Download.com goes adware free
 

Dear Downloaders,
When it comes to fighting unwanted adware and spyware, CNET Download.com has always been in your corner. During the past few years, we've brought you the best tools and tips in our Spyware Center, and we've maintained a strict policy toward adware by allowing only software that discloses advertising partnerships during installation.

This week, we've upped the ante: we're launching a new zero-tolerance policy toward all bundled adware. That means every time you download software from Download.com, you can trust we've tested it and found it to be adware-free--period. (See how we test.)

Why are we taking this extra step? In your letters, user reviews, and polls, you told us bundled adware was unacceptable--no matter how harmless it might be. We want you to know what you're getting when you download from CNET Download.com, and no other download site can promise you will.

Can we guarantee you'll never get adware or spyware on your computer? Unfortunately, no. For that reason, we strongly encourage--no, make that beg--you to take extra steps to keep your computer free of all unwanted adware and spyware. Download and install a reputable antispyware scanner today. For a list of the ones we recommend, please visit our Spyware Center.

I welcome your feedback on this important change.


Happy downloading!


Senior vice president and chief downloader, CNET Download.com

Fucking awesome.

Very nice. Used download.com for years and years. Its a great site

Good news, fucking silly spyware :mad:

cool.. download.com is one of my favorite sites.. very useful webpage

very nice!

smart move on their part

bout fucking time... :thumbsup

excuse me, Im going to go write them a thank you letter.

Righteous.

ummm... I must be stupid as I thought they did this before... Fuck they just loaded the crap up and said go for it?

From the site:

As of 4/27/2005, we have also removed all existing products on Download.com that we've identified as containing adware. This has eliminated nearly 600 products from our library.

wow that's awesome I love that site

sweet! :thumbsup

Very cool move, fucking spyware is almost in every computer now.

Um, thats kinda fucked. Removing spyware is good.. removing adware however is fucked up. Thats like the hun saying "from now on we're going adware free - no banners or links - only pure free content and paid links to paysites" What about the software that doesn't do anything sneaky but makes it's revenue by displaying ads???

"Please note that Download.com distinguishes adware, which is a bundled and typically third-party product, from ad-supported software. Software that is ad supported but does not bundle adware includes Opera, AIM, and other applications that serve ads from within the interface of the program. We do allow ad-supported programs on Download.com."

And all is right in the world.

Interesting point

nice great site been using it forever

Well it's true, although this is more of a case of definition. They are still allowing ad-supported software which is of course the right and sensible thing to do and are only banning third party executables that piggy back on the main software which is fair enough I guess, however the term adware has meant both in the past depending on who's using it.. And for a moment I got pretty pissed about denying software makers a valid revenue stream, although of course i guess adware in the sense they're banning is a valid revenue stream as well.. no more invalid than cross selling and any number of tactics people here use every day. But yeah I hate gator and cydoor and the rest of them as much as everyone else.

About time.. download accelerator was full of it.

Getting your product listed on download.com is the main goal for a lot of SW publishers.... its db is copied all over the net.

It really will slow down the spread of this shit. Nice one :)

hmmm, that is cool! im been downloading from their site for years now. majorgeeks.com is good also. :thumbsup

I guess that's good for us, but tragic for the software programmers that offer their programsfor free, planning to make their money off the adware...

awesome site

already saw this and, this will make a serious change.

I wonder the amount of workload that checking the apps will require (the ones that aren't already known as spyware..)

I think its pretty cool.
its going to give freeloaders a dose of reality when they see just what really can be gotten for free.

No popups, no ad supported software, I can't wait until they come out with a banner blocker and all you kids have to start pumping gas. :1orglaugh

it's about fucking time, i got silly amounts of spyware from those kunts and when I uninstalled the spyware it deleted 2 entire directories full of fucking content (probably 4 gigs worth pre-backup)

download.com can suck my shaven balls

I've been pumping my gas for years, I'm a cheap fuck. You mean 2 tell you don't pump gas. :upsidedow

it's all good!! :thumbsup
but better if was President and not vice. pffft!!! :1orglaugh :winkwink: :1orglaugh

I haven't touched a gas pump in about 20 years. :winkwink:
gotta love being in one of the 2 only states that forbid self service.

I'm sorry, but what the fuck took these idiots so long? SPYWARE SUCKS! Why the fuck were they allowing it?

This is proof that morons rule the universe.

Alex

12clicks, I have pumped my own gas in Jersey... I'm special ;-)

Alex

I think he meant as in a new job pumping gas or something like that/ :1orglaugh

Good news. :)

Because a large amount of freeware has adware with it.

good news - i hope that they can really clean these guys out of there :thumbsup

ive been using download.com for ages as well.. good news

Great news. Its about time.

that is the point of freeware, nothing is for free

spybot is free :winkwink:

Geeze, what else do they forbid? :upsidedow

one of the most download site in the net, my # resource site

Spyware/Adware should be a choice, a price you pay for getting something for free. It should be optional, just like TV commercials you don't have to watch them but they are there to pay for your tv viewing.

However, I'm not a fan of any program that goes so far as to infect the PC to a point where it barely runs. I'm also not a fan of any product that's automatically installed or not easy to remove through Add/Remove Programs

I think adware started off as honest buisness model then like with all good things people ruined it for everybody.