Talk:adware

Here are the oldest Usenet posts I can find on Google Groups:

• AdWare: comp.sys.mac - 21 Jul 1987 by Werner Uhrig: [1]
• adware: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d - 9 Nov 1990 by Jack Morrison: [2]
• adwares: alt.comp.shareware - 6 Mar 2000 by Visual Vision: [3]
• anti-adware: alt.privacy.spyware - 9 Aug 2000 by Bluebeard: [4]

It seems that the terms adware was originally used for a close relative of shareware & freeware and was a type of benevolent or harmless software (rathar than malware) which was free of charge but contained some advertising. — Hippietrail 12:11, 3 Oct 2004 (UTC)