Kazaa

[Geoff A.]

What do people think about downloading software and other stuff from a peer
to peer networker like Kazaa? They assure you on their site that it's
totally legal. How can this be?

 

[Kenny]

Kazaa's full of viruses, dummy files and all sorts of other nasties. Try
Ares, much better.
http://www.aresgalaxy.org/

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Many files available for download from Kazaa are
either incomplete or contain hidden viruses. I would
encourage you not use use it.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| What do people think about downloading software and other stuff from a peer
| to peer networker like Kazaa? They assure you on their site that it's
| totally legal. How can this be?

 

[NoNoBadDog!]

Re read the wording. It states that using Kazaa is legal (which it is).
It's when you use Kazaa to make available copyrighted material and material
that you do not have the right to distribute that the legality becomes the
issue. BTW, I can *GUARANTEE* that using Kazaa will compromise the security
and integrity of your computer.

Bobby

 

[ByTor]

What do people think about downloading software and other stuff from a peer
to peer networker like Kazaa? They assure you on their site that it's
totally legal. How can this be?

Use.........N-E-W-S-G-R-O-U-P-S.........

 

[DJ Borell]

Kazaa *is* totally legal, but what some (many) users do with it is not. In
the same way that owning a gun is legal, not all the *uses* of a gun are.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

If you want to update your viruses and spyware, Kazaa is for you.

 

[Abel Diaz]

Kazaa is a great program for infecting your PC with
viruses, trojans, spyware, adware, and you might get
lucky enough to receive a trojan from the U.S. Government.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

What do people think about downloading software and other stuff from a peer
to peer networker like Kazaa? They assure you on their site that it's
totally legal. How can this be?

The Kazaa application, in and of itself (if one doesn't consider the
spyware that one agrees to have installed along with it), and the
concept of peer-to-peer networking *are* perfectly legal. It's the use
to which so many people put Kazaa that results in the illegalities.

Think of it this way: A kitchen paring knife, in and of itself, is a
perfectly legitimate and innocuous tool for anyone to own and use, when
it's used for its designed purpose, peeling fruit and vegetables. If,
however, one were to use that knife for some illegal purpose, such as
attacking and injuring an annoying spouse/child/neighbor, is the knife
at fault?

Granted, the developers of Kazaa know perfectly well that their product
will primarily be used for the purposes of illegally distributing
copyrighted material, but they have what's known in political circles as
"plausible deniability." Because there are some legitimate uses to
which Kazaa can be put, its develops can successfully argue that it's
not their fault that people misuse the tool they've provided. They're
correct, but hardly innocent. If the developers of Kazaa were as
innocent and altruistic as they have their users believe, why is their
product full of spyware and adware?


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[tobegone]

....is Kazaa 'Lite K++' any better/safer??

The Kazaa application, in and of itself (if one doesn't consider the
spyware that one agrees to have installed along with it), and the
concept of peer-to-peer networking *are* perfectly legal. It's the use
to which so many people put Kazaa that results in the illegalities.

Think of it this way: A kitchen paring knife, in and of itself, is a
perfectly legitimate and innocuous tool for anyone to own and use, when
it's used for its designed purpose, peeling fruit and vegetables. If,
however, one were to use that knife for some illegal purpose, such as
attacking and injuring an annoying spouse/child/neighbor, is the knife
at fault?

Granted, the developers of Kazaa know perfectly well that their product
will primarily be used for the purposes of illegally distributing
copyrighted material, but they have what's known in political circles as
"plausible deniability." Because there are some legitimate uses to
which Kazaa can be put, its develops can successfully argue that it's
not their fault that people misuse the tool they've provided. They're
correct, but hardly innocent. If the developers of Kazaa were as
innocent and altruistic as they have their users believe, why is their
product full of spyware and adware?


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

No.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

...is Kazaa 'Lite K++' any better/safer??

It's claimed to be, but I'm skeptical. It may lack most of the
built-in spyware, but it's still a huge security whole. You'll still be
giving everyone else with Kazaa direct access to your hard drive. Are
you really that willing to trust the whole world with the contents of
your hard drive?

Also remember, the primary purpose of both Kazaa and Kazaa Lite is to
facilitate the illegal distribution of copyrighted materials. The
people who are in the habit of such distribution would be completely
without integrity, and so cannot be trusted not to include viruses,
worms, Trojans, and more with anything they "share."


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[johnf]

I've always used Kazaa Destop running through DietKaza, but it's been hacked
I think & now completely unusable.
Just tried the alternative mentioned (ARES) & it works fine.

 

[Tom]

Yea, now check your system out for tons of spyware that Ares placed on your PC.

 

[johnf]

For example?
That's the first thing I did on my 2nd. PC (which is for that purpose).
Nothing! AdAware, Spybot, cwsheddder - completely clean.

 

[Rush]

Yea, now check your system out for tons of spyware that Ares placed on
your PC.

Odd... After installing Ares, I didn't see anything come up in Ad-Aware or
HijackThis scans. If 'tons of spyware' was installed, one would think
something would show up?

Rush
http://www.bythedrop.com

 

[Guest]

If Something's Too Good to be true, it probably is...

http://home.comcast.net/~BDTRusnak/rusnakweb/kazaa_is_spyware.html
BMR777
www.rusnakweb.com

 

[Tom]

Did you use the free version? If so, check out your system for NavExcel, which is spyware:
http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/NavExcel.html

 

[Rush]

(top post fixed)

Did you use the free version? If so, check out your system for NavExcel,
which is spyware: http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/NavExcel.html

Freeware version:
It warns you about NavExcel under the support section of the website
and you can also opt out when installing Ares.

Given that, it would be hard to define it as spyware.

Rush
http://www.bythedrop.com

 

[johnf]

Spybot 1.3 pulled out 7 NavExcel zipfiles immediately - therefore, no
problems!