Cnet download.com gone down the shitter

[Belly Buster]

This used to be a solid site for downloading freeware / shareware etc.

Then they starting filling it with misleading ads that made it look like you were downloading your app but in fact downloading something else, usually some malware.

So people got wise to that, and then they starting using an installer that would also try at install shit alongside your chosen program; if you were clever you could tick the right combination of boxes in the install wizard to get you stuff on without the junk. (A top tip was to avoid any option that was "recommended").

This is a good write-up of this problem: http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Downlo...ePureEvil.aspx

I have seen on some installs, the installer doesn't even give you the decline button so basically you have to accept the crapware to get your stuff installed.

[Sanlmar]

Thank goodness free apps don't have any unintended programming - right?

Everyone has figured out how to monetize "free".... or at least harvest a little personal data for later.

Belly must be a child of the 60's. The altruist programmer is dead, man. Death to the capitalists.

[Belly Buster]

Thank goodness free apps don't have any unintended programming - right?

Everyone has figured out how to monetize "free".... or at least harvest a little personal data for later.

Belly must be a child of the 60's. The altruist programmer is dead, man. Death to the capitalists.

It's a shame they feel the need to do this. I have plenty of stuff I have used for free and plenty of stuff I have paid for if it's useful to me.

There's a lot of different commercial models that work from banner ads to trialware to payware. One thing that is certain is that no one wants to have their PC deliberately clogged up with with their ("recommended") shit, whatever the price.

[sonatine]

A lot of programmers write freeware for altruistic motives. Its a great way to get your name out there, it looks fab on a resume, and if the app is a winner you can sell it or get acquired, or upsell to a registered version that has more features.

Honestly there are fewer wolves in sheeps clothing than you might think when it comes to software. Not to say they arent out there.


That said... I havent read ops url yet but yeah, cnet/download.com is a fucking snakepit.

[mulva]

c-net to be legit...they've been bad for several years now, when you want to get something like that.

shameful...they still have good rep from people not in the know..but they soon will find out once they use them again.

i use to get lavasoft from them

[Dan Druff]

I remember when I first learned the bad news about Cnet.

Like many here, I used to respect them and felt that they were always a good source to get free software that was relatively safe.

Then one day I went to download something there and saw the reviews indicating it was malware.

"Wow, wonder why this has been up here so long if it's malware?", I wondered, but I stayed away from that particular program, figuring it to be an anomaly.

Later I started noticing the malware "installers" that Cnet was pushing people to download, and I realized the whole site had basically sold out and became the opposite of what it claimed to be in the first place.

It's also full of phony "download" links which actually take you to third party sites to install more malware on your computer.

In short, they're terrible.

[sonatine]

i remember when having a job with cnet was super prestigious in san francisco, like back in the 90s. i forget who they were an affiliate of but they were some big media conglomerate... which makes their descent into pure scumbaggery all the more alarming.