This might belong better at Fleex's Lab, but whatever; maybe I'll put it in both places. Anyway, it's an open letter to the people who make installers that bundle badware.
Just a few minutes ago I got infected by the Conduit bundleware/adware browser hijacker. It changed my default page in all my browsers and tried to register a bunch of useless extensions. I never would have gotten it out without the help of MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, which is by far the most amazing piece of software ever (made by some really awesome people too). This has happened to me before and is not really a big deal. The problem is that this kind of thing is bundled with some legitimately useful programs.
Why? Why is it necessary to annoy users with exceedingly awful programs that aren't even related to what's being installed? I want to use your software, I really do. But when you start putting in things like Conduit or the Ask Toolbar, you significantly damage my opinion of you. I don't really mind it so much if you give me and easy way to turn it off - yes, you get money probably maybe - but putting this stuff in no matter what I do is just despicable. How would you like every tool you every try to use installing ten toolbars and constantly injecting ads into your browser?
Just stop. Allowing users to be spied on and made vulnerable should end your career as a software developer. When I write a programmer's equivalent of the Hippocratic oath, I will be sure to include a promise to never compromise user's security for a little referral royalty money. I very much regret not consulting the Installer Hall of Shame before using these installers. (I'm not going to name the installers because I used two recently and I'm not entirely sure which one did it. I have a pretty good idea, but I don't want to needlessly damage anyone's public image.)
From now on, I will refuse to support in any way any application whose installer makes it needlessly difficult to avoid getting badware in the computer. I will make do without your services. I will find somebody else who gives me a shred of respect by not wrecking my UX. I call upon every citizen of the Internet to pester the companies who bundle things like Conduit until they remove it or make it clear what will happen.
:(
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