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Glossary of Internet security terms

By Staff writers, Download.com on 12 September 2006

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  Ed Pulliam commented on 29/10/2006 15:36 Report abuse

  The description for "adware" says "Typically, adware components install alongside a shareware or freeware application".
  
  The Association of Shareware Professionals [ASP] has fought for years to disentangle the erroneous association of properly obtained software, that happens to be marketed as shareware, with harmful computer code such as viruses and spy ware.
  
  In general, software marketed via shareware channels and other commercial software is normally virus-free. Indeed, the basis of shareware marketing is TBYB [try-before-you-buy]. Some of the world's largest software
  companies, such as Symantec and Microsoft, have adopted the try before you buy concept for the distribution of some of their products, even if they do not choose to use the word "shareware" in their product promotion.
  
  Companies that integrate the shareware marketing method in their core business model [over 10,000 of them!] would no more want to distribute a virus or Trojan than companies distributing by other channels. The try-before-you-buy nature of software marketed as shareware means that our
  members work very hard at closing a sale with each user by impressing them
  with how good the product that they're trying is. Distributing software problems and malware invaders doesn't result in a good relationship with our best potential customers.
  
  The ASP is a not-for-profit association of over 1,300 independent software
  developers, marketers and vendors, most of whom use the try-before-you-buy method of software distribution. For more information on the ASP, visit our consumer information web site at
  http://asp-shareware.com/ .