude.

When all is said and done, there's very little left to do but point and laugh at the people who installed spyware... You had a Yes/No choice to make, along with detailed instructions on what the outcome of each choice would be, and you pushed Yes. Haha, fool!

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+BeLGaRaTh Subscriber¹

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These threads are 10 a penny whenever a new version is released ... If only people would learn to read, instead of being click happy. Everything would be fine then.

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Patchou

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Of course I'm earning some money with the sponsor, if I didn't, you would all still be using Messenger Plus! 2.20 :). Also, I do not support spywares, and that's precisely why I bundle an adware program, that is very very different. One of the differences is that you can uninstall my sponsor in 5 seconds, without using anything else that my own uninstaller. The other is that it only installs a search bar and some popups, not a tool that checks what emails you are sending.

As for reading the agreement, I agree that most people don't, myself included. That's why I add my own text at the beginning of the agreement (text that is translated if you use another language) and that's also why Sponsor Agreement is displayed in bold at the top of the window. And once again, I do not prevent anyone from uninstalling the sponsor program (the latest version even regenerates the sponsor uninstaller if it has been deleted by a third party like adaware!... what else do you want me to do? :p).

Just wanted to give some more info about the situation... I'll be able to link to this message when people will complain again after Messenger Plus! 3 is released ;).

Thanks again to all of you for your kind support (and for those who wonder, the emoticon problem introduced by Messenger 6.2 has been solved today and the fix will be part of Plus!3).

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HellBender

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:o

Thanks for gracing us with your presence, Patchou. Wish you would get rid of the adware and then GPL/GNU MgsPlus, but to each his own (Y)

Edited by HellBender
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