Userfriendly wrote:Maybe I'm confused who to hate. The people serving these dumb adware/bitcoin mining malware junk or the filthy casual users falling for their tricks?
We all started somewhere. Plus, I don't want someone who's trying to learn getting burned because they think even "legit" sites are willing to interfere with their work and slow down their computer.
I wasn't as surprised when CNet went this route. It's what they do, they're a corporation, and they never purported to be anything else. When SourceForge decided this was a good idea, it went against SO many things that the community was about. No open dialog, no requests for comment, no announcement, etc. means that your users are not partners in success but (at best) customers or (at worst) leeches.
It's a shame too because it would have been the perfect opportunity to do adware correctly. A few simple protocols could have changed everything:
- Not sticky. Make it something that installs quickly and easily, that doesn't take over your computer, and can be easily and completely uninstalled. Stickiness is bad.
- Stays out of your way. Not something that auto-starts, changes your homepage, takes up processor power, or has @#$%-all to do with BitCoin.
- Provides options. Opt-out by default but making an impassioned plea to get people to support the product by A. installing something right now B. going to a webpage to donate C. switching over their Amazon.com smile account to point to their account. There's more than one way for your users to help you out.
I have seen no moves nor interest in something like this. Instead adware is garbageware.