Web Directory

» Applelinks: Another New Technology to Deep-Six
   Editorial suggesting "loud, pointed, organized protests" against this attempt to "take over your web pages."
   http://www.applelinks.com/articles/2001/08/20010803142336.shtml

» Associate Programs Newsletter: How to stop Scumware from defacing your website
   Explains how Top Text and similar programs can negatively affect income streams, particularly for sites that use affiliate programs.
   http://www.associateprograms.com/search/newsletter173.shtml

» COTSE: You may have heard of Microsoft Smart Tags, but have you seen Ezula and Surf+?
   A webmaster's editorial accusing TopText and Intelsoft International's Surf+ of theft, false advertising, and deceptive self-promotion.
   http://www.cotse.com/8202001.html

» Ethics in Advertising
   Editorial asking "How far should advertising go?" Examines eZula's browser plug in as a specific example of unethical advertising.
   http://www.rubak.com/article.cfm?ID=13

» Foistware
   Information to help users and webmasters identify when Top Text is installed.
   http://www.cexx.org/toptext.htm

» Mystery links: New Web advertising tool gets results, draws criticism
   San Francisco Chronicle: mentions concerns about the ethics of covert advertising, and commercial firms outraged by links to competitors' sites.
   http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/07/30/BU231339.DTL

» PCWorld: Latest Online Ad Gimmick: Hyperlinks
   "Advertisers try aggressive (and annoying) hyperlink technology to make the Web pay."
   http://www.pcworld.com/article/57064/latest_online_ad_gimmick_hyperlinks.html

» PetitionOnline: eZula
   Petition protesting insertion of advertising links on web pages.
   http://www.petitiononline.com/toptext/

» Salon.com: The parasite economy
   Examines the spread of both "spyware" and programs that add commercial links to websites. KaZaa's distribution of eZula is heavily featured.
   http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/08/02/parasite_capital/index.html

» San Diego Daily Transcript: 'Poachware' Routes Computer Users To Alternate Web Sites
   Article about anti-competitive involuntary hyperlinks being placed by Top Text (aka ContextPro).
   http://www.sddt.com/Search/article.cfm?SourceCode=20010827tba

» Search Engine Watch: Forget Smart Tags; TopText Is Doing What You Feared
   Editorial decrying stealth download tactics, copyright and other legal violations.
   http://searchenginewatch.com/2164091

» Slashdot: Don't Eat the Yellow Links
   Web owners upset by changed content; describes an "opt-out" procedure.
   http://slashdot.org/features/01/07/31/2015216.shtml

» StopScum
   Resources, news and forums for the fight against contextual advertising.
   http://www.stopscum.com/

» ThiefWare.com
   Information and resources primarily for webmasters who wish to fight unethical contextual advertising.
   http://www.thiefware.com

» TrafficG Yellow and Green Link Killer
   Provides script to disable Top Text and Surf+. Documents source code alterations made by these programs.
   http://www.trafficg.com/scumware/index.htm

» WebHostingTalk Forums: KaZaa is Hijacking Traffic!
   Webmasters and surfers, mostly disapproving of the embedded advertising links.
   http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=18027&perpage=20&pagenumber=1

» Whirly Wiry Web: Fighting Ezula
   Discussion of web design to detect and defeat contextual advertising, including recognizing the HotText and TopText plugins.
   http://www.whirlywiryweb.com/q/ezula.asp

» You got the yellow linking Virus?
   Gives information on how to remove/unistall TopText, and links to other more detailed resources.
   http://www.funs.co.uk/virus/

» c|net Tech News: Chorus of Gator critics grows
   Article on Interactive Advertising Bureau's possible regulatory complaint over Gator's ad insertion. Also discusses Top Text and the effort against it.
   http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-272244.html

» c|net Tech News: Peer-to-peer exchanges court advertisers
   Article describing the financial arrangements, briefly mentioning the controversy.
   http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-271020.html

» eZula and Surf+ Script Killer
   Provides a script killer for the eZula software. Also works on Surf+.
   http://www.searchking.com/ezulakiller/

» geek/talk Forums at GeekVillage
   Discussion about the eZula TopText defacement in the context of copyright violation.
   http://www.geekvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12175