Rant about "free"ware software downloads

jmacavali

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Why does every single piece of software or update try to install a toolbar or change my home page or install other bloatware. :angry: Downloaded CPU Z from Cnet. CNet requires it's own installer to be installed and then tries to install some shitty ass software and toolbar with it. Finally get it all unchecked and then CPUZ tries to install another shitty ass toolbar and software.

Do Adobe reader updates (which deserves it's own rant - 98% of the usage time for Reader is updating it, 2% is actually looking at a PDF) and it tries to do the same thing. Install this great toolbar, install this other great bloatware. Flash player and Java are the same thing.

If I wanted my comptuer to be full of bloatware and move along at a snails pace I'd go out and install the shit myself. I don't need it to come from you. And now I have to do a "custom" install to remove the check boxes...come on CNet your better than that. How many average users just hit next-next-next and then wonder why half their screen is full of toolbars when they open IE. It's bullshit!

I understand it's a way to make money for freeware companies and I understand that it's going to happen but why make it so complicated and why make it every single time there's an update? Just let me install what I came to install and leave my computer alone.

I know, I know :horse: but it makes me sick when I go to work on someones computer because it's "slow" and all I do is unistall a bunch of toolbars and bloatware that they got unknowingly by update their java or flash or reader (which again all deserve their own rant for updating every 3 days and reminding you to update every 5 minutes).

I just wish they would make it more obvious and make it easier to not install the crap they try to give you or at least not make it the default. Again :banghead: but at least I feel better....:ermm: sort of...
 
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Money money money. Unfortunately.

If you download "freeware" x, for every install that x makes of crap pieces of bloatware / toolbars a, b and c, they will likely pay x some money. Therefore it's in the interest of the makers of x to try and push this crap as hard as they can, so they can earn more money.

The public seem to gradually catch onto various terms regarding software - 10 years ago or so "shareware" was all the rage, but then that started getting a reputation for infecting your PC with a load of crap, and "freeware" was the "completely free" alternative that, as far as the public were concerned, came with no ties. Unfortunately this now isn't the case and "open source" tends to be the "friendly" alternative that people look for now. In and of itself that's not such a bad thing perhaps, since an "open source" app has to release the source code, and given that, anyone releasing an open source application loaded with crap could just have it taken apart and re-released *without* the crap by someone else.

That's utopia of course, and there's (for the foreseeable future) always likely to be closed source applications that most people need to download. My approach is usually to download everything I need in one fell swoop, just let it install its crap and then when I'm done, plough through and uninstall what I don't want then clear up various registry startup entries after that's gone.
 
You all should know, no such thing as a freebie in life....always a catch!!!:lol:
 
When it comes to apps, I can tolerate those that come with ads and I dump those that put icons into my cellphone. There are apps that function as free samples while you can pay for apps that are feature-ladened which is acceptable. But I can't stand those sneaky apps.
 
You all should know, no such thing as a freebie in life....always a catch!!!:lol:

Not true!! This is the issue, sorting the good from the bad and not tarnishing everything with the same brush. There are *many* good freebies, no catch, to be had in the software world.

Some people (myself included) enjoy producing and releasing software for fun, do it for free, provide the work as open source and don't put any catches in. What's in it for me? The enjoyment of producing something and then seeing people use it, and perhaps at the most cynical level if it *is* something that takes off, it doesn't look bad on a CV either. Nothing that means I'm going to plant crap in the stuff I release for $$$. Most open source guys I know are the same.

Other people have different motives - universities often release software for free because it helps them in research (again not a motive to be worried about unless they're collecting huge amounts of information without telling you) and some are doing it as part of learning programming.

So yes, there *is* definitely good, ad-free, 100% free and open software out there that isn't created with an ulterior motive. To say otherwise would be doing a huge disservice to the thousands of coders that freely volunteer their time on such projects. The hard part is finding that good, genuinely free software, and differentiating it from the ad-filled crap that others release.
 
Install WinRar for the CNET stuff. This may no longer be the case, but at one time you could simply right click and choose the WinRAR context option to extract the contents of the .exe. That would give you the installer you wanted in the first place. I think that CNET may have changed their installer to run first, then download the requested package after you say no to everything else. Haven't downloaded from CNET recently though...
 
Not true!! This is the issue, sorting the good from the bad and not tarnishing everything with the same brush. There are *many* good freebies, no catch, to be had in the software world.

Some people (myself included) enjoy producing and releasing software for fun, do it for free, provide the work as open source and don't put any catches in. What's in it for me? The enjoyment of producing something and then seeing people use it, and perhaps at the most cynical level if it *is* something that takes off, it doesn't look bad on a CV either. Nothing that means I'm going to plant crap in the stuff I release for $$$. Most open source guys I know are the same.

Other people have different motives - universities often release software for free because it helps them in research (again not a motive to be worried about unless they're collecting huge amounts of information without telling you) and some are doing it as part of learning programming.

So yes, there *is* definitely good, ad-free, 100% free and open software out there that isn't created with an ulterior motive. To say otherwise would be doing a huge disservice to the thousands of coders that freely volunteer their time on such projects. The hard part is finding that good, genuinely free software, and differentiating it from the ad-filled crap that others release.

"Edited"
You all should know, Majority of things in life are not for free....always a catch!!!:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
The problem is people are far to eager to install the update/software that they just click 'Ok', 'Yes' or 'Continue' with out slowing down and watching the screens before they click.

It's only when you look closely you realise that there's check's in boxes for installing 'BS' on browser bars, your desktop, or in the 'background' (?).

:cool:
 
"Edited"
You all should know, Majority of things in life are not for free....always a catch!!!:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Have to disagree with this one when it comes to my cell phone or otherwise. I've downloaded many sampler apps into my phone (for full-featured apps that's when you have to pay) plus I've downloaded many videos for free into my cell. Then I'm getting channels for free through my digital converter, I can go into my local Shoprite for free food samples and so on.
 
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