5 ms·

Just because you or I might find something to be a nuisance, doesn't mean most end-users will. Done right, I can easily see unsophisticated end-users being app

Just because you or I might find something to be a nuisance, doesn't mean most end-users will. Done right, I can easily see unsophisticated end-users being appreciative at being offered useful software that they would otherwise have not known about. I see this crap on my mom's computer all the time - she's bothered by it only if it affects performance or pops up with some message. If it's just sitting there, or if she actually uses it, she couldn't care less how it got there.

watty 14y ago
Do you really think "most end-users" prefer the stuff that IM installs? Come on.
- swampthing 14y ago
  "Prefer" is a higher bar than "don't care" / "not a nuisance". I don't know what IM installs - but I see Norton on their webpage. I can easily see "most end-users" installing something, seeing the opportunity to install Norton Anti-Virus, and thinking to themselves "oh yea, that sounds like that'd be useful". Just about everybody on HN is extremely technically savvy - we can't assume that our computing preferences are shared by "most end-users". Note that I am just responding to the assertion that "it['s] hard to believe that [PG] truly think[s] it is anything but a nuisance to end-users".
  - TeMPOraL 14y ago
    Of what value to users can be a piece of software that they never heard of, don't know what it does and don't feel a need for it? Were they having a problem they wanted solved, they'd intentionally look for the software. > we can't assume that our computing preferences are shared by "most end-users". Those are still anecdotes, but I think most of us actually can say this or that about end-users preferences, after countless of hours spent on cleaning their computers. I for one think that calling it "nuisance" is a massive understatement.
    - chii 14y ago
      if you ask these non-technical end users whether they rather have the free software that comes with some crapware, or have to purchase a paid version (of the same software), i think you would find most would choose the free version. While i dislike the idea of crapware, if it funds useful pieces of software, perhaps its a nuisance that could be tolerated.
  - SyneRyder 14y ago
    Norton is not a current advertiser (neither is Bing or Real), assuming Withinrafael is correct about how the Offer Screens are gathered. See his post about how to download & view the offer screens here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5086435 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5086435 Quoting Rafael: "You'll find they only have 42 current advertisers... and not Norton/others listed on the site."

watty 14y ago

Do you really think "most end-users" prefer the stuff that IM installs? Come on.

swampthing 14y ago
"Prefer" is a higher bar than "don't care" / "not a nuisance". I don't know what IM installs - but I see Norton on their webpage. I can easily see "most end-users" installing something, seeing the opportunity to install Norton Anti-Virus, and thinking to themselves "oh yea, that sounds like that'd be useful". Just about everybody on HN is extremely technically savvy - we can't assume that our computing preferences are shared by "most end-users". Note that I am just responding to the assertion that "it['s] hard to believe that [PG] truly think[s] it is anything but a nuisance to end-users".
- TeMPOraL 14y ago
  Of what value to users can be a piece of software that they never heard of, don't know what it does and don't feel a need for it? Were they having a problem they wanted solved, they'd intentionally look for the software. > we can't assume that our computing preferences are shared by "most end-users". Those are still anecdotes, but I think most of us actually can say this or that about end-users preferences, after countless of hours spent on cleaning their computers. I for one think that calling it "nuisance" is a massive understatement.
  - chii 14y ago
    if you ask these non-technical end users whether they rather have the free software that comes with some crapware, or have to purchase a paid version (of the same software), i think you would find most would choose the free version. While i dislike the idea of crapware, if it funds useful pieces of software, perhaps its a nuisance that could be tolerated.
- SyneRyder 14y ago
  Norton is not a current advertiser (neither is Bing or Real), assuming Withinrafael is correct about how the Offer Screens are gathered. See his post about how to download & view the offer screens here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5086435 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5086435 Quoting Rafael: "You'll find they only have 42 current advertisers... and not Norton/others listed on the site."