5 ms·

The sad thing is that strategy works and it works quite well. Most people that are not very technical will just click "Next" and "Agreed" blindly to complete so

by M4v3R 13y ago

The sad thing is that strategy works and it works quite well. Most people that are not very technical will just click "Next" and "Agreed" blindly to complete software installation. I've seen numerous PCs plagued with toolbars and crapware for that specific reason. I always try to educate them to always read what's on screen and never agree for the "toolbar thing", but it's mostly a lost fight.

userulluipeste 13y ago
No, it is not a lost fight. You did the right thing to rise their awareness at least once, what they will do after is their responsibility. It is one thing when they are not technical and unaware, and it is a totally different thing when they chose to be ignorant, do stupid things and support the consequences. In the second case they just are deserving it.
damian2000 13y ago
It happened to a 9 yo nephew of mine last weekend - he ended up with a fake antivirus + search engine hijacker on his laptop - reduced him to tears. Pretty disgraceful stuff.
- thelukester 13y ago
  Your 9 yo installed fake antivirus + search engine hijacker. First of all, what the hell are you doing letting a 9 yo browse on a machine with root privileges? Secondly, that has nothing to do with this story. As the article is wrongly accuses DevShare of being drive-by and malware. It is neither. An article written by someone with more than 2 brain cells can be found here: http://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/564250/0a106d6379c0d741/ http://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/564250/0a106d6379c0d741/
  - ams6110 13y ago
    I wasn't much older than 9 when I first used a computer, and certainly had root access (I guess that's what you'd call it, because the machine had no notion of multiple users).
shubb 13y ago
After some resistance from my family (and 8 virus infections), I managed to steer my grandad onto Linux. He wasn't a hugely skilled computer user to start with, just knowing a few patterns of clicks to open a web browser or a word document. I made him a little laminated card next to his screen explaining how to do the few things he needed to do. It's been 2 years, and not a support call. My only regret is checking his history to figure out where the viruses were coming from.
- olavgg 13y ago
  This my experience also. In Norway if you want to log in to your bank you need a friggin Java Applet. With all the security issues with the Java applet this year, maintaining the Java installation became really painful for my grandfather. So I suggested Ubuntu with Unity, configured for automatic updating of software in background. I first gave him a new computer with a fresh installation, so he could try it for a few weeks first. Surprisingly it went very well (I usually have a few minor problems myself). He learned to use Unity within just a few minutes. He could use it with the Norwegian language(as he don't know english), and it worked great with increased DPI for less strain on his eyes. Now it's been a few months, and he has not complained once! In fact, he tells me only good things about it! About how much faster it is, how much easier it is to read and how much easier it is to use the computer now. While Unity is not a very useful desktop environment for myself, it is certainly great for people who mostly need easy access to a few applications.
  - zokier 13y ago
    > In Norway if you want to log in to your bank you need a friggin Java Applet. With all the security issues with the Java applet this year, maintaining the Java installation became really painful for my grandfather. Oh this sounds painfully familiar. Every time I assist my father I notice Ask toolbar. I occasionally uninstall it, but of course it reappears with the updates. Well, at least I know that he is installing the updates so that's a good thing. But seriously Oracle, do you really need those couple of bucks from Ask?
    - 13y ago
esalman 13y ago
I was trying to download FileZilla as well when I first encountered the 'installer'. I stopped the download a couple of times, then searched around and found a direct download link in a thread in FileZilla forum. Second time I was in a hurry, I just downloaded the installer anyway, then carefully opted out of installing those crapwares. However I encountered the new installer when trying to download FileZilla only. I had to download a couple of different software since then, but those did download directly, no installer.
- pit 13y ago
  I just switched to CyberDuck.
walshemj 13y ago
Yes I was struggling with my dads pc trying to get rid on the stuff installed on his pc in the end we gave up and he brought a new pc as it was getting on a bit.

by M4v3R 13y ago

userulluipeste 13y ago

No, it is not a lost fight. You did the right thing to rise their awareness at least once, what they will do after is their responsibility. It is one thing when they are not technical and unaware, and it is a totally different thing when they chose to be ignorant, do stupid things and support the consequences. In the second case they just are deserving it.

damian2000 13y ago

It happened to a 9 yo nephew of mine last weekend - he ended up with a fake antivirus + search engine hijacker on his laptop - reduced him to tears. Pretty disgraceful stuff.

thelukester 13y ago
Your 9 yo installed fake antivirus + search engine hijacker. First of all, what the hell are you doing letting a 9 yo browse on a machine with root privileges? Secondly, that has nothing to do with this story. As the article is wrongly accuses DevShare of being drive-by and malware. It is neither. An article written by someone with more than 2 brain cells can be found here: http://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/564250/0a106d6379c0d741/ http://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/564250/0a106d6379c0d741/
- ams6110 13y ago
  I wasn't much older than 9 when I first used a computer, and certainly had root access (I guess that's what you'd call it, because the machine had no notion of multiple users).

shubb 13y ago

After some resistance from my family (and 8 virus infections), I managed to steer my grandad onto Linux. He wasn't a hugely skilled computer user to start with, just knowing a few patterns of clicks to open a web browser or a word document. I made him a little laminated card next to his screen explaining how to do the few things he needed to do. It's been 2 years, and not a support call. My only regret is checking his history to figure out where the viruses were coming from.

olavgg 13y ago
This my experience also. In Norway if you want to log in to your bank you need a friggin Java Applet. With all the security issues with the Java applet this year, maintaining the Java installation became really painful for my grandfather. So I suggested Ubuntu with Unity, configured for automatic updating of software in background. I first gave him a new computer with a fresh installation, so he could try it for a few weeks first. Surprisingly it went very well (I usually have a few minor problems myself). He learned to use Unity within just a few minutes. He could use it with the Norwegian language(as he don't know english), and it worked great with increased DPI for less strain on his eyes. Now it's been a few months, and he has not complained once! In fact, he tells me only good things about it! About how much faster it is, how much easier it is to read and how much easier it is to use the computer now. While Unity is not a very useful desktop environment for myself, it is certainly great for people who mostly need easy access to a few applications.
- zokier 13y ago
  > In Norway if you want to log in to your bank you need a friggin Java Applet. With all the security issues with the Java applet this year, maintaining the Java installation became really painful for my grandfather. Oh this sounds painfully familiar. Every time I assist my father I notice Ask toolbar. I occasionally uninstall it, but of course it reappears with the updates. Well, at least I know that he is installing the updates so that's a good thing. But seriously Oracle, do you really need those couple of bucks from Ask?
  - 13y ago

esalman 13y ago

I was trying to download FileZilla as well when I first encountered the 'installer'. I stopped the download a couple of times, then searched around and found a direct download link in a thread in FileZilla forum. Second time I was in a hurry, I just downloaded the installer anyway, then carefully opted out of installing those crapwares. However I encountered the new installer when trying to download FileZilla only. I had to download a couple of different software since then, but those did download directly, no installer.

pit 13y ago
I just switched to CyberDuck.

walshemj 13y ago

Yes I was struggling with my dads pc trying to get rid on the stuff installed on his pc in the end we gave up and he brought a new pc as it was getting on a bit.