Is there a spyware free version of Bonzi Buddy ?

Factual Questions
1

Now that I have your attention, it’s time to abuse your head.

Is there a spyware free version of Bonzi Buddy?

2

Isn’t that like asking if there is a useful form of spam? :dubious:

Bonzi Buddy’s main role in “life” seems to be to get you to purchase the add-on modules or worse, a “gold membership” that will automatically renew every year on your original credit card. Most reviews of Buddy warn you to stay away from it, and there are several websites that tell you how to get rid of the annoying purple monkey.

But if you are determined to have your life interrupted by a simian with slurred speech, then by definition, he will include “spyware” because that seems to be his primary function - to monitor your computer and start making noises whenever it seems inactive. Since doing things like reading this post on the Straight Dope looks like inactivity to Buddy, he’s liable to break in on a lot of your computer time.

3

Edited title for clarity.

phaishazamkhan, please use descriptive thread titles. And welcome to the boards.

-xash
General Questions Moderator

4
      • One might be able to use cracking programs to break the network functions of the plugin, but then a lot of its functionality might be network-dependent anyway. And what would be the point? I am not familiar with it at all, except that Spybot and AdAware both search for and remove it. What exactly would you want a spyware-free version to do?
        ~
5

What does Bonzi Buddy do for the user that one might actually want? Perhaps there are other things that do the same not made by the same folks.