An Exchange

BACKGROUND:
Ryan Schenk wrote a program called CapeWind to be used as a Widget. The program reports back wind speeds at various buoys across Cape Cod so that windsurfers, sailers, and kiteboarders will know when the right conditions exist to rock out.

Earlier today, Ryan received the following e-mail:

Hello,

Your product “Cape Wind 2.1” has been tested by the Softpedia labs and found to be completely clean of adware/spyware components.

We are impressed with the quality of your product and encourage you to keep this high standards in the future.

To assure our visitors that “Cape Wind 2.1” is clean, we have granted it with the “100% FREE” Softpedia award. Moreover, to let your users know about this certification, you may display this award on your website, on software boxes or inside your product.

More information about your product’s certification and the award is available on this page: http://www.softpedia.com/progClean/Cape-Wind-Clean-69826.html

Your product review page is located at: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Windows-Widgets/Widget-Miscellaneous/Cape-Wind.shtml

please feel free to link to us using the URL above. If you choose to link to the award page for your product, you may use the award graphic or a text link such as: “100% FREE award granted by Softpedia”

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

Sincerely,
The Softpedia Team

This was Ryan’s response:

Dear Softpedia Editorial Team.

Your claim, that my product “Cape Wind 2.1” is completely clean of adware/spyware components, is, frankly, untrue. It is riddled with spyware. You see, Cape Wind version 2.1 periodically sends me the sail and board size of every Cape Wind user’s quiver. The readings displayed by Cape Wind are “doctored” to display conditions that are just barely too light to prevent the user’s largest sail and board setup from planing. That way, I can be guaranteed an uncrowded sailing beach.

Versions 2.2 and above, still in development, will not only send me the *size* of their sails, it will literally send me their equipment!! Now that I have a user base approaching 4,000 users (who the hell knew there were that many windsurfers on Cape Cod??), Cape Wind will soon enable me to assemble the most extensive gear collection the world has ever seen.

Sincerely,
-Ryan Schenk

Softpedia has not yet responded to his e-mail.