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| Flyswat Data Sheet |
| Knowledge Base on ThiefWare and other
Software |
Knowledgebase HOME
• Gator
• WhenU w/ SaveNow
• TopText (eZula)
EasyLinks (Surf+)
• Flyswat
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
SOFTWARE NAME Flyswat
SUPPLIER NAME / URL Flyswat / www.flyswat.com (domain w/ Web site appears
extinct and shown available for sale)
AD TYPES Contextual Ad Links:
Indicators use yellow underlines that link to other
sites. Links are called “flycons”.
DISTRIBUTION METHOD Direct download of Flyswat.
AFFECTED BROWSERS Microsoft Internet Explorer, versions 4.0 and higher;
Netscape Navigator; NeoPlanet.
EASE OF DIRECT REMOVAL
Information for direct uninstall not available.
Various spyware removers make uninstalling easy.
LINK DISABLE METHOD (server-side)
While not available and probably not needed at this
time (see below for more details), it's very likely that a DHTML script could be written to work much the same way
as the method used to eliminate TopText links.
HOW IT WORKED
Flyswat scanned the text on a page and created links called
flycons which hilighted select keywords on a page. It performed this function with a DHTML
layer overlayed within the browser end and placed links to other sites on that layer. Clicking on a flycon
activated a pop-up menu containing information links and/or ad links.
These links could link to anything including competitor Web sites. It was reported that Flycons could
even hijack existing site navigation links which would inevitably take a visitor to some other site even
if the surfer didn't intend to leave the site—frustrating for the user and the site owner.
THIEFWARE MARKET EXPOSURE
Popular? Fortunately, Flyswat
doesn't any longer have the exposure that Claria (aka: Gator), eZula TopText, and other ThiefWare now
have. It appears to be a dead service. Even the domain flyswat.com is listed as available for purchase.
That doesn't mean it has not morphed into another service under a different name—a fact that remains
unknown to us.
OTHER COMMENTS
A Reference Tool?
This software was touted as a
reference tool by a few articles. Those same articles failed to mention the main purpose of Flyswat.
Yes, the main purpose for Flyswat was as an ad machine. The mention of Flyswat being reference software
was just a ploy to get people to download it.
Thankfully that particular service seems to have disappeared. Sadly there are other scummy companies
out there ready to take their place.
Knowledgebase HOME
• Gator
• WhenU w/ SaveNow
• TopText (eZula)
EasyLinks (Surf+)
• Flyswat
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
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