| While older versions of WeatherBug had rather significant privacy issues, newer versions are pretty straight forward: you see the ad, but you get the weather. Is this adware? In the most strict sense, many people say it is. But to some computer users, the tradeoff seems fair. Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and AOL's Instant Messenger are among other software programs and services that display ads to their users in exchange for free usage. Many of these programs off advertising-free versions for a price. More infamous among adware watchers is Gator, which now goes by the name Claria Corp. Gator was controversial from the start. It began in 1998 offering e-wallet software. But it reports your Web surfing habits back to its parent company, which then sends you advertisements targeted according to your data. The vast majority of people consider it a pest, especially because the software is often bundled with other, more useful software. As annoying as it is, Gator is not very malicious.
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