Filed under: Internet, Windows, Freeware, Social Software
New Digsby installer loaded with bloat and adverts
by Lee Mathews Nov 24th 2008 at 5:00PM
First off, you don't even download the actual installer from Digsby.com anymore - it's a downloader application. While I'm not a fan of downloaders in general, this one in particular got me all riled up.
Apart from half a dozen crapware install offers, the final screen before anything actually happened asked to change my homepage and switch my default search provider to Yahoo. I'm all for supporting an app, but this was more than I'm willing to tolerate from an installer.
Are you kidding me? Digsby, tell me you're kidding. Looks like it's time for me to give Pidgin another try.
Update: interesting new comment from user Aaron.
If you think this is bad, you should check out their new 'help digsby do research' option that's buried in their menu structure and ENABLED BY DEFAULT. This allows your computer to join a computational botnet that does commercial work that the Digsby team gets paid for (think folding@home for money). Notice your laptop fan whirring away unexpectedly? You're probably doing protein analysis for some drug company. Totally shady. I'm dropping Digsby like a hot potato, I've lost all trust in the developers if they somehow think this is 'okay'.
What about you? Are you willing to put up with skipping over the crapware so that you can still install the latest version of Digsby? Sound off!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
murph said 5:21PM on 11-24-2008
i just installed Foxit PDF 3.0 which was pimped here or over at Lifehacker (I forget), anyways it too came with a whole bunch of toolbar and search engine switching options that disappointed me.
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Lee Mathews said 5:22PM on 11-24-2008
Don't get me wrong - I understand these guys need to monetize, but let's be sane about things.
Joe B. said 5:24PM on 11-24-2008
And how much did you pay to avoid this advertising? Are you so offended that you want to promote a negative backlash that will do damage to this company's ability to continue to provide you with a FREE service/software?
Sure they may or may not have a big payoff down the road but they still need to survive to get there.
Click "Decline" and get over your spoiled self.
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Bufsabre said 5:26PM on 11-24-2008
"Click "Decline" and get over your spoiled self."
QFT
only complain when you cant continue without installing the crapware
Lee Mathews said 5:40PM on 11-24-2008
There are other ways to get financial support, especially for an app as loved as Digsby. My issue is with the tactic, not with them wanting to make a few bucks.
Mike said 8:10AM on 11-25-2008
Or just make your own silent installer lol
Team Louish said 8:01AM on 11-27-2008
I see my comment is like many of the other comments.
All of us replying are internet savvy, and unfortunatly we're all also our entire families "go to" free computer tech support guy.
When we chat with our family and try to start a video chat, it prompts them to download and install the Digsby software, which results in mom and grandma choosing the typical installation. Then in a week, when their computer stops working because it has been so infested with adware, and when they can't even view websites any more because they have 19 toolbars installed on their 800x600 monitor, guess who get's the phone call to come and fix their computer. We do. And it sucks. Digsby used to be the best thing since sliced bread. Now its burnt toast with weatherbug and toolbars.
Petey said 5:26PM on 11-24-2008
Yes....Digsby rocks.
Just don't check any of the boxes, and it won't install the Yahoo Crapware, and if it does install it, just go back and uninstall those items.
Let me understand this....you will take 20 minutes to write a blog post bitching about it but you won't take 30 seconds to uninstall the crapware from a well put together IM application install. Seems a little silly to me.
These guys most likely are on a short budget, and if they can get some more support from Yahoo to keep the application going, I will jump though the hoops to use an awesome application.
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John said 5:26PM on 11-24-2008
I suppose that they make it clear (somewhere) that they intend to fund their project, and as ads are the way they keep going, one must be ready to see them somewhere.
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Stephen said 5:26PM on 11-24-2008
I'm happy to wade through lots of useless offers on install as long as you can opt out easily.
Gotta be better than Live Messenger with its permanent advert.
But a download application - Yuuuuuck. I hate those things so much.
