Open Candy - spyware?

[gwailo247]

I'm having a one sided battle with CNET about this, this crap is included with a bunch of their downloads, which they insist are spyware free.

This stuff certainly pops up a spyware with NOD32, and MSE, and the description on the web page certainly makes it sound like spyware.

I understand supporting developers, but not through installing spyware on my computer without my permission.

Thoughts?

http://www.opencandy.com/

 

[captaincranky]

Well....."OpenCandy is taking a proven Web 2.0 model — the ad network — and applying it to software installation. It's very clever". That is a bit disturbing. That said, it seems more like the software might be bundled with adware, rather than something more malicious. You definitely will be "unticking" "install blah, blah, blah's browser toolbar" all day.

Or, a less Machiavellian answer might lie in this quote, "We help software developers earn money and reach new users". Some of what they're offering might be trialware.

I've deleted printer drivers on AVG's say so! (In spite of the fact it came directly from Epson). Maybe a bit histrionic, huh?

That said, I'd probably be a bad person to ask, about the joys of risky internet behavior.

I'm curious, what can you get from these people, that you can't get from other, more reputable sources?

I thought, "Brothersoft", "Softpedia" with respect to "clearing houses, or a publisher's home site would all be better choices.

In fact, with certain programs, the "mirrors" are packing the crap along with the program, while the home site is dead clean. I'm fairly sure that this is true with "Daemon Tools Lite", and I'm sure there are others. (Although DT Lite probably has adware direct from Daemon).

 

[gwailo247]

Yeah, I started going to the sites directly now. I just had an issue with touting something as spyware free, and then having spyware in there.

I don't mind opting out, but I'm not sure if you even get a choice with this (not that I let it loading past the virus warning).

 

[captaincranky]

EULA Reading, Done for You........(Free of Charge)...!

I don't know if you've seen this before, but it's been around for years, and believe it or not, it seems to work....http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/eulalyzer.html

 

[gwailo247]

Im gonna give it a whirl.

 

[captaincranky]

I'm hoping you're referring to "EULAlyzer" and not "Open Candy"......

 

[gwailo247]

The EULAlyzer. Didn't read their EULA though. Hope they're trustworthy, lol.