Software app wants to install RelevantKnowledge - should I let it?

[Virus Guy]

There's a free-ware/share-ware app that I wanted to try out, but during
the installation process it's throwing up a screen saying that it
contains (or wants to install) something called "RelevantKnowledge".
Specifically, it's saying this:

--------------
In order to provide this free download, RelevantKnowlege software,
provided by TMRG, a comscore company, is included in this download.
This software allows millions of participants in an online market
research community to voice their opinions by allowing their online
browsing and purchasing behavior to be monitored, collected, agregates,
and once anonymized, used to generate market reports which our clients
use to understand internet trends and patterns and other market research
purposes. The information which is monitored and collected includes
internet usage information, basic demographic information, certain
hardware, software, computer configuration and application usage
information about the computer on which you install RelevantKnowlege.
We may use the information that we monitor, such as name and address, to
better understand your household demographics. For more details on how
the monitored information is used, please click here:

http://www.relevantknowledge.com/usage.aspx
--------------

I notice that my HOSTS file already contains entries for comscore and
relevantknowledge, so it's questionable just how operational this
monitoring functionality would be.

Based on some internet searches, it seems that RelevantKnowledge is
widely regarded as spyware (as the above paragraph indicates) but I'm
not sure if it qualifies as malware.

My only choice to continue with the software installation is to accept
the above terms.

Naturally if I did, I would immediately surgically remove
RelevantKnowledge from my system, but I don't know if that would
cripple or break the app that I want to run.

Has anyone dealt with this before?

The shareware app in question is this:

Advanced Audio Converter 2.0.0.0

http://www.download3000.com/download-advanced-audio-converter-count-reg-12546.html

 

[Slarty]

In order to provide this free download, RelevantKnowlege software,
provided by TMRG, a comscore company, is included in this download.
This software allows millions of participants in an online market
research community to voice their opinions by allowing their online
browsing and purchasing behavior to be monitored, collected, agregates,
and once anonymized, used to generate market reports which our clients
use to understand internet trends and patterns and other market research
purposes. etc..etc...

Why are you even considering it in view of that paragraph alone?

I wouldn't touch it with the proverbial ten foot barge-pole whatever was on
offer on the strength of that.

However, go ahead and have 'fun' with it if you want.

 

[Dustin]

There's a free-ware/share-ware app that I wanted to try out, but
during the installation process it's throwing up a screen saying
that it contains (or wants to install) something called
"RelevantKnowledge". Specifically, it's saying this:

--------------
In order to provide this free download, RelevantKnowlege software,
provided by TMRG, a comscore company, is included in this download.
This software allows millions of participants in an online market
research community to voice their opinions by allowing their online
browsing and purchasing behavior to be monitored, collected,
agregates, and once anonymized, used to generate market reports
which our clients use to understand internet trends and patterns and
other market research purposes. The information which is monitored
and collected includes internet usage information, basic demographic
information, certain hardware, software, computer configuration and
application usage information about the computer on which you
install RelevantKnowlege. We may use the information that we
monitor, such as name and address, to better understand your
household demographics. For more details on how the monitored
information is used, please click here:

http://www.relevantknowledge.com/usage.aspx
--------------

I notice that my HOSTS file already contains entries for comscore
and relevantknowledge, so it's questionable just how operational
this monitoring functionality would be.

Based on some internet searches, it seems that RelevantKnowledge is
widely regarded as spyware (as the above paragraph indicates) but
I'm not sure if it qualifies as malware.

My only choice to continue with the software installation is to
accept the above terms.

Naturally if I did, I would immediately surgically remove
RelevantKnowledge from my system, but I don't know if that would
cripple or break the app that I want to run.

Has anyone dealt with this before?

The shareware app in question is this:

Advanced Audio Converter 2.0.0.0

http://www.download3000.com/download-advanced-audio-converter-count-r
eg-12546.html

Hmm. Virus Guy, I'd run it thru sandboxie; do whatever you need done,
then delete it..

If you want to email me the specifics on what your trying to do, I'll
try to point you in an adware free direction.

 

[Virus Guy]

Dustin full-quoted:

Hmm. Virus Guy, I'd run it thru sandboxie; do whatever you need
done, then delete it..

Does sandboxie run on win-98?

If you want to email me the specifics on what your trying to do,
I'll try to point you in an adware free direction.

Why e-mail?

I'm looking for a free-ware app that will record the audio I feed into
my computer's audio line-in and generate a series of MP3 files. The
audio is coming from a tape deck, and the tapes have a bunch of songs.
The software will know when the songs begin and end based on the silence
between them, and will save each song to it's own MP3 file, using some
numerical or index-based naming convention for the files.

I have found many such programs that will do that, that claim to be
free-ware, but it always turns out that there is a free and paid
version, and only the paid version will do auto detection like I want.

 

[Virus Guy]

wasted improperly quoted:

Haven't used it for a long time but Audiograbber used to do what
you want, and I think it's totally free.

http://www.audiograbber.org/

"Audiograbber is a beautiful piece of software that
grabs digital audio from cd's."

That line threw me, and I didn't read the rest of that paragraph but
browsed through more of that site and I was convinced that all it does
is rip audio off CD's.

Then I read more of the first paragraph:

"You can even record your vinyl LP's or cassette tapes
with Audiograbber and make wav's or MP3's of them."

We'll see. I'm installing it as we speak.

 

[Dustin]

Dustin full-quoted:


Does sandboxie run on win-98?

Ehm.. No, I don't believe it does.

Why e-mail?

I wasn't sure what you had in mind, and I won't discuss how to do some
things in public.. IE: Properly ripping audio cds..

I'm looking for a free-ware app that will record the audio I feed
into my computer's audio line-in and generate a series of MP3 files.
The audio is coming from a tape deck, and the tapes have a bunch of
songs. The software will know when the songs begin and end based on
the silence between them, and will save each song to it's own MP3
file, using some numerical or index-based naming convention for the
files.

I think this will be to your liking.

http://www.wavosaur.com/

 

[Kevin Bhasi]

I've heard that this is adware! don't install it!

 

[98jone]

I have seen people complaining about it but honestly speaking it'snot a virus. The software is used to measure online activity. I also thought it to be a virus initially but then found their website relevantknowledge.com. I did not have any problem in uninstalling it.

 

[zeeshan1153]

Please be assured that comScore, the parent company of RelevantKnowledge, has invested substantial resources in making our data collection and privacy practices the best they can possibly be. Our company adheres to industry-accepted best practices regarding the collection and secure storage of the data collected by software such as RelevantKnowledge.
comScore is recognized as a leader in the privacy space by organizations such as the OnlineTrust Alliance, where our co-founder Gian Fulgoni was a panelist earlier this year, along with representatives from the FTC and TRUSTe. (link to http://blog.comscore.com/2012/01/comscore_ftc_and_truste_headline_privacy_town_hall.html).
If you have further questions about RelevantKnowledge, please visit our website: http://www.relevantknowledge.com/faq.aspx
Thank you,
RelevantKnowledge Customer Support Team

 

[zeeshan1153]

Question: What is RelevantKnowledge?
Answer: RelevantKnowledge is research software installed with the user's permission. RelevantKnowledge is part of an online market research community with over 2 million members worldwide. By participating in periodic surveys, users can receive free select software sponsored by RelevantKnowledge. If a user decides to uninstall the program for any reason, they can do so through control panel. We provide instruction for uninstalling RelevantKnoweldge in the FAQ section of our website: http://www.relevantknowledge.com/faq.aspx. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at https://www.relevantknowledge.com/supportform.aspx
Thank you,
Relevant Knowledge Support Team