Olympic skier Begg-Smith known as 'spam king'

Declan McCullagh CNET News | February 17, 2010 9:47 AM PST

Summary

Dale Begg-Smith, the former world-champion mogul skier is almost as well known for reports about his involvement with adware, browser pop-ups, and other detritus of the seamier side of the Internet.

Topics

Web Browser, Web Browsers, Internet, Spyware, Security, Olympics, , Adware & Malware, Declan McCullagh CNET News

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Winning a medal at the Vancouver Olympic Games doesn't normally make you a target of derision from your fellow countrymen.

On Sunday night, Begg-Smith, who won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, lost the men's mogul competition to Canadian Alexandre Bilodeau. Begg-Smith won the silver medal; Bilodeau won the gold with a time of 23.17 seconds and a score of 26.75.

Canada's Globe and Mail described Begg-Smith as a "Lamborghini-driving 24-year-old who made a fortune peddling invasive Internet spyware." The Australian newspaper cited Begg-Smith's companies as "the origin of spyware programs that can redirect a computer to porn sites or install software that floods the computer with pop-up ads." A New Zealand newspaper reported that his nickname was "spam king," and Silicon Alley Insider dubbed him the "Hated Internet Millionaire Olympic Mogul Champion."

Begg-Smith's change of citizenship from Canadian to Australian (apparently the Canadians weren't as happy with his extracurricular activities) has left his original countrymen famously peeved and the Australians less than enthusiastic.

Begg-Smith may have just become the most hated Olympic-level athlete since figure-skater-turned-boxer Tonya Harding.

For more on this story read The Olympic skier known as 'spam king' on CNET News.

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Boo! Hiss!

Somebody should pie him.
Narg
17th Feb 2010
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Nah, I say somebody should Spam him,

with a real case of SPAM (while still in the cans...)
John Zern
17th Feb 2010
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At least Tonya looks cute .....

now that she has developed into a "full figured" woman ????
kd5auq
17th Feb 2010
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RE: Olympic skier Begg-Smith known as 'spam king'

What do you expect from a guy who has been hyphenated?
bobfastner
17th Feb 2010
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RE: Olympic skier Begg-Smith known as 'spam king'

An a$$hole by any other hyphen, eh????
rMatey
18th Feb 2010
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RE: Olympic skier Begg-Smith known as 'spam king'

He should be arrested for spamming/spyware and redirecting people to porn sites. It is illegal in many countries and prison sentences have already been handed out for such crimes. Overkill? Spam/Spyware and similar junk costs millions every year in costs to companies and individuals.
admin@...
19th Feb 2010
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