Part of the difficulty here is that "Fun Web" and "My Way" have been moving targets. Early versions of both caused a lot of trouble and were really obnoxious. Hijacked toolbars and deceptive/difficult removal instructions were common. Removal according to instructions may have(?) frequently left functioning tracking and adware components that were buried and disguised.

Early versions of the "My Way" package were available to anyone who wanted to download them, and could be merged into other programs. The "My Way" identification may or may not be visible where the search engine components were "repackaged." With repackaging, the actual program might be disguised as "just Fun Web" or "just My Way" when in fact it included other spyware/adware added on by an unknown agent.

To further complicate things, during the early distribution of these "My Way" components, an identity often used was "IWon." That name apparently(?) is no longer used for current software.

Mark Gibbs at NetworkWorldFusion (dated 12/10/03) is from about the same time period as the item linked by Max.

An archive item at My Search Bar is undated, but apparently goes back to about the time of the complaint linked to Max's post or even a little earlier (ca. 2000?):

[quote]
Overview
"My Search Bar" and the variants "My Way Speedbar" and "My Way Search Assistant", are browser helper objects that allows you to search on multiple search engines. The software is bundled with file sharing programs such as Morpheus. The search form is added to Internet Explorer under the default address field. The software might update itself without notice.

"The MySearch" and "MyWay" variants have been bundled with Grokster, Morpheus, WeatherBug, and software from mgshareware.com. MySearch has also been installed by the FavoriteMan parasite. The MyWeb variant is bundled with software (Popswatter, SmileyCentral, My Mail Stamp) from "Fun Web Products" (the same people as MyWay)."
[endquote]

From about the same time period as the warning from Max:

PowWeb from "CrocHunter." (1-5-04, 06:35 PM)

[quote]
I've been noticing alot of "FunWebProducts" (FWP) appearing in my access log - user agent strings lately. Like this: "Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; FunWebProducts; .NET CLR 1.0.3705)"

Turns out FWP offer Smiley Central, PopSwatter, My Mail Signature, My Mail Stationery and My Mail Stamp, email "enhancers". All of these enhancers have inbuilt adware or hijackers. The unsuspecting user suffers slow IE speed, tags on all email and it takes over their browser. It can also damage the Windows enviroment.

Serves them right you say?.. wrong. Often they are simply unaware. And we as webmasters suffer to!. Bloated logs and repeated calls for help. In the above example my access logs alone jumped 300kb+ through one heavy user. If you spot FunWebProducts encourage the user to remove it."
[endquote]

A little further down, from "csramotorsports"

"I have been shut down for excessive resource abuse, and BAM! Sure nuff going through my log for today, I see FUNWEBPRODUCTS...Dangit! Shows up A LOT. I'm going to try to track this user. This is probably most definitely what pushed me over the edge today."

A fairly recent post from free-web-browsers identifies:

"My Search, MyWebSearch, My Web Search, My Way Speedbar, Speedbar, Popular Screensavers are trademarks of Focus Interactive, Inc. (www.funwebproducts.com). Smiley Central is a trademark of Focus Interactive, Inc. (www.smileycentral.com)."

So far as I've seen the "Focus Interactive" identification was not used with early versions. (Be careful how you pronounce "Focus" ????)

RECENT AND CURRENT versions of "Fun Web" products are not considered spyware by most organizations that work on defining what's acceptable. They have cleaned up their act considerably, and now publish a legible EULA and Privacy Statement. Both contain links to separate "incorporated by citation" terms, but the only essential "buried" agreement is the My Way Privacy Statement.

Agreement to install ANY Fun Web or My Way component constitutes an agreement to install MANY Fun Web components. The agreements allow them to install "other components" automatically, which is a somewhat questionable condition, but apparently has not been abused FOR CURRENT VERSIONS.

The newer versions of these products, when obtained from Fun Web, apparently do cause significant "program bloat" for individuals who use them, and slow down the user's machine; but the "performance hit" may be acceptable to those inclined toward such "cutesy toyware" – they probably don't know it happens.

The newer versions of these products, when obtained from Fun Web, do apparently cause some increase in server traffic load when people who visit have these products installed. In most cases the "traffic hit" is within tolerable limits. It remains possible that mudcat traffic is close enough to capacity that the increase causes a problem. It is also possible that the somewhat "different" site structure – perhaps the extremely high density of links on nearly every page - causes these programs to have a more severe effect at the 'cat.

It is unknown (by me at least) whether the Fun Web people still produce search engine components for bundling into other "products." It is certain that such products, using older "My Way/IWon" search engine versions, have appeared as components of other programs. The old IWon people exercised NO OVERSIGHT with regard to who used their "tools" or in what way, so even they likely don't know where a "Fun Web" or "My Way" identity may appear associated with other programs or utilities which may not identify themselves to a web site except as "Fun Web."

With the number of mudcat users who are still using Win98 (and older) systems, it is entirely possible that the "mudcat problem" comes from a user who has an IWon/My Way component as a bundled part of some forgotten program from 5 or 10 years ago.

Since Fun Web has "cleaned up its act" and is now no longer recognized as "Spyware" it is uncertain whether malware detection software will identify the older (and more likely malicious) versions. It's also possible that someone who really wants "cute" instead of "content" – and wants to label themselves as a "newby who needs gimmicks" could get rid of old versions and get "the new Fun Web stuff" – with some benefit to the rest of us. But that's just speculation.

Malware incorporated in OLD programs, particularly those associated with "search" and "file sharing" functions may still identify itself to a server as "Fun Web" or "My Way" or "Iwon" programs. Some of this stuff was in fact pretty nasty.

John