Download.com - The New Home For Bloatware
Monday, August 22, 2011 by Jafo | Discussion: Personal Computing
Seems all new uploads there are being 'gift wrapped' with a proprietary installer...complete with toolbars etc that one 'must' opt out of if all you want is the proggy you were hoping to get.
Time perhaps to find a new source of your proggy downloads....
I'd checked out that flash cookie proggy and it had been wrapped....pain and a half.
More on the 'scam' here...
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Reply #2 Monday, August 22, 2011 8:03 PM
What a shame. That's where I first found out about ObjectDock and WindowBlinds. It would have been a definite turn-off if the trials had been packaged with bloatware. If enough people complain.....nah, probably not.
I get a lot of things from FileHippo. http://www.filehippo.com/ No bloat, adware or crap. They also have an update checker that is free and accurate. It won't list everything you have installed but it's handy for what it does list. I keep all auto-updates turned off on my rig and do them manually.
Reply #4 Monday, August 22, 2011 8:15 PM
+1 Thanks, rustysam, I forgot to mention that site.
Reply #5 Monday, August 22, 2011 8:21 PM
Man that's annoying. Downloading garbage while trying to download a program to help you dodge garbage. 
Reply #6 Monday, August 22, 2011 8:22 PM
I like MajorGeeks, have never found that I got anything added to the download. 
Reply #7 Monday, August 22, 2011 8:28 PM
I've noticed many newer installers these days (not just Download.com) have all sorts of Toolbar, Change Home Page additions. I find them to be annoyances.
I also have another site to add to the list, Softpedia.com I don't normally use it, so I don't know if they're following a Download.com trend or not.
Reply #8 Monday, August 22, 2011 8:32 PM
Jafo, did you succeed in downloading and installing the flash cookie remover? After opting out of the toolbar, changing the start page and search engine, it wouldn't install because of "a proxy or firewall".
I wonder if the developers know about that crap being done to their advertising efforts?
Odd that doesn't happen anywhere else. 
Reply #9 Monday, August 22, 2011 8:53 PM
Really bad move on Cnet's part. Developers and users alike are up in arms over this - what were they thinking?
Reply #12 Monday, August 22, 2011 9:31 PM
We'll see if it works out for them... probably will.. unfortunately. 
Reply #14 Monday, August 22, 2011 9:58 PM
Moved away from Download.com after their site became bloated, went to Softpedia and Filehippo.
Do the masters at Download.com really think this is a good move? It's the Internet you dolts ... users will go elsewhere.
Reply #15 Monday, August 22, 2011 10:07 PM
Yes, but it was a pain..... certainly more than such a simple proggy warranted.
One of the banes of modern computers/net surfing is this bloody pre-occupation with browser addon toolbars.
None is "needed".
None.
Reply #17 Monday, August 22, 2011 10:41 PM
One of the banes of modern computers/net surfing is this bloody pre-occupation with browser addon toolbars.
None is "needed".
None.
Stop installing shit, Mate and the dramas will stop.......
.....you don't break enough on your own, you need to go looking for seconds?????
Reply #18 Monday, August 22, 2011 10:49 PM
Nothing like a software solution to cut down on all that physical labor. 
Reply #19 Monday, August 22, 2011 11:27 PM
I noticed this the other day and decided to bail on the program I wanted. They were so trustworthy in the past. Such a shame they had to take this route.
Reply #20 Tuesday, August 23, 2011 12:51 AM
I quit using C-Net for downloads yonks ago. I want a clutter-free site without all the banner crap and distraction... hence I go to majorgeeks... sometimes filehippo.
This story serves as a healthy reminder as to why I ceased going there... and why a return is out of the question.
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Reply #1 Monday, August 22, 2011 7:51 PM
Sigh.
Thanks for the heads-up.