5 ms·

I hate bundled adware as much as the next man here, but we also need to be fair and acknowledge that FileZilla plainly informs the user: "This installer may in

I hate bundled adware as much as the next man here, but we also need to be fair and acknowledge that FileZilla plainly informs the user: "This installer may include bundled offers. Check below for more options." The download page[1] that is referred to by "check below" then gives a list of both installers (without the adware) and ZIP archives, and notably does not list the adware'd installer. [1]: https://filezilla-project.org/download.php?show_all=1 https://filezilla-project.org/download.php?show_all=1

mellutussa 3y ago
"may include bundled offers" is not the same thing as "this will install adware on your computer." This is incredibly deceptive for FileZilla and excuses like this just add to the embarrassment.
- maccard 3y ago
  It's exactly the same thing.
  - pacifika 3y ago
    Included discounts versus mining your pc for advertising purposes, ok
  - tyingq 3y ago
    Using "may" when you know full well it's "will" isn't honest. And I imagine the UI to install the "offers" makes them not really an offering, but a default.
    - maccard 3y ago
      I agree with you, but it being dishonest doesn't make it mean anything different.
  - StefanBatory 3y ago
    May include bundled offers has different emotional implications to me.
  - mellutussa 3y ago
    Ah, I see you're on our team. Well played!
  - phone8675309 3y ago
    No it's not. If I say I 'may' give you a million dollars it's much different from _actually_ giving you a million dollars.
  - CyberDildonics 3y ago
    If they're exactly the same thing, why doesn't it say "This will install adware on your computer" ?
acatton 3y ago
https://www.deceptive.design/types/preselection https://www.deceptive.design/types/preselection
JeremyNT 3y ago
If the situation were reversed, and the default were clean and the adware was buried under "check below for more options," nobody would do it. The entire point here is to trick or confuse people who aren't paying attention. I don't know why anybody would ever trust software that uses such dark patterns. Yes it's open source, but who has time to audit everything? We have to rely on other signals to determine how trustworthy a project is, and this is a strong negative signal.
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  [flagged]

mellutussa 3y ago

"may include bundled offers" is not the same thing as "this will install adware on your computer." This is incredibly deceptive for FileZilla and excuses like this just add to the embarrassment.

maccard 3y ago
It's exactly the same thing.
- pacifika 3y ago
  Included discounts versus mining your pc for advertising purposes, ok
- tyingq 3y ago
  Using "may" when you know full well it's "will" isn't honest. And I imagine the UI to install the "offers" makes them not really an offering, but a default.
  - maccard 3y ago
    I agree with you, but it being dishonest doesn't make it mean anything different.
- StefanBatory 3y ago
  May include bundled offers has different emotional implications to me.
- mellutussa 3y ago
  Ah, I see you're on our team. Well played!
- phone8675309 3y ago
  No it's not. If I say I 'may' give you a million dollars it's much different from _actually_ giving you a million dollars.
- CyberDildonics 3y ago
  If they're exactly the same thing, why doesn't it say "This will install adware on your computer" ?

acatton 3y ago

https://www.deceptive.design/types/preselection https://www.deceptive.design/types/preselection

JeremyNT 3y ago

If the situation were reversed, and the default were clean and the adware was buried under "check below for more options," nobody would do it. The entire point here is to trick or confuse people who aren't paying attention. I don't know why anybody would ever trust software that uses such dark patterns. Yes it's open source, but who has time to audit everything? We have to rely on other signals to determine how trustworthy a project is, and this is a strong negative signal.

Dalewyn 3y ago
[flagged]