BusinessWeek intro to adware

BusinessWeek is running a feature about adware in its June 28 issue: Guess What -- You Asked For Those Pop-Up Ads

Once adware recipients find out what's going on, many want out. Half of all people that receive Claria's adware product, for example, uninstall the software within the first month, the company says. This continual attrition forces adware companies to step up the battle for footholds in more computers. Robert Kadar, a former executive director of sales at WhenU, still defends adware as an effective marketing tool, but notes that the adware companies "have internal tension between wanting to be a good corporate citizen and battling high customer turnover." The latter, he says, "always wins out." As it now stands, Claria's Gator program is on 43 million machines, WhenU is on 25 million PCs, and 180solutions reaches 30 million, according to the companies.

Interviews: Avi Nadler (WhenU CEO) and Ben Edelman (anti-spyware activist)