Tax Program Develops An Insulting Approach - TurboTax installs Spyware

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Thursday, January 30, 2003 | WALTER S. MOSSBERG

[TroutStalker]

The top two software packages for tax preparation have been largely static in their core features and user interfaces for years, but you'll notice a new attitude toward customers from one of the publishers this time around.

The programs are nearly identical, and in my annual reviews of H&R Block's TaxCut and TurboTax by Intuit I have mainly noted changes in ancillary features, and in the proliferation of various editions and versions that seem inspired more by marketing than by functionality.

[newgeezer]

I've read where C-Dilla actually disables your CD burner on occassion when its copy protection routine kicks in and thinks you're burning pirated software

As long as it knows its victim is pirating software, I've no problem with that. However, I do -- as much as possible -- burn a single working copy of my kids' games CDs. I give it to them, and I stash the original away for safekeeping, in case they should mishandle and damage the working copy. It hasn't happened yet, but I refuse to lose software I paid for, due to mishandling the CD. If that violates the license agreement, so be it.

I'd guess the popular spyware spies -- AdAware is the one I can think of at the moment; supposedly, there's a better one -- will find and kill C-Dilla.

[LTCJ]

Ditto on the ease of transition from TT to TC. I made the switch several years ago after a major problem with TurboTax's online functionality and have never regretted the change (especially after continuing to do yearly price checks).

The one thing that does bug the heck out of me, though, is the "free after mail-in rebate" basis of the e-filing, state software, and discount. You almost need a CPA just to keep up with the rebate forms.

[LTCJ]

The one thing that does bug the heck out of me, though, is the "free after mail-in rebate" basis of the e-filing, state software, and discount. You almost need a CPA just to keep up with the rebate forms.

Not that TurboTax is any better in this regard.

[TroutStalker]

I just checked SpyBot Search & Destroy. Under Excludes/Products/Spybots.spi they include CDilla. So you can search and destroy it by using that program.

[Sir Gawain]

There is now an uninstall for C-Dilla.

[newgeezer]

You almost need a CPA just to keep up with the rebate forms.

My guess is most or all rebates are offered with the premise that (1) some of the people who purchased the product because of the rebate will not file for it, and (2) some of the rebate checks mailed will never be cashed.

There's also those cases such as the one just uncovered here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where a postal supervisor was found to be supporting his methamphetamine habit with other people's rebate checks. But, that's another thread.

[TroutStalker]

According to TurboTax's website, the C-Dilla uninstall is only after you also uninstall TurboTax itself.

[Sir Gawain]

Yeah, pretty crappy. Macrovision actually altered their webpage after people found out about Safecast. Read about it here.

[Sir Gawain]

Be aware that TT will stop working if you strip out C-Dilla.

[George W. Bush]

I've read where C-Dilla actually disables your CD burner on occassion when its copy protection routine kicks in and thinks you're burning pirated software--not just TurboTax.

Macrovision Offers Closer Look At SafeCast/C-Dilla

"One of the criticisms of the SafeCast/C-Dilla software is that it somehow disables CD burners, preventing CDs protected with the SafeCast software to be copied. This claim is false, Glass said. Burning the protected CD doesn't work because the software sends certain commands which can only be interpreted by "master" CD burners at mass duplication factories, he said.

Does anyone know exactly what that means? I sure don't. And I don't want any spyware to send any supposedly harmless commands to my burner ever. My burner should only receive commands from software that I have installed for burning.

I don't think anyone has yet provided a thorough answer to whether and to what extent CD-burning may be affected but C-Dilla's SafeDisc technology certainly makes this easy to include. I certainly wouldn't rule it out. There's a lot of strange behavior and denials from Intuit and Macrovision/C-Dilla on this matter.

Not only does this stuff take up disk space and spread files all over your system and spy on you, it occupies RAM and causes more disk-thrashing for virtual memory. Why should anyone accept it?

Bottom line: Dump TurboTax and send corporate America a no-I-won't-accept-spyware message. When TurboTax suffers a rapid loss of market share, they'll get the message.

[LTCJ]

My guess is most or all rebates are offered with the premise ...

Exactly.

If you're in college, quit. You've already got the equivalent of a Masters in marketing.

[George W. Bush]

You willing to play Horatio at the gate to keep some pimply-faced teenage slacker out of prison? You willing to become Spike and Bubba's cell-b!tch for that?

Well, at least you're no longer telling me to murder my children and commit suicide.

You know, you're not exactly an attractive poster child for DRM and copyright enforcement. And FR, due to the nature of posting copyrighted works, isn't exactly the place to prosecute your case. Why do you hang out here anyway, given your puritanical copyright notions?

[Poohbah]

You know, you're not exactly an attractive poster child for DRM and copyright enforcement.

You know, I don't shive a git.

And you surely are not an attractive poster child for the "information wants to be free, give me free software and entertainment for life" crowd. You're even less appealing and intelligent than the average, and that takes some doing.

I mean, seriously, I never knew that someone with a flatline EEG could post to the Web before I bumped into you.

[Smogger]

GWB,

Like I stated earlier there is a patch file that patches the activation code right out of TTax 2003. After I ran it on my TTax mailer copy (like the AOL discs) I was able to download my "free" state software.

Ad-aware then nuked C-Dilla. After that TTax still functioned fine. I am sure you could use it to finish your taxes. The only question at this point is could you still file online (ie. will they still take your $12-$20 bucks to file online) I don't know, but I suspect they will. I'll be the first guinea pig and let you guys know.

[TroutStalker]

Pretty amazing. All this sneaky $hit really burns me. I'm glad I switched from Quicken too. Intuit can go to hell.

[jpl]

How thoroughly depressing; a once respectable company turns into a scumware propagator. They'll lose most of their business for this.

[George W. Bush]

Ad-aware then nuked C-Dilla. After that TTax still functioned fine.

Perhaps Ad-aware only nuked the portions of C-Dilla that it considered to be spyware. Macrovision's statement and the articles indicate that there are a whole bunch of files that get scattered around and that, for the license to fail, all of the files have to be destroyed.

But if you completely uninstalled the SmartCast normally, it will kill your TurboTax.

When you dial in to do online filing, Intuit will know that your license is no longer intact. And they'll record that information. Personally identifiable and with social security number attached.

I think you should switch but you seem to know the issues well enough to judge for yourself.

[Once-Ler]

"Let the pirates wonder why the IRS is hitting them for an audit, back taxes, and penalties..."

Any software has all kinds of glitches and errors. You think it is a good idea to have the software give incorrect info when it is operating functionally. What happens when the software causes hundreds(?) thousands(?) of audits for people who didn't pirate the software, but the anti-piracy safeguards mistakenly indicates the user has a pirated copy?

How long do you think they would stay in business after lawsuits?

Anti-piracy software is bad enough when it prevents legitimate use. adding in deliberate sabotage may be the future but it is not wise and it will not lead to success.

[George W. Bush]

I mean, seriously, I never knew that someone with a flatline EEG could post to the Web before I bumped into you.

Why don't you and Bush2000 go browse other threads here at FR where the content was lifted from syndicated and copyrighted sources?

If you check the source of our article, you'll find that it is copyrighted by the Wall Street Journal. It is not syndicated for reproduction anywhere else that I can see.

Your enthusiasm for copyright enforcement is so selective that no one takes your position seriously. To be convincing, you need to resign from FR.

You're FR's Clown Prince Of Irony.