Dear Tony:
I’ve noticed that your site is down for updating.  On the WeatherBug page, I think you need to check a few of the links you listed about us.  High Point University- there is no reference to WeatherBug anymore. 

PCHell specifically says WeatherBug is NOT spyware:

  Is WeatherBug Spyware?

According to their website, Weatherbug is not spyware. It does not monitor, collect data or 'spy' on its user base, however the program is considered Adware since the free version is ad-supported. You can read more about why Weatherbug is not considered spyware by clicking here.

In fact, Weatherbug sent me the following email explaining their position on spyware and why WeatherBug is not considered spyware.

Kephyr.com:

WeatherBug

Overview
WeatherBug displays the current weather conditions. WeatherBug is ad supported and shows banners and pop up advertisements. There is also an ad-free version, WeatherBug Pro. Source

WeatherBug have bundled MySearch Bar. Blubster 2.50 is currently bundling WeatherBug.

You can read a few reviews about WeatherBug here. It should be emphasized that WeatherBug is Adware, not spyware. Read the vendor's statement here.

(emphasis added by me, Jay Hoffman Manager, WeatherBug Customer Support)

Your 3^rd link is to an old techtv article:

Uninstall Adware, Use Multiple Browsers, Leo's Favorite Email Client 

Answers to live calls from the March 19 show.
By Leo Laporte

Call No. 1: Uninstall Adware
Dave from Abingdon, Md., called on the TechTV Netcam Network to say he wants to completely uninstall WeatherBug, which keeps creating pop-ups. He already ran Spybot -- Search & Destroy.

The creators of WeatherBug claim it doesn't contain spyware and have an explicit privacy policy to back up the claim. However, you will see ads in the ad-supported free version.

Any time you install ad-supported software, you install Adware, including an Adware server to support the ads.

The uninstaller included with WeatherBug should remove it completely.

(emphasis added by me, Jay Hoffman Manager, WeatherBug Customer Support)
 

Another link:

What Is The Adware Gator? Weatherbug Explained

Does NOT have WeatherBug anywhere in the article except in the title???   Please do a CTRL F and type in weatherbug to check the article.

The next link does not appear to be valid anymore.

The annoyances.org links refer to uninstalling. As I’ve previously mentioned, our newest versions do NOT require exiting the program first.  So it’s a simple click in add/remove programs to remove it.  The last postings in that forum appear to be almost a year ago, from last fall and relate to uninstalling.

The next link does NOT call us spyware, again:

About WeatherBug

The free version of WeatherBug is an Adware that displays ads to your computer. On the EULA is says: The Software is provided for your use, as described above, free of charge, and is supported by advertising revenue. Separate, "ad-free" versions of the Software are available for download by accredited schools for use on in-school computers and by all users by subscribing to WeatherBug Pro. The program will also install My Search on your computer, which is Adware as well.

And the last link is the same as the 2^nd last.

I am not sure how these refer to WeatherBug as spyware.  Please understand, there ARE forums and bulletin boards where people, many of whom have the same misperception we are hoping to address on your site, incorrectly list us as spyware.  Whether they are competitors or those supporting our competitors, I don’t know.  We are working aggressively to correct any misperceptions that may remain.  In the meantime, SPYBOT, AD-AWARE, SPYKILLER, PEST PATROL, WEB WASHER, SPYSWEEPER and almost every other MAJOR, REPUTABLE spyware detection program do NOT list us- because we are not spyware. 

Thanks again for your updates.  I hope that the new website will address this and also give equal space to the fact that 2 of the largest venture capital firms and the largest instant messenger program in the world (AOL IM) are partnering with us.  Clearly, the folks who are holding onto the outdated and WRONG belief that we are spyware are in the distinct minority. 

Sincerely,

Jay Hoffman

Manager, WeatherBug Customer Support

April 12, 2004

Response from WeatherBug

Dear Tony:

One of our millions of WeatherBug users wrote to us concerning some incorrect information regarding WeatherBug on your site:

Pensacola Network article

Please allow me to go point by point through your article:

First and foremost, WeatherBug is absolutely not spyware.  You make reference to Ad-Aware, a well known anti-spyware program that mentions something about the year 2000.  Since that was 4 years ago, I am guessing things have changed significantly.

Not ONLY does Ad-Aware, along with Spybot, Pest Patrol, Web Washer, and every other well known anti-spyware program NOT list WeatherBug, but we actually give a free download to Ad-Aware 6.0 and other popular programs because we want our 30 million customers who’ve downloaded WeatherBug to protect themselves against spyware.

You can view our spyware FAQ here: http://ww3.weatherbug.com/aws/defaultx.asp?cid=306

where you will also find the links to some of the top anti-spyware programs. PLEASE tell your customers to run an update and check spybot, ad-aware 6.0, pest patrol, webwasher, spysweeper or any of the other well respected programs to see we are NOT listed because we are NOT spyware.

