[gerbick]

ok, I'll add to your conspiracy... but this one might make more sense.

Microsoft didn't invent spyware, but they're about to license out MS Windows licenses for spyware to all of these dubious companies out there. How?

Let me tell you how. Via Microsoft's acquisition of Giant, they now have a (currently in beta) spyware removal software program. They are at the crossroads a bit on whether or not they will charge for subscriptions to updates, what not. But imagine if they don't charge for updates, and they adopt the same methodology of "digitally signing" drivers so that they're MS Windows certified to spyware.

That's right, MS will not start to capitalize on the spyware income - it's higher than most people think, information is indeed worth a lot - that they currently don't have access to by charging a licensing fee, and suddently you have a new group of "software" that's digitally signed and trusted by Microsoft that is allowed to be installed onto your computer. The spyware people get massive distribution across almost all connected computers and the spyware manufacturers still get that revenue, but now Microsoft has a new stream of revenue.

Let that set in for a moment.