What Could Make Me Feel Sorry for IAC

After observing how our society behaved online for over 30 years I often share a simple bit of advice. Before you post ask yourself, “What good will come from this?”. Former IAC PR executive Justine Sacco didn’t know about my advise before sending her last tweet on her way to South Africa.

What made this particular remark exceptional was that Ms. Sacco was soon in the air on a 12 hour flight with no Wi-Fi access. Her tweet generated a social network atomic bomb. She had no way of knowing the firestorm she had created and had no way do to damage control.

By the time Justine landed in the country of her birth, her employer had disavowed her comment and removed her from their website.

This was IAC’s Media Kit web page before Ms. Sacco left on her flight. Before landing IAC had already updated their PR contact info.(see on right)

Photos taken at the South African airport show her on a cell phone. The offending tweet was soon removed and her account was deleted.

I’m no friend of the company IAC even though they once offered to make me a millionaire. For a while I started to feel bad for IAC. I soon recalled all the Email from frustrated customers wanting help removing the invasive Ask.com toolbars. As of today, a total of 166,948 WinPatrol users have removed its Mindspark toolbar not counting the same toolbar with different names.

IAC owns a variety of Internet companies but the #1 method of promoting their properties is based on taking over a computers’ search using a variety of toolbars and hijackers. They’re the folks behind Ask.com and the distribution of different toolbar brands like Mindspark. My major complaint with IAC is their ability to look the other way while affiliates create malware preventing the removal of Ask toolbars and search hijackers. They also have been slow to address complaints about perverts using Internet services like Zwinky marketed exclusively to children.

The first time I reviewed the company Board of Directors I was surprised to see the likes of General Norman Schwarzkopf and William H. Berkman as in the “Berkman Center For Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.”  The board has changed but now includes future presidential candidate Chelsea Clinton. Ms. Clinton did her part representing IAC by retweeting a published response prior to Ms. Sacco’s plane landing.

Technorati Tags: Ask.com,toolbars,iac,mindspark,twitter

I felt this story was an important lesson and regret posting it the day after IAC suffered from a second more personal lose. The father of IAC Board Director, Edgar Bronfman, Jr. died on Saturday. The senior Bronfman was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999. I’ve followed the family since having a brief connection when Samuel Bronfman was kidnapped in 1975.

After taking some time to gather her thoughts Justine Sacco did publish an apology today. She addressed her apology correctly to the people of South Africa and not the audience on social media. I hope everyone who felt they were a part of this disaster will use this as a learning experience. Many of the comments I read weren’t the most sensitive I’ve seen.

I’ll say it again, before you press Enter or click “Tweet” or “Post” ask yourself, “What good will come of this?” I just need to get this off my chest is not a good answer.

No, I Don't Want Your #^$% Toolbar

I’ve been well known to rant about software companies who trick users into downloading additional unwanted software. One of the most annoying is the Ask.com toolbar which even comes along with some security programs. In almost all the situations, the option is pre-selected so unless you’re paying attention you’ll get yet another toolbar and more.

Toolbar vendors create an internal search battle. Often
 toolbars will change your search preferences without asking

In January 2008 I wrote about my invitation from Ask.com to include their toolbar in my WinPatrol program.  Would You like Toolbar with your Software Order?

“I crunched the numbers and sure enough the revenue I could receive by including the toolbar would be huge. My overhead is low and the free version of WinPatrol has many thousand downloads even on the slowest day. If I chose to include the Ask.com tool bar I could probably retire comfortably by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, a number of people think I’m a good guy and I respect their opinion. For the last ten years WinPatrol has had a flawless reputation. I know myself, I really hate companies that install additional software that I didn’t ask for. It’s not only rude, it’s just wrong.”

I’m not alone.  You can find a list of vendors who have partnered with on the web site, Calendar of Updates. Click on Installers Hall of Shame.

Apparently, if you remove the check you lose some functionality.

At least Trillian allowed me to cancel the install but check the
terms of service.  "... the right to add additional features or 
 functions to the existing Toolbar....the Toolbar periodically
communicates with our servers....  the update may occur automatically."

So, I was surprised when I received an Email from Ask.com yesterday inviting me to partner and again consider including the Ask.com Toolbar.

It sounds like I could generate more revenue but at what cost to WinPatrol fans?  I think if they wanted yet another toolbar, they’re smart enough to find one. Thanks for the offer John, but this is a bonus I still don’t want.