In a search of "identity theft service" I came upon a blog called ID Theft Secrets. The blog has many compelling stories and links to information about identity theft.
It also promotes a browser toolbar, that seems to have functions for "no spyware" "anti-spyware scan" and a website blocker, as well as promotional links. I almost installed the toolbar to see how it worked. Then I decided to look for information about this blogger. I found none.
Another link led me to a more complete page promoting the toolbar, with a credit for Effective Brand, the company that created the toolbar. At that point I see their privacy policy reinforcing the claims. Is there any weight to a privacy policy for software on a site with no identifiable owner? Would you be able to take any action if it turned out the software – which can be used to notify you about mail in your webmail accounts – has holes?
I realized the blog related to a site idtheftsecrets.com which also has
no visible credits. You can buy a book download, and perhaps the
receipt tells you who wrote it.
The bottomline: Always think twice if you’re planning to use software from an "unknown" company. Whereas you might naturally trust a site that provides identity theft advice, anti-spyware software that actually installs spyware on your system has been a widespread problem. And if you don’t know who’s running a website, how do you know the advice they’re providing is accurate?
Trustworthy software vendors should practice full disclosure. The privacy policy (see screenshot) shows no information that this guarantee comes from Effective Brands. Therefore it’s not that I distrust the software. It’s that I don’t trust it enough to use it.
Am I paranoid?
Shortly after I wrote this post, a colleague pointed out that toolbars from Effective Brands have been classified as spyware in the past. Their current marketing does a good job to convince consumers this is a thing of the past. But my point is, make sure to research before installing software. Or you may install more than you bargained for!
What about Google’s Toolbar then…or for that matter – why not even consider Google desktop?
The key question is where do you really draw the line in determining what’s really spyware now?
Are You Blowing Cash on Over-Priced Ebooks?
Have you bought any of those over-price ebooks lately? It seems like everybody and his brother is writing those fluff filled 200 page monster-sized ebooks and peddling them for nearly a hundred dollars.
Most of them would be no more than 10 pages if you took out all the worthless filler.
Not too long ago, I purchased a high priced ebook from a well-known AdSense expert who claims to make thirty thousand dollars a month from AdSense. I sorted thru all the filler junk to find that the whole idea is to make the ads not look like ads!
This was a case of taking ten pages worth of info and blowing it up to nearly 200 pages just to give the illusion of value! Customers would complain that they were cheated if the ebook only had a few pages with really useful information, but at the seller’s price!
Recently, a new generation of ebooks has appeared – ebooks without all that extra baggage that’s only there to make you think you’re getting value. No garbage pages just to increase bulk. Only the real, no BS information you really need. Prices so low that it’s probably pocket change for you.
What’s the price? Only seven bucks!
Take a look at this Huge Selection of $7 Ebooks