Contact me - marensdasein@gmail.com
BonziBuddy won. To a lot of people reading this thats probably a meaningless statement, but I'm gonna lay it all out. BonziBuddy was a piece of software built out of the "Microsoft Agent" software advertised to be a sort of personal assistant for your computer. It was a funny purple monkey that told us he was there to simplify computing tasks from email to webrowsing, as well as being a silly doodad that could tell jokes, sing, and repeat typed phrases. These were all ancillary functions, however, its true functions were as spyware and adware. It changed your web browser homepage, displayed pop-up adverisements, and sold the user information provided at installation. It was broadly maligned as a virus and actually got in legal hot water for collecting and selling information of children under the age of 13.
It's obviously no longer available, and modern computer users dont trust digital assistants that promise to make using your computer easier in exchange for personal information...right? Right?
"Alexa, tell me I'm right."
"I'm sorry, I am in fact selling your shopping data to advertisers as we speak"
You see? BonziBuddy may have been labed a virus and sowed mistrust of un-recognized download sources, but really social media, AI assistants, all of that. They're functionally identical. They harvest your data, sell it to advertisers and deliver unwanted advertisements. The only differences are they are both more subtle and come from more established companies. And so we have lost. BonziBuddy itself may have been destroyed but its spirit lives on in digital assistants and social meda services available on almost all pieces of modern tech with a speaker and a microphone. BonziBuddy is everywhere, and there is no escape
Contact me - marensdasein@gmail.com