Tony, in addition to 30 million customers who have downloaded and used the program, about 7000 schools, and dozens of top universities depend on the WeatherBug program and have WeatherBug weather stations installed on their campuses.  We were chosen by the Department of Homeland Security to serve as their live weather resource.  Why?  Because, God forbid in the event that someone tried to release toxins in the air, we are the only company in the United States capable of providing live weather information from 7000 local sources, not merely the closest airport as some of our competitors can.  What good is airport weather if an attack of dangerous toxins isn’t released right near the airport?  Exactly why the Dept. of Homeland Security chose WeatherBug.

The educational software that we provide to these thousands of schools won a Smithsonian Laureate for our CEO, Bob Marshall.  We are much more than merely a piece of software.  We have helped thousands of teachers make weather, science and statistics fun and meaningful as that prestigious award clearly shows.

It is not an understatement to say that million of people rely on WeatherBug every single day.

Just a few weeks ago we were featured on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw in regards to the tragic water taxi accident in Baltimore: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4467076

Click the video link to learn a little more about how WeatherBug might have helped prevent such a tragedy by providing LIVE weather, not weather data that is half an hour or more old.

In addition, we have dozens of testimonials from our customers who were alerted to tornados, flash floods, etc. by their WeatherBugs well in advance of any government warnings.  It is not an exaggeration to say our program literally has saved lives. We were featured in Women’s World Magazine 2 months ago for just such a life-saving event.

As for your concern that the program takes up too much bandwidth, your concerns are certainly legitimate given your IT background.  Below is some additional information on the bandwidth requirements:

Background (when your WeatherBug display is minimized to be next to the time in the bottom right hand of your computer screen):

Makes weather data update every 1 hour.

For both background and foreground, WeatherBug makes alert information requests every 5 minutes with total data size(in/out) 250B, and makes forecast information requests every 2 hours, with data size 250B.

Each weather data request (in/out): 375B.

Each ad banner may consume 10KB.

The bandwidth consumption is:

Foreground first 1 minute: 1.93kb/sec

Foreground after 1 minute or Background: 0.01kb/sec.

All the background and branding images are cached. If the user clicks on a Tab, it will load tiny Web pages and ads may rotate, this may increase the bandwidth in the short term, but after that it will use the same bandwidth as described above.

Since most of the users bring WeatherBug to the foreground for only a short time, it should not cause any bandwidth issues with the network.

Tony, you are certainly entitled to tell your customers that they should not be running any programs on their computer that could potentially use ANY bandwidth without their boss’s permission. (Although many IT professionals have told us they rely on WeatherBug for storm warnings because they don’t have windows in their offices and would not have sufficient time to back up data or shut down machines by the time the first thunderclap was heard).

Our concern as one of the most popular programs on the internet today, is that some people could read your comments and mistakenly believe we contain spyware or a virus, both of which are absolutely, 100% false.  While you did not outright state it as such, it was certainly implied when you said the virus and spyware warranties would be voided if they had WeatherBug on their systems. 

I thank you for the time you’ve allowed me to address these allegations and hope that in the future you and any of your customer who have questions will feel free to contact me through our support department at www.weatherbug.com/help or personally at jay@weatherbug.com

I would appreciate you posting as much of this reply as possible and encourage any visitor to your site to contact me or my team should they have any concerns about weather or the WeatherBug program.

Most sincerely,

Jay Hoffman

Manager, WeatherBug Customer Support

April 13, 2004

Answer from WeatherBug

Tony,

Thanks for your reply and I’m glad to hear you will post our comments.  Two final points:  regarding connectivity, WeatherBug is set by default to connect when the user first connects to the internet- obviously on a dial-up this could slow down the initial log on.  Therefore, they can click the OPTIONS button on the main screen and click Preferences tab and UNcheck the first box that has WeatherBug automatically dial the internet when the user connects.  They can also set WeatherBug in that screen not to automatically open to full screen but only to open in the system tray where it takes up less bandwidth.

Installing WeatherBug should not void any warranties regarding spyware or viruses since we are virus-free and every reputable spyware detection company out there; Ad-Aware, Spybot, Web Washer, SpySweeper, Pest Patrol and a dozen others that my departments regularly tests, do no list us as anything other than advertising-supported software, which we are.  In addition, keep your eyes peeled for a very major press announcement tomorrow about a partnership we are entering with one of the largest internet companies in the world, due out tomorrow.  If you have any doubts that we are not what we claim, when you see who we are partnering with tomorrow, I hope any questions will be answered.

Thanks again for your time and for allowing ‘the other side’ of this issue to be heard.  As one of the most popular web properties in the world in a number of categories, we know that millions rely on us every single day and want to insure that the correct information is getting out there about our product.

Thanks!

Jay Hoffman