Adware Pusher Awarded Microsoft MVP Status

UPDATE: According to InfoWorld, Microsoft rescinded Cyril Paciullo’s MVP status (story below) after the issue was brought to its attention. Without a time machine, that’s really the best the company could have done in this situation. But, wow… what an oops!

Jimmy Daniels of RealTechNews writes:

In its infinite wisdom, Microsoft has awarded MVP status to a software deveLOPer who pushed adware through his Messenger Plus program. It doesn’t install it without asking, but the adware he is pushing is LOP. For anyone who doesn’t know:

LOP is a group of spyware and hijacker programs that set your Internet Explorer start page and search features to use the site LOP.com (’Live Online Portal’) or one of its clone sites.

 LOP.com created a program which is labeled variously as an mp3 search program, a porn search program, or some other such thing. The installer turns the user’s Web browser into a device with a seemingly endless supply of links to LOP.com. [Source: Sunbelt Software]

A wonderful little program that has caused many users frustration over the years. Well, Paperghost is a Microsoft MVP and he’s not too happy about it.

If you’d created a program that installed adware, would you be surprised if you were then awarded an MVP Award from Microsoft? Well, step right up Patchou, AKA Cyril Paciullo, creator of Messenger Plus!

For anyone who doesn’t know about the controversy surrounding this program, its an add-on for Windows Messenger / Live / whatever they’re calling it this week. Problem is, it comes bundled with LOP, a major source of annoyance and anger for Web-users since, oh, ages ago. Yeah, it now gives you an option as to whether you want to install it or not - but that’s hardly the point, is it?

Bottom line is, Microsoft [is] rewarding someone that has an active involvement with one of the most maligned names in PC hijacking. If that isn’t booberific, I don’t know what is. [Source: Vitalsecurity]

We Say: Microsoft’s own program detects Messenger Plus via Virustotal, screenshot on Paperghost’s site. Way to cheapen the award that meant so much to so many Microsoft. You’re an MVP with us, as well.

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