Download.com Now Wraps Downloads In Bloatware

MrSeb writes "At Download.com, page designs have been repeatedly tweaked over the years to push its updater software (now called TechTracker), TrialPay offers, and the site's mailing list. Bothersome, perhaps, but certainly not inexcusable. They've got to make money off the site somehow, after all, and banner ads don't always do the job. Now, things have taken a turn for the worse: Cnet has begun wrapping downloads in its own proprietary installer. Not only will this cause the reputation of free, legitimate software to be tarred by Cnet's bloatware toolbars, homepage changes, and new default search engines — but Cnet is even claiming that their installer wrapping is 'for the users.'"

Re:Wow, when you can't trust CNET

[Immostlyharmless]

Last time I tried Tucows, same thing. Some crap installer kept popping up. God only knows what the hell it installed on my system. :o(

Re:Wow, when you can't trust CNET

[Moryath]

More and more download sites are doing this.

Hell, even reputable companies are doing this. I see it all the time. We wind up cleaning off "Ask Toolbar" and other sorts of shitty crapware all the time, and it wandered in as a tagalong with Adobe Reader and Java updates!

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[account_deleted]

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Re:Wow, when you can't trust CNET

[uniquename72]

I always try to use Filehippo. [filehippo.com] They're the only download site where I've never seen an ad deceptively disguised as a "Download" button.

No, it's CBS

[MrEricSir]

c|net is long gone, they are now CBS Interactive.

Re:Sourceforge is no alternative

[GameboyRMH]

That's not sourceforge's fault any more than getting an infected crack from TPB would be TPB's fault. Sourceforge just hosts whatever the hell you upload.

Re:Wow, when you can't trust CNET

[ge7]

Well, Google does it with their toolbar for IE, Google Desktop Search and Chrome. I think most slashdotters think Google as somewhat reputable company.

Re:God Dammit

[Anonymous Coward]

Use Ninite. http://ninite.com/

Adware-free bulk installer. Pick the apps you want, download one installer, start it, come back later with everything installed.

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Re:Wow, when you can't trust CNET

[ge7]

No, they pay of other software developers and companies to include their toolbar with their software. Just see this [google.com] or search for "google toolbar affiliate".

Re:Wow, when you can't trust CNET

[X0563511]

And, snarky sarcasm aside, plenty of projects host the binary builds alongside them as well.

You just have to actually look in the files "directory" of the project, instead of just going with the "latest" link somewhere near the top of the page.

Re:So, CNet's installer is now open source?

[ledow]

Er... by that logic, the WinZIP installer (or NSIS installer, or X, Y, Z installer) is "open source" if I use it to install a GPL game. Not true.

The GPL only applies to the source code and binaries produced therein, and wrappers, compressors and installers are fine so long as they don't form almost the complete binary itself (and it's not as simple as a bit-count, but by functionality).

Also, by your logic, any application that bundles or uses GPL executables would subject it to the GPL - also not true - so 99.9% of those "video convertor" utilities that use things like ffmpeg.exe would also be GPL (and things like the iPlayer downloader).

Please don't spread GPL bullshit. They are perfectly entitled to do this, and we're all perfectly entitled to never touch it with a bargepole.