sneakware Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

For many years SourceForge was my favorite site for downloading free software because they didn’t bundle third-party add-on programs (aka sneakware) with their installation files.

Well, that all changed in July 2013 when the folks at SourceForge decided to follow in the footsteps of their competitors by joining the widely-despised DevShare program.

In a nutshell, the DevShare program allows download sites to earn extra cash by bundling additional software with the programs that users download from the site.

The problem is the “extra” (and almost always unwanted) software will usually be installed by default along with the downloaded program unless the user unchecks one or boxes to “unbundle” the add-on programs. And those check boxes are typically pretty hard to notice, or even find. [Read more…]

If you check out the tips I post on this blog on a regular basis, you surely know by now that I love telling my readers about all the great free software that’s out there to make our computing lives safer and more enjoyable. I love trying out new programs and apps and then sharing them with all of you if I find them to be beneficial in some way.

Whenever I recommend a piece of software, I always try my best to find a download site that offers an easily identifiable direct download link. Unfortunately, that task is becoming harder by the day as more and more sites begin sneaking other programs, apps and toolbars into the installer routine.

I call this unwanted software “sneakware” because they literally sneak these programs past unwary users and onto their computers while the software that you intentionally downloaded is being installed. [Read more…]

Great news: SourceForge has abandoned the ‘Sneakware’ business

SourceForge expands into the ‘Sneakware’ business