What Wikipedia Should Be Saying About WeatherBug

In this post, I hope to accomplish two very important things: First, clear up an inaccurate, dated Wikipedia entry. Second, get people thinking about what they read and assume is fact.

Wikipedia’s WeatherBug entry states:

WeatherBug is a computer program from AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. that displays live weather data. The program was formerly distributed through the AOL Instant Messenger installation utility.

This is not a complete entry, corrected it would also state:

WeatherBug installed professional-grade weather stations at schools then networked them together. The data gathered from these weather stations were also used to allow teachers to apply real-world weather conditions when teaching math, science and geography. Today, this program is known as WeatherBug Achieve.Currently, through the use of mobile, desktop and business distribution means, gathered weather data is streamed live to users of the various WeatherBug software properties. The Windows desktop program known as WeatherBug Desktop was at one time, distributed through the AOL Instant Messenger installation utility. Other weather data brands have distributed software through applications in a similar fashion as can be seen in this blog entry by Alex Eckelberry.

Wikipedia states:

The WeatherBug Network is a series of mesonets totaling approximately 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations, located in regions across the United States. WeatherBug’s Tracking Stations generate live neighborhood level reports and capture a live view of changes in the weather as they occur.The company partners with approximately 85 TV stations across the country. WeatherBug is compatible with both its own network of 8000 stations and the roughly 1000 National Weather Service stations.

Corrected it would also state:

Data gathered from all 9000 stations is then streamed live through various software means to the WeatherBug data recipients.

The National Weather Service site(s) currently update their data at most every 15 minutes and generally once per hour. WeatherBug’s weather data is updated every second, but without excessive system resource usage with the Windows free application.

Wikipedia states:

In 2005, Microsoft AntiSpyware, now known as Windows Defender, flagged WeatherBug as a spyware program, but this classification was removed after complaints from AWS.[1] The free version of the program is adware, however, as it displays various advertisements to the user. The professional version does not contain adware.

Corrected it would also state:

This classification was removed after AWS submitted a vendor dispute form which is for software vendors who believe they are being incorrectly classified.

Microsoft agreed that they had incorrectly classified the “Minibug” component of the WeatherBug software which is NOT used as an ad serving component at all, but is an application that allows for simple download of the application.

The free version of the program should not be considered to be adware, according to the Wikipedia definition of Adware. The WeatherBug application is a small version of a web browser that is customized to integrate very well with the WeatherBug web site. Other major weather brands have applications that behave in a similar manner and there has never been a claim that their application is adware.

The Windows based WeatherBug Desktop does not use pop-up advertising and advertising which is present in the application is embedded into the application itself. Ads are displayed only when the application is open, not when minimized. The professional version of the Windows application is not advertising supported.

Missing content that has oddly been ignored by the Wikipedia.

In (2006?), the WeatherBug brand expanded to include what is known as WeatherBug Labs. Labs has become a testing ground of sorts of other WeatherBug branded applications. OS X widgets, a Firefox extension and the WeatherBug API are some of the most popular examples.

WeatherBug provides their weather data via various mobile applications for Windows Mobile, Blackberry with other platforms rumored to be coming soon. The company also provide a widely used curriculum program in schools across the country known as WeatherBug Achieve.

And with Verizon, as the exclusive Weather Provider to to provide V-Cast users with live weather videos, WAP, and BREW applications on Verizon mobile devices.

Notes added without press relating to other events already listed in the Wiki entry.

Even ignoring the quite relevant addition of WeatherBug labs to the application mix for WeatherBug’s brand, I am surprised how Wikipedia editors managed to forgo outbound links to the Homeland Security partnership?

Then proof of how poorly this Wikipedia entry was put together:

Developer: AWS Convergence Technologies

Latest release: 6.07 / 2006-08-01

OS: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS

Website: http://weather.weatherbug.com/

Directly under the logo, we see mention of the WeatherBug brand offering two OS choices. Yet the Wikipedia entry fails to mention anything about OS X – why? I suspect is has to do with the fact that there has never been ads served with the OS X client.

Not relevant? Sure it is. After all, this is an entry about the WeatherBug brand and not one of the many applications a current to date, non-biased entry should have included.

WeatherBug provides data distributed over Windows, OS X and with the Firefox extension – even in Linux. This is not including the existing and upcoming mobile solutions for receiving WeatherBug weather data streams.

In light of this, I encourage each of you reading this to come to their own conclusion. Be wary of any information source that speak in absolutes. This is how ‘witch hunts’ begin, and I like to think that we as a society have grown to a point where we can make rational judgments without resorting to a mindless, mob mentality.