The majority of computers I fix having problems that are directly or indirectly caused by badware. Badware is malicious software that tracks your moves online and feeds that information back to shady marketing groups so that they can ambush you with targeted ads. Badware is also known as spyware.

I can see badware from a mile away. A huge problem I’ve noticed is most people don’t have a clue about what is good or considered badware. Most people simply get online and download and install stuff while being clueless as to what they are really getting. That’s where [1] StopBadware.org comes in.

StopBadware.org is a Neighborhood watch for badware. It’s a project of Harvard and Oxford colleges and is supported by Google and Sun Microsystems. If you want to find out if an application you want to install on your computer is considered badware you can check stopbadware.org.

People complain to StopBadware.org about possible badware and StopBadware.org follows up on their reports and posts their findings if they consider the reported applications badware.

StopBadware.org is a relatively new site with only a few reports. I think StopBadware.org will take off soon and become a very helpful place for people who need help with badware.

I highly recommend StopBadware.org if you need help deciding if a particular application is considered badware.