Ed Bott : Adobe and Skype top my Foistware Hall of Shame

[Davo]

I can deal with the "Install Every Toolbar Ever" but Apple is the worst IMO. Bonjour, Apple Update Support, iTunes, Quicktime, MobileMe, etc. can all be on your computer within seconds.

[Aethec]

You mean Adobe ? : you are downloading it wrong. Example : to download flash for IE, download it with Firefox/opera. To download Firefox/opera plug-in download it with IE, than Adobe won't force the download of download manager (but still suggest ask toolbar).

Never update online.

FileHippo is the best solution IMHO : they've got both installers without any other crapware bundled.

I can deal with the "Install Every Toolbar Ever" but Apple is the worst IMO. Bonjour, Apple Update Support, iTunes, Quicktime, MobileMe, etc. can all be on your computer within seconds.

This. And Bonjour is full of huge bugs too - my first reaction when someone says "I've got network problems" is "Do you have an Apple product?". Most of the time, uninstalling Bonjour fixes the problem.

[BajiRav]

Yes, that is my impression as well. I just haven't seen any 'trickery' or 'pushing' on Linux, and it's been nearly four years. I'm sure it could happen, but, as you note, it is less likely to happen given the way installing software tends to work.

I am guessing the reason Linux doesn't have this is market share. Why would anyone pay to advertise on such a tiny market? ;)

I can deal with the "Install Every Toolbar Ever" but Apple is the worst IMO. Bonjour, Apple Update Support, iTunes, Quicktime, MobileMe, etc. can all be on your computer within seconds.

QFT

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

well at least you have a choice if you read through stuff carefully.

You and I and most folks on this forum read through installer screens carefully (or so one should hope). But: Do you really expect Joe User to read instead of just clicking on 'Next'?

[Anibal P]

You and I and most folks on this forum read through installer screens carefully (or so one should hope). But: Do you really expect Joe User to read instead of just clicking on 'Next'?

Yes, if you plan on using a computer and install software I will hold you responsible for not paying attention to the installer and having crap installed. When I was doing TechSupport for Cablevision, if a customer complained about stuff like that I would tell them directly they installed it and that they need to pay attention to the installer, most didn't like it but it's the truth, i would also call out people for not defragging or running disk cleanup, especially those that knew of the programs but in general I would make most at least aware of the programs.

[Growled Member]

I don't agree with Ed on much but I do agree with him on this one. Adobe and Skype deservingly belong in the Hall of Shame.

[Buio]

Dear Mr. Ed Bott , here's are my two nominees: - http://downloads.zdnet.com/ - http://download.cnet.com/

One-third of the software listed on your company websites (CBS interactive) is bundled with toolbars, adware, spyware and other crap. Clean your house first!

I don't see how that is relevant? Their download sites provides freeware and shareware to download, they don't control the software makers. If they would go on and remove all software with crapware, people would leave the site and download it elsewhere.

-----

As said above, it's especially annoying when rich software companies like Adobe includes it.

[Copernic Reporter]

@Buio

Let's say you want to sell a old, rusty car on eBay and your slogan is ''Best Car Ever, Very Cheap, Like New''.

Now, let's look at the download.com slogan:

they don't control the software makers.

Yes, they do, the editors can approve or not the spyware bundled piece of software since the slogan is ''Safe, Trusted, and Spyware Free'':

CNET has always been a leader in the Anti-Spam and Anti-Spyware initiatives and we take issues of this nature very seriously.

During processing, we scan every file uploaded to our servers using the latest security software definition files.

Source: Download Help Center

And since the website claims to be ''Safe, Trusted, and Spyware Free'' let's check YouTube Downloader 2.7.3, the #2 on the ''Most Popular'' list form the Download.com front-page:

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on November 07, 2008

This simple freeware application works pretty well, given how basic the interface is. It has two main features: to download FLV files from YouTube, and to convert them to most major formats. If there's a YouTube URL in your clipboard, it will automatically paste it for you when you click on the dialog box. From there, just hit OK and the downloading will commence. One more left-click is all it takes to load the file in the converter, which supports iPhone, iPod, PSP, cell phone, AVI, MP3, WMV, and Xvid. Surprisingly, there's also a basic video editor for cropping videos by time stamp. You can also cut out the sound when converting. This is one of the lightest editors around, but the simplistic interface belies its functionality and it performs exactly as advertised. We'd like to see support in future editions for hunting down missing codecs, and version 2.1.5 and earlier won't work because of embed code changes on YouTube itself. Still, the YouTube Downloader is proof that not only is video-making accessible to everyone, so is video downloading and editing.

