Since this is a facebook thread I think this monster may be a more fitting obnoxious assistant throwback:
A number of sources identify BonziBUDDY as spyware and adware too. A claim the company disputes. In 2002 an article in Consumer Reports Web Watch labelled BonziBUDDY as spyware, stating that it is a Backdoor Santa in that it collects information from users. Among the activities the program is said to engage in and include resetting the user’s web browser homepage to bonzi[dot com] constantly without the user’s permission, prompting and tracking various information about the user, and serving advertisements.
( https://malware.wikia.org/wiki/BonziBUDDY )
