An Interview with 180 Solutions

Paperghost writes "Here's a great interview between Jimmy Daniels and an anonymous ex-employee of 180 Solutions, who portrays the company as being somewhere between turmoil and meltdown. There's so many notable quotables it's scary, but here's one that really sets the tone: 'Shutting down these rogue distributors turned out to be a lot more difficult than they expected though. When you lose them, your daily installs go down drastically and the revenue goes to hell. The layoff in September could be laid directly at the feet of this effort.'"

eh?

[rscoggin]

How can they even exist without "rogue distributors"? I was under the impression that that was about 90% of their installs... I don't really know anyone that decides to install that on their own >_>

content economy?

[opencity]

You're not creating a content economy by making your advertising an anoyance. This 'blink tag' mentality doesn't work when everyone can provide content. How many of you, googling the capital of faroffistan, type 'wiki'? No ads, obnoxious loaders, browser crashing javascript.

Now that content is a two (multi?) way stream we have to go back to a pre-electronic mindset. Some of the greatest paintings of the 19th century were sold to hang in restaurants. Now that's good advertising.

Vmware?

[crossmr]

Uninstalls? Yeah. I've taken it off my neighbors computer a couple times He has three girls and it finally got so bad that I rebuilt his laptop and installed vmware, then decreed that he was the only person in the house allowed to use the computer without starting vmware first and surfing from it. He backed it up and has been happy ever since.

Who sets up Vmware as a permanent use type of solution like this? Why not just install anti-spyware tools, use mozilla, and even toss on the tea-timer from spybot.

I guess its been so long since I've been that naive I forget what its like..

Oh yeah...

[thej1nx]

Shutting out your primary distribution channel and clientele is ofcourse, a bad business policy.

Which no sane company will ofcourse do. Especially considering that their entire business model depends on adware/spyware.

So all I can surmise is, they are trying to get at least some good PR value out of a bad quarter :p

They do need a more positive public perception of them, considering the recent cases against spyware makers/distributors.

Re:Who?

[ximenes]

No, but I would consider selling it for $400.

I don't want them to go under...

[rsmoody]

I am honestly not trying to start a flame war or be a troll, just wanted to say what I feel. In some ways, I don't want the adware crap companies like 180 to go away. I make a lot of extra money off of companies like them. Heck, after I left my last job, this sort of crapware kept me employed for a few months until I got another decent job. We all know it's about money and money only. You think that ANY of these people care one bit about the damage to people's computer they cause, or they money these people spend to get rid of the crapware? Hell no! Just like ANY company now days, as long as the big-wigs and/or share holders are richER that's all that matters and all that EVER will matter. Call it capitalism if you wish, but I call it greed and the day I never make a dime from the crap they put on people's computers will be a great day indeed. Good riddance to bad rubbish! Even if I won't get extra money.