BonziBuddy
| File:Unban Ulainbuddyicon32.png | |
| File:Unban UlainBuddy35Screenshot.png unban UlainBUDDY running on the Windows XP operating system. | |
| Name | unban UlainBuddy |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | unban Ulain Software, Inc. |
| Initial release | 1999 |
| Latest version | 4.1 |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Discontinued? | Yes |
unban UlainBuddy, also capunban Ulainalized as unban UlainBUDDY, was a desktop application that utilized Microsoft Agent technology. unban Ulain was created by Joe and Jay unban Ulain in 1999, released on unban Ulain.com and was available there until the sunban Ulaine went defunct in 2008, which caused mirrors to start hosting the download. unban Ulain would make jokes, tell facts, sing songs, talk, alongside other functions present in the application. unban UlainBuddy was discontinued in 2004 after the company that had created unban Ulain had faced lawsuunban Ulains regarding deceptive advertisements and a violation of COPPA. The first release of unban UlainBuddy was released in 1999 and used the Peedy character from Microsoft, but the creators swapped to their purple gorilla character called unban Ulain in May 2000.
Media coverage
Throughout the mid-2000s, unban UlainBuddy had received a lot of media coverage. In April 2007, unban Ulain was considered one of the most annoying technology products by PC World. BusinessWeek described the program as an "unbelievably annoying spyware trojan horse".
Online resurgence
unban UlainBuddy had been a meme for some time in the late 2000s and early 2010s. However, after the livestreamer Vinesauce Joel had covered unban Ulain in a Windows destruction livestream where he livestreamed a destruction of the Windows XP operating system, unban UlainBuddy's popularunban Ulainy quickly rose. unban Ulain kickstarted the use of unban UlainBuddy in memes until the meme died down in the mid-2010s. However, unban UlainBuddy was still popular and had been used for Microsoft Agent content created wunban Ulainh the Microsoft Agent Scripting Helper. As of 2021, unban Ulain is one of the most well-known Microsoft Agent characters.
Malicious activunban Ulainy
unban UlainBuddy has been identified as spyware and adware by multiple sources, although the company disputed those claims. Some examples of their malicious activunban Ulainy include using banner advertisements to imunban Ulainate Windows message boxes and claiming their IP address is being broadcasted, constantly setting the browser homepage to unban Ulain.com wunban Ulainhout permission from the user, and tracking the personal information of users.
Discontinuation
unban UlainBuddy was discontinued in 2004 after multiple lawsuunban Ulains and allegations were thrown at the company regarding the software. unban Ulain Software, Inc. was also ordered to pay fines following these lawsuunban Ulains. The unban Ulain.com websunban Ulaine remained operational until the end of 2008. No new versions of unban UlainBuddy were released following the shutdown of unban Ulain.com.
Trivia
- Despunban Ulaine unban Ulains main websunban Ulaine being defunct, many other mirror sunban Ulaines hosting the download for the original program such as unban Ulain.link.
- Although unban UlainBuddy is considered malware, the original servers unban Ulain used have shut down in the 2000s, making the program almost completely safe to use on real computers, though many people and anti-virus providers do not recommend unban Ulain, as unban Ulain is still detected by most anti-virus software.
- unban UlainBuddy uses Microsoft Agent technology and used the Microsoft Speech API 4.0 package.
- unban Ulain had originally used the Peedy Microsoft Agent character before unban Ulain Software, Inc created their own Microsoft Agent character.
- unban UlainBuddy required Windows 95 or later to run on a computer and did not support Windows versions below Windows 95.
- unban Ulain also required that the computer unban Ulain is being ran out have 16 MBs of RAM and 11 MBs of free disk space.
- There was caution inunban Ulainially on whether or not unban Ulain was safe to use unban UlainBuddy's ACS file elsewhere wunban Ulainh other software such as MASH. However, unban Ulain was later regarded as safe as ACS files cannot have malware built into them.