[kwlug-disc] A little anti-Windows humour for the group

[CrankyOldBugger]

You mentioned ninite.com.  I usually run over there right after I've
installed A/V whenever I set up a new Windows machine.  Nice site.  They
have a Linux version but last time I looked it seemed to be a bit of an
afterthought...


On Mon Jan 12 2015 at 2:10:59 PM Paul Nijjar <paul_nijjar at yahoo.ca> wrote:

> On Sun, Jan 11, 2015 at 06:31:41PM -0500, Chris Irwin wrote:
> > On 01/11/2015 12:17 PM, CrankyOldBugger wrote:
> > >I used to live in Download.com way back when, but even before I
> > >discovered Linux I started to grow disillusioned with free Windows
> > >software, mainly because of how Windows freeware was getting laced
> > >with all sorts of scary things, even from a prestigious website
> > >like download.com <http://download.com>, which is owned by
> > >cnet.com <http://cnet.com>.
> > >
> > >This article by How To Geek shows the messes you can get into if
> > >you try to download the "Top 10" recommended freeware packages.  A
> > >fun read:
> > >
> > >http://www.howtogeek.com/198622/heres-what-happens-
> when-you-install-the-top-10-download.com-apps/
> >
> > Unfortunately, the only thing stopping this from happening on our
> > systems is popularity.
>
> That was a really good article. We should print copies and make them
> available at Computer Recycling.
>
> I actually do not believe that the only thing stopping this from
> happening on our systems is popularity. I believe there are two things
> stopping this:
>
> - Centralized, trusted repositories that come with standard mechanisms
>   for adding/removing programs. (For Windows, ninite.com helps a lot,
>   but it is not comprehensive.)
>
> - A culture that defends transparency and that frowns upon including
>   undesireable addons in software (just look at the brouhaha over
>   Ubuntu including the Amazon filter for Unity).
>
> The mobile phone app stores have learned this lesson. I am sure there is
> still malware on some of these programs, but it probably much less of
> an issue than with Windows.
>
>
> > How many project pages have I gone to that said "Ubuntu users can
> > add SomeGuy99's PPA". Who knows what that's throwing in there.
>
> Yes, there is an element of trust, and there have been times when that
> trust has been abused. The Windows freeware ecosystem does not deserve
> that trust. The Ubuntu ecosystem (for the most part) does.
>
> - Paul
>
> --
> http://pnijjar.freeshell.org
>
>
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