Weekend news about 180 Solutions (MetricsDirect), my favorite Adware company to talk about. Shawn reports about 180’s allegation that Ben was being irresponsible after Ben showed without a doubt IMHO that 180 is still up to tricks. In separate but related news, Beth Kirsch reports that AzoogleAds a popular CPA network has terminate it’s relationship with 180.

Affiliate Program Tip Blog: 180 Reasons Why Ben Edelman is Irresponsible - “Anti-spyware crusader Ben Edelman recently posted a report that documented how he “received a nonconsensual installation of 180solutions Zango software through a security exploit.”

Techweb - Researchers Say Adware Firm Still Duping Consumers
“Anti-spyware researchers and a controversial Web advertising supplier are escalating a verbal feud that goes to the heart of what constitutes ethical online advertising…Adware supplier 180solutions is blasting spyware researchers for disclosing a hack into the Bellevue, Wash.-based company’s installation software. However, the increasingly irate researchers have hit back, saying that they are weary of working with 180, which, they claim, uses a flawed business model that depends on getting software on users’ machines without their consent.”

Ben Edelman - Update (February 24): My Response to 180’s Press Release

“180solutions has found and terminated the distributor I described above, which I’m now happy to reveal was crosskirknet.com. But what a road to get there! 180’s press release suggests 180 figured this all out within hours of my initial post. I’m convinced that that’s false. First, 180 terminated some other bad installer — only later realizing that the installer I found was someone different. Sunbelt has the details — how we figured out (and proved) that 180 hadn’t cut off this installer when 180 issued the press release saying they had. In a blog post, 180 now admits that we’re right and their press release was wrong.”

Beth Kirsch - ReveNews - AzoogleAds terminates relationship with 180solutions
“AzoogleAds terminated their relationship with 180 solutions (MetricsDirect) today and DirectRevenue will be terminated as of March 3rd. Sources inside AzoogleAds said these relationships are being terminated due to the feedback that was received during the Anti-Spyware Coalition Public Workshop: Defining the Problem, Developing Solutions earlier this month”