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There is pretty much no freeware download site that doesn't bundle crapware. I guess all freeware is untrustworthy by your logic.

https://www.howtogeek.com/207692/yes-every-freeware-download...



Oh my god. You're talking to competent computer users on Hacker News, not people who use crapware download sites and need to be warned away from them by "HowToGeek".

Of course there is trustworthy freeware. You can get it using Apt, Yum, Ninite, Chocolatey, Homebrew, or just by going to the actual site of a trustworthy software product.

The fact that the people who run most download sites are scum isn't a problem with the software. It's a problem with those sites.


[flagged]


HN readers are capable of not using FileZilla, because its admin is actively trying to mislead its users into running malware.

Are you associated with FileZilla? Why are you here bringing out the "everyone is doing it" defense?


>HN readers are capable of not using FileZilla, because its admin is actively trying to mislead its users into running malware.

Then your prior comment makes no sense to me.

>Of course there is trustworthy freeware. You can get it using Apt, Yum, Ninite, Chocolatey, Homebrew, or just by going to the actual site of a trustworthy software product.

If you don't use the crapware downloader, then the vendor doesn't get any money. I noted that pretty much all freeware is bundled like so, including your "trustworthy" software, on various other download sites.

Then the only way the vendor can stay in business is if enough people download the crapware version.

>Are you associated with FileZilla?

Huh? Why are you asking, and why would it matter?

>Why are you here bringing out the "everyone is doing it" defense?

I am not. Its your interpretation that's flawed.


What doesn't make sense? FileZilla is a bad actor who is trying to infect people's computers with malware. Download sites are bad actors who are trying to infect people's computers with malware.

People should have all the information they need to avoid malware, so they can make good decisions, such as installing WinSCP from Ninite instead of installing FileZilla by any method.

You keep denying that trustworthy free software exists, and yet when anyone points out that it does, you change the topic to something fraud-ridden like download sites. People who cheat on tests believe everyone is cheating on tests.

I do not care one bit for your business model. Please go out of business ASAP.


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It would have been a bad idea to use WinSCP in 2014 also. Yet you'll notice they backed off and have had years to repair their reputation, instead of getting caught a second time and trying to cover it up like FileZilla is doing.

I understand how your kind of free software makes money perfectly well. It's not trustworthy in the slightest.

You don't need to make money to make a program that copies files. And if you bundle your free software with a scam, you're not making money as a software developer anyway, you're making money as a scammer.


You seem very confused. FileZilla wasn't "caught". They openly say that they bundle crapware. Sorry, this is not a productive conversation. Goodbye.


You've crossed into incivility in this thread. That's not allowed on HN, regardless of how wrong someone else (or everyone else) may be. If you could please (re-)read https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and not do it again, we'd appreciate that.


While its obvious that I have done no such thing, I find it rather interesting that people calling other people "scum" are not reminded of "civility".


The likeliest explanation for that is always the simplest one: we didn't see it. Obviously, though, breaking the rules isn't justified by other people breaking the rules. It always feels like the other person started it (and did worse), so one could use that to justify anything.

Re your comments, personal swipes like "you seem very confused", "you are unable to understand", "rather than wild accusations and hysteria, I'd recommend calm collected analytical thinking" are certainly uncivil and violate the site guidelines. We ban accounts that make a habit of this, so please (re-)read the rules and use the site as intended from now on: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html


I don't expect you to look at 100% of the comments, but its a bit like citing someone for jaywalking but letting the murder escape. Sure cite the jaywalker, but after you've found the murder.

>Re your comments, personal swipes like "you seem very confused", "you are unable to understand", "rather than wild accusations and hysteria, I'd recommend calm collected analytical thinking" are certainly uncivil and violate the site guidelines.

There are several flaws in your interpretation, but I don't wish to convince you otherwise.


Please just go out of your way to be civil. It's not that hard.


The post which you've replied to raised a question which you've chosen not to answer. Are you at all connected to the FileZilla project?


[flagged]


Even way down here where the core of the conversation isn't happening? How would a "no" derail it?


Its the same reason that I don't think I can force you to answer any question I want. Its a point of principle.


It's a point of you dishonestly misrepresenting your own interest in FileZilla installing malware for any users still foolish enough to download it.


this guys is trolling, seriously, just stop responding to them.

ksk - many hn readers build using free software for places like google, amazon etc, that are trusted all the way up to places like the CIA. Seriously, please troll somewhere else. Basically no one working in almost any open source project wants to be working with an author that bundles in crapware, ESPECIALLY if the author doesn't actually even control the crapware. If you don't get why this is a bad idea you'll have to trust folks who use open source software regularly that this is a bad thing.


PortableApps (https://portableapps.com) seems pretty good. :)


Yes, that would logically follow.




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