List, Many of you use Family Tree Maker. Some of you are probably aware of a DSS Agent that loads into your registry when you use the Family Tree Maker software. This thing is called "spyware" by the computer geeks. This is a Learning Company thing. Family Tree Maker is no longer owned by The Learning Co/Boderbund/Mattel or whatever. So, the newest versions of FTM do not have this agent. If you own the latest version of FTM, I think it is 9.0, then I'm told that you do not have this DSS Agent. It appears that this spyware DSS Agent is loaded onto all of The Learning Company software and it allows Boderbund/The Learning Co. to have a link with your computer. I don't know much about how this agent works or whether any personal or sensitive information is accessed by Boderbund. I don't like such things being loaded onto my computer without my consent or knowlege, even though I supposedly agreed to it when I loaded the FTM software on my computer. I have FTM 7.0 and everytime I load my FTM program, this DSS Agent loads into my registry. I have been trying to permanently delete it but haven't been successful. I downloaded a patch from the Mattel/Learning Co. web site that was supposed to help me delete this agent but that patch didn't work. Also, while downloading the patch from The Learning Co. web page, I downloaded the NIMDA virus. You can download a free software called Ad-Aware from Lavasoft that will tell you if you have this DSS Agent or any other spy or ad products. You can upgrade to the latest version of FTM and will not have this agent in your computer. There are supposed to be ways to delete the thing but I haven't figured out how to do it yet other than delete FTM or upgrade the FTM program. If anyone knows anything more about this than I've posted here, or if I have any of this wrong, please let me know. JJohnson

I have used FTM almost since it came on the market, and I have never heard of nor have I read anything about "DSS Spyware Agents". FTM is not just genealogy software but is a genealogy research system. It is extremely powerful in it's search and report-making capabilities. It is the only program that I am aware of that will enable the use to search the entire internet without leaving the program. Any you won't download a virus from FTM or any other name brand product. They go to extreme measures to eliminate any possibility of viruses from their web pages and files. The newer versions of FTM have improved the merge capability and added many features (some of which are better than others), but no SpyWare. Bill On Sun, 4 Nov 2001, John Johnson wrote: > List, > Many of you use Family Tree Maker. Some of you are probably aware of a DSS Agent that loads into your registry when you use the Family Tree Maker software. This thing is called "spyware" by the computer geeks. This is a Learning Company thing. Family Tree Maker is no longer owned by The Learning Co/Boderbund/Mattel or whatever. So, the newest versions of FTM do not have this agent. If you own the latest version of FTM, I think it is 9.0, then I'm told that you do not have this DSS Agent. > It appears that this spyware DSS Agent is loaded onto all of The Learning Company software and it allows Boderbund/The Learning Co. to have a link with your computer. I don't know much about how this agent works or whether any personal or sensitive information is accessed by Boderbund. I don't like such things being loaded onto my computer without my consent or knowlege, even though I supposedly agreed to it when I loaded the FTM software on my computer. > I have FTM 7.0 and everytime I load my FTM program, this DSS Agent loads into my registry. I have been trying to permanently delete it but haven't been successful. I downloaded a patch from the Mattel/Learning Co. web site that was supposed to help me delete this agent but that patch didn't work. Also, while downloading the patch from The Learning Co. web page, I downloaded the NIMDA virus. > You can download a free software called Ad-Aware from Lavasoft that will tell you if you have this DSS Agent or any other spy or ad products. You can upgrade to the latest version of FTM and will not have this agent in your computer. There are supposed to be ways to delete the thing but I haven't figured out how to do it yet other than delete FTM or upgrade the FTM program. > If anyone knows anything more about this than I've posted here, or if I have any of this wrong, please let me know. > JJohnson > > > ==== SCMARION Mailing List ==== > Tombstone Inscription Project - South Carolina > http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/s-car.html >