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Chris Nixon said 5:30PM on 11-24-2008
I have to say. If they're making it an option, then it's no harm. Surely it will only make the download bigger, rather than the actual running of the program. It would take a LOT more than this to make me go back to Pidgin.
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Mysterius said 8:21PM on 11-25-2008
I refer to the post, BTW, not the comment when I say the tone is disproportionate.
James said 5:32PM on 11-24-2008
Ads are not a problem. Tricking e.g. my mom into installing crapware is. If the default option is "decline", or it makes it *very* explicit that it's a 3rd party tool, that has nothing to do with what you actually wanted, and will not impact your ability to run the thing you actually wanted, fine. But I somehow doubt it, and thus I think it's perfectly appropriate to make a post like this one.
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Petey said 5:36PM on 11-24-2008
"Tricking e.g. my mom into installing crapware is."
Were back to the whole "dummy proofing" the internet and computers again huh? People should have a little more common knowledge about what the heck they are doing on a computer.
Mysterius said 8:20PM on 11-25-2008
You may have a point. However, though I haven't tried it, based on the screenshots the installation seems fairly clear. No reasonable person who doesn't use Yahoo is going to "Accept" such an obvious Yahoo toolbar installation.
I'm not a Digsby user, but the vehemence of the response seems disproportionate. Concern is reasonable, but the tone should fit the act.
I know this is the Internet, but please moderate your attitude.
TurboFool said 5:46PM on 11-24-2008
I love Digsby. And I seem to recall it always offered to change my search provider and home page.
Whatever the case, the software more than makes up for those offers. Heck, all the Piriform stuff makes similar offers for toolbars and such, and I wouldn't give up CCleaner or Defraggler.
There's a difference between clearly offering you extra options during the install, and hiding them in an updater like Apple did. I'm perfectly fine with Digsby's approach.
Although I do find downloaders kind of annoying. Sometimes I want to install something on a computer with a slow connection from my flash drive.
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Joe B. said 5:47PM on 11-24-2008
I just went through the install process and it was intuitive to simply click "Decline" or uncheck the boxes.
At the least, this 'gratuitous whining' post reminded me to look at Digsby again. What a rockin' package. I may be their newest fan.
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Jimmy said 5:48PM on 11-24-2008
Okay, so you have to "unclick" and deny a few advertiser's crapware to install digsby; but only on a clean install. Once you've got Digsby, the application updates itself, so you'll never ever have to go through this again (except for that ONE time).
How else do you expect them to pay for the absolutely brilliant work that they produce?
I think it's ridiculous that you're complaining about an ad-supported one-time only installer on this ad-supported blog. Atleast with Digsby I only ever have to see the ads once, instead of every single time I open it unlike downloadsquad.com
For shame Lee Mathews; that you would abandon such good software because they need to support themselves to continue developing.
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GoOrange said 5:51PM on 11-24-2008
I was really disappointed with the amount of bloatware that comes with Digsby and the fact that unwanted changes are NOT easy to undo. I understand that the companies need to monetize, but somewhere along the way you reach a point where the extra crap becomes so annoying as to make the software not worth it.
I think it's pretty clear that some of the previous commenters haven't run the installer lately, it's not as simple as clicking decline these days. There are multiple boxes that need to be checked/unchecked and even after that there is another popup trying to get you to make changes to your system once again.
During a previous installation a few months ago, I accidentally left a box in the wrong status and had several unintended changes on my system. These were NOT easily fixable by the add/remove programs feature and required a few more intensive hacks to undo.
The bottom line is that the software is pretty nifty for being free, but the amount of hassle required to install it makes other alternatives like Pidgin look that much better.
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Jack said 5:52PM on 11-24-2008
Didn't you guys just feature the new advertisement-based installer types? Granted it is a pain but it not adware yet until you don't get an option to install. Hopefully Digsby will get the message and drop this...
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