Too bad I don't see the word ''toolbar'' on that review = your car won't sell. :no:

[Buio]

@Buio

http://i.imgur.com/LZS6K.png

.... etc snip.

Well, the software contains adware not spyware. And as I said, sure they can remove apps from their site, but people will download it from another site then basically removing site ad income from download.com etc. It's not them who gets the income from adware in the software, it's the software companies. Today a lot expect many applications to come free or extremely cheap. So the companies try to find income other ways. So here free comes with a price, in the form of adware (crapware). I've never seen adware in an payed for program (although I wouldn't be surprised if it does exist somewhere).

[Udedenkz]

That YouTube Downloader is simply foul and to think I thought the uTorrent setup was horrid.

[Scorpus Veteran]

I can deal with the "Install Every Toolbar Ever" but Apple is the worst IMO. Bonjour, Apple Update Support, iTunes, Quicktime, MobileMe, etc. can all be on your computer within seconds.

I second that opinion

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Applications that do this should have to have everything deselected by default, I'd even go as far to say it should be made a legality.

Also when it comes to iTunes, I use a custom installer

As everyone knows, iTunes installs QuickTime, Bonjour service, Apple?s software updater, MobileMe support and other ?goodies? that are not needed at all.

Modifications: No Bonjour service, no iTunesHelper or iPodService at startup and no MobileMe support.

You can use it as usual without any worries. You can sync your player, update its firmware, listen to radio, etc.

http://www.ajuaonline.com/2008/08/01/itunes-without-quicktime/

New versions get released quickly.

[Udedenkz]

Someone tried doing a c_@pless installer for Adobe Reader.

Adobe went after the guy. @$_holes.

[Rudy]

Dear Mr. Ed Bott , here's are my two nominees:

- http://downloads.zdnet.com/

- http://download.cnet.com/

One-third of the software listed on your company websites (CBS interactive) is bundled with toolbars, adware, spyware and other crap. Clean your house first!

Ed Bott is a tool :/

[Dashel]

Someone tried doing a c_@pless installer for Adobe Reader.

Adobe went after the guy. @$_holes.

Makes sense, you can get the untainted version from their pub ftp servers.

[Eric Veteran]

You mean Adobe ? : you are downloading it wrong. Example : to download flash for IE, download it with Firefox/opera. To download Firefox/opera plug-in download it with IE, than Adobe won't force the download of download manager (but still suggest ask toolbar).

Never update online.

The best solution for Flash is:

http://fpdownload.adobe.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player.exe for Firefox/etc...

http://fpdownload.adobe.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player_ax.exe for IE....

It's always the newest version with nothing but the Flash player. :)

[Udedenkz]

Makes sense, you can get the untainted version from their pub ftp servers.

That is still tainted.

I mean without any crud attached whatsoever manual update version.

[Ambroos]

I can live with most toolbars etc, you can almost always disable it. But God, please don't make me install iTunes and/or Quicktime. Just today I had to install Quicktime because something I need apparently wants it, and it doesn't detect Quicktime Alternative, and it's just horrible. You ask the setup not to install Apple Software Update, but it still does. It creates a startup item (for a stupid codec), AND takes over all my extensions. Apple really sucks.

[Jack 0Neill]

Foistware name sucks. It just sounds horribly wrong. Junkware sounds better

[Gerowen]

I hope with the Windows and Apple Marketplaces coming that those two OSs start using a central software management solution like all of the Linux package managers out there. I think a more appropriate term would be "sneakware" because they try to "sneak" it in on those who don't pay special attention to all of the checkboxes and options during an installation. I am so sick of working on computers and seeing browsers that look like this:

[PreKe]

Google Earth is one of the worst. Seems to automatically install Chrome.

[Boz]

While I hate that they take longer to update it, Ccleaner has a slim build with no toolbar.

I also disagree with the autor on the Apple stuff. Only 3rd party bloat is bad? crap is crap no matter who makes it.

Exactly..this is just garbage posted by an Apple fanboy.

Top "Foistware" should be iTunes, Quicktime that causes all machines to run like crap and quite possibly Apple made it deliberately to crash Windows machines. Quicktime still doesn't have proper 64bit version and install the god awful hybrid garabage crap that crashes whole OS not just browser. I just can't believe that they write SUCH bad software. It has to be on purpose.

And let's not forget gazillion services APple installs on your machine so they can force Safari and Quicktime and other crap on there. Who can forget their automatic installation of Safari, Qucktime and iTunes on people's computers without asking for permission.

Talk about top spamware and bloat.