+Frank B. Subscriber² Posted November 8, 2013 Subscriber² Share Posted November 8, 2013 GIMP flees SourceForge over dodgy ads and installer Devs tired of all the junk downloads, and no we DON'T mean the free software The Gnu Image Manipulation Program, a popular and free Photoshop alternative that glories in the name ?The GIMP?, has decided it can no longer permit itself to be downloaded from SourceForge. The application's developers announced their decision here, arguing that SourceForge provides a user experience it can no longer support. ?In the past few months, we have received some complaints about the site where the GIMP installers for the Microsoft Windows platforms are hosted,? the developers write. ?SourceForge, once a useful and trustworthy place to develop and host FLOSS applications, has faced a problem with the ads they allow on their sites - the green 'Download here' buttons that appear on many, many adds leading to all kinds of unwanted utilities have been spotted there as well.? A quick visit to SourceForge sustains the claim. Vulture South dropped in to download the useful FileZilla FTP tool and found the ad below. That ad won't fool hardened and cynical Reg readers who if they chose to follow the link to the site offering the chance to ?READ NOW YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS, MAGAZINES & COMICS FOR FREE? would back away quickly. Less experienced surfers? We shudder to think. A free, full version? Sign me up! The ads weren't The GIMP devs' only beef, as they were willing to tolerate them until SourceForge's new Windows installer came along. As the devs note, that tool ?... bundles third-party offers with Free Software packages. We do not want to support this kind of behavior, and have thus decided to abandon SourceForge.? The outfit now hosts its own mirrors, with downloads available here. Source: The Register Max Norris and fusi0n 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleNeutrino Veteran Posted November 8, 2013 Veteran Share Posted November 8, 2013 Source Forge has been rather flakey for a while now with the horrible advertisements that make you think you are downloading the tool rather than a virus or something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetonesun Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Sourceforge has been garbage for a while now. Seems to make sense that something as popular as Gimp could find alternate hosting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Norris Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Good for them, enough is enough. SF's been going downhill, there's other options. Hell even Microsoft's own CodePlex is far better. Aergan 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusi0n Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 This is great! I'm tired of getting crap installers like filezilla.. IMGBURN now has malware in it too.. ugh.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo003 Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Everyone want a stuff for free but hosting a free software cost a lot of money, A company like dice is not here to help everyone. They need to make money somehow and that's the only way they can. In this day and age it really tough to provide something cheap or free. So yeah I believe gimp made a right decision and also SF too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovell Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I don't see why sites allow this kind of advertising, all it does is alienate your users any money gained from the ads will be lost by the users leaving. Aergan 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusuf M. Veteran Posted November 8, 2013 Veteran Share Posted November 8, 2013 It's sad that sites can get away with such advertising. I'm glad the GIMP developers decided to abandon SourceForge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Norris Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Everyone want a stuff for free but hosting a free software cost a lot of money, A company like dice is not here to help everyone. They need to make money somehow and that's the only way they can. Sure, ads are expected. Bundling the various projects with crapware is something else entirely though. DConnell and Aergan 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decebalvs Rex Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Neo003, on 08 Nov 2013 - 22:38, said: Everyone want a stuff for free but hosting a free software cost a lot of money, A company like dice is not here to help everyone. They need to make money somehow and that's the only way they can. In this day and age it really tough to provide something cheap or free. So yeah I believe gimp made a right decision and also SF too. They can add donations , lightweight ads or even promote projects and programs for money. A poor excuse lad. Aergan 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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