That's what you get for having the "spyware" Realplayer installed.

This news item comes as no surprise to me.

I have long avoided all Real Media software and - patched or unpatched - would never let Real Player near my machine, mainly because it is hopelessly buggy and inherently insecure (see El Reg passim) but also because it constantly tries to phone home and spy on me.

Worryingly, the BBC's 'Listen Again' feature still requires users to download RP. As a licence payer, I strongly object to the Beeb pimping a flawed and insecure proprietary programme. It's not as if they warned users of the potential risk or offered security advice.

Internet security is virtually a contradiction in terms nowadays, of course. But that still doesn't absolve public service providers from their responsibility to help safeguard users wherever possible. As far as I am concerned, advocating Real Media's products is an obvious dereliction of that duty of care.

They have already disgusted me once with their Big Brother tactics and pushy adware tendancies.

I won't be installing that tripe again. I don't care how "good" it has become, or that this issue is independant of their will. RealMedia has proven itself to be run by crooks, and once a crook, always crooked in my book.

As far as I'm concerned, RealMedia can shrivel up and die.

"People who use RealPlayer should download a patch, ...."

No, people who use RealPlayer should just stop. The only thing to do with Real that they should be downloading is Real Aternative.

www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm

Anyone stupid enough to have that crap installed deserves to be hit with spyware..

Which parts of Real Player were compromised and could this same vulnerability affect those using Real Alternative (which must use some parts of Real Player, right?)

Okay, Real Networks, Real Media and RealPlayer aside, who actually wants to look at ads all day as they surf the web anyway?

Seeing just a few people actually admit to it begs my next question: why are people not blocking it - all of it?

Ask your friend who knows a little about computers if you do not - and get into a real browser with plugins to block JavaScript, ads, iframes, and pop-up windows... if your favourite website uses those things, at least you can get to the meat and potatoes more quickly, and (so it seems) have fewer intrusions into your already cluttered computing life. Play safe.