Ben Edelman Discusses Dangers of Affiliates Using Adware in Candid Podcast Interview

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CHICAGO IL, January 4, 2006 – Leading spyware and adware expert Ben Edelman will discuss one of online advertising’s most controversial and influential phenomenon – the use of adware among affiliates and its continuing impact on the industry itself and consumer behavior – in a five part audio series.

The interview was recently granted to Jeff Molander, CEO of Molander & Associates Inc. who visited Edelman in his Cambridge, Massachusetts research lab. Molander has divided the interview into five short segments for easy digestion by busy professionals and is making the first two audiocasts available at Revenews.com with final segments at Thoughtshapers.com where the entire series will also be available for download.

Recently, the Federal Trade Commission and our nation’s legislative bodies have been wasting no time taking action on companies producing and distributing adware as well as affiliates that use it to pop ads on un-suspecting consumers’ desktops. Still, adware flourishes largely with the support of knowing or, often, unknowing advertisers.

“The discussion was fascinating with Edelman talking plainly and pulling no punches,” said Molander. “In many ways, adware use among affiliates is the most important issue facing affiliate marketing in 2006 and his insights are pure gold… based entirely on well documented research.”

In addition to providing a solid overview on basic concepts needed to understand how adware propagates and funds various third party beneficiaries, the series provides answers to questions such as:

• Are affiliate networks’ quality assurance teams effective? Do they even have them?

• What should networks be doing to protect advertisers?
• What should advertisers be demanding — contractually — of affiliates and networks themselves?
• What can advertisers do — today — to protect themselves?
• Will 2006 see marketers/advertisers being indemnified by affiliate networks as new networks spring up and clients revolt?

About Molander & Associates Inc.
Molander & Associates is an e-commerce consulting firm specializing in dispensing practical, strategic knowledge to business decision-makers. Its packaged “knowledge products” (such as The Affiliate List www.theaffiliatelist.com) help marketers scale their most valuable resource: time. The company’s management consulting clients include start-up ventures and established firms ranging from multi-channel retailers, catalogers, service marketers and agencies to entrepreneurs, investors, analysts and others seeking to invest in online marketing, advertising and e-commerce strategies.

Contact: Jeff Molander
(815) 483-9194
jmolander _at_ molanderassoc.com