Creepy software

[Protozoa]

I recently purchased some software called Network Magic (from a company called Pure Networks). I think I underestimated the creepy feeling I would get from some of its features.

One in particular is the feature where it can e-mail you a report each day, showing what websites your computer has visited, applications used, and how much you used the thing in general. While I have a mild interest in keeping tabs on the family desktop, it occured to me that our data was being sent somewhere. How do I know that the folks at Network Magic don't collect this data for their own use... or that it might be stored somewhere that could be hacked by a third party?

Other than the feature I have mentioned, I have noticed that Linksys offers a free program that does most everything that Network Magic offers (EasyLink). However, since it doesn't appear to export information to who-knows-where, I don't worry about it so much. I'm actually considering removing Network Magic from my computers, and re-installing the Linksys stuff. I sort of like being able to see if there are any problems with the network (my family has a bunch of computers... as many as eight workstations and a printer can be on our network at once).

Does anyone else get a creepy feeling from this software?

 

[jbrown456]

lol, I installed it when I got my new router, and about 25 seconds later got rid of it. It just didn't do anything for me. I felt kinda creeped out that people on my network could get daily reports of what i do on my computer ext.. thats about it though. I don't really care if some big company wants too look at what i do on the internet. I feel more creeped out when people i know are sitting looking through all of my internet usage ext.. Don't know why, theres not anything there that actually matters lol

 

[NetworkGuy]

Hi there,

First off, full disclosure - I work for Pure Networks, maker of Network Magic software.

I wanted to provide some additional info about the information Network Magic collects and how to opt-out of that information collection if you choose to do so.

There are 3 features of Network Magic that collect information. They are:

Network Reports:
This feature is available on an opt-in basis, and you must proactively enable the feature for it to collect data. If you have signed up for Network Reports, and want to turn it off, here are the steps:

1. At the bottom of any Network Report email, there is a link that says "Stop Receiving Emails". Click that link and choose to unsubscribe from the computer the email is about, or all computers.

2. In Network Magic choose Network Tasks, then choose "View Network Reports". Uncheck any or all of the computers.


Network Magic Advisor:
Collects information about your home network on an opt-out basis. You can opt out of sending information about your home network through the Network Magic Advisor feature by clicking on the “Turn off customization” link at the bottom of any Network Advisor page. If you turn off customization, Network Magic Advisor will continue to function, but it will not offer customized information based on what is on your network.


Support Services Feature:
Collects information about your network devices on an opt-out basis. If you agree to use this feature, information about your network devices is sent to Pure Networks and is used by a Support representative while assisting you with a network problem. The information is associated with you only when you provide a unique ID number to the Support representative while you are receiving help. To opt-out of this feature, go to the Privacy Tab of the Options Section from the Tools menu within Network Magic. On the "Privacy" tab, just make sure "Use my network information to assist Customer Support" checkbox is not checked.



One final thought - we try to communicate within the product and within our Privacy Policy all of the ways we are collecting information from our users. Sometimes we likely "over communicate" to our customers and perhaps even scare them a bit - but we've decided it is best to over communicate instead of under communicate. With each of these features, we are only collecting information about your network in order to provide valuable features back to our users. Hopefully that is more clear now

And of course, you can opt-out of each of the features and still continue to enjoy Network Magic.

Hope that helps!

 

[Protozoa]

Thanks for the clarification!

I get alot of information and promises whenever I turn my computer on. Sometimes it's just hard to figure out what to believe. Almost every day there is an e-mail from the Financial Minister of some African nation who wants to hide millions of dollars in my bank account. And, I'm still trying to decide if I really need to look like Ron Jeremy.

I'm admittedly a novice to computers and networks. I apologize if any of my unfounded concerns may have unfairly tarnished your product's reputation.