Cnet (Download.com) Wrapped Installer

Last fall and after first learning about CNET beginning to use installation wrappers, I came across a related article at either lifehacker.com or ghacks.net, and some readers posted serious complaints about this wrapper. A CNET editor also posted and said that they were working on correcting this wrapper issue.

Do you know anything about what the CNET editor said, whether it be due to you also having read the article and comments at either of the two websites mentioned above besides CNET, or due to having read something similar to what the CNET editor said -- according to what I recall of his words?

Download.com now clearly marks downloads that have the CNET ad-supported stub installer as "CNET Installer Enabled"; and Download.com now allows everyone to download via a Direct Download Link that bypasses the CNET installer -- you no longer need a CNET account for a direct download.

From: Dottech.org, February 28th, 2012

all to easy to forget to un-tick the box for unwanted tool bars and waste precious time uninstalling them
WOT rating still remains excellent I wonder how many votes are needed to bring Cnet down

I've stopped using CNET like everyone else because of their slimey practices. Sometimes you have no choice, and end up having to use your uninstaller to clean out "Relevant Knowledge" or some other malware that snuck by you in the install. AT least from the comments here, I can see I'm not alone in this BOYCOTT. I doubt they'll smarten up, until they've lost all traffic to Majorgeeks, etc. I won't be going back !!

Well, it seems it is a trend.
Post-PC platforms lives and thrives on the new concept of "Store", basically you have a premium way (or only way, if the vendor wants!) to download software, through the store that stuffs you of advertising on the store, during the download, during the install, and after with in-app advertising.
That's true on os-vendors stores (and will be on Windows 8 app store too, as already announced by Ballmer) and also on third parts stores, like ones implemented by hardware producers and pre configured on all their devices, and in some cases you will ever have pre configured another store for your telco.
Not very different from what it's happening here, a big software distributor is running a platform to stuff you of more ads.

If you mind, we already live in an ad based word even on classic PCs, Windows Apple or Linux based: put aside ads on websites all modern browser have integrated search providers, Google, Bing, etc... basically doing what toolbars did, bringing users to respective companies, generating flow of searches and ads impressions, and, well, cash.
That's why browser market was so lively and why browser war was so important for biggest IT companies: there was the big money!

Now all major companies had understood that with "Store"-like technologies it is a similar earning potential hidden in any software, stuffing more ads in the same act: searching (your Google or Bing toolbar or search provider in the browser, moneys goes i.e. to Microsoft, Google or Mozilla) the software, downloading it (ads on site, moneys goes to Google and Download.com), and installing it (ads in the installer, moneys goes to Download.com).
And the developers? They never appear in this cash flow, and very few ones are big enough to live without the exposure on biggest download websites like Download.com, and anyway, if they release open source software, they cannot stop anyone repacking the software and distribute it any way they like it, until they keep it open.

I noticed Download.com was providing suspicious downloads when I was downloading some freeware, and the file size was very SMALL, eg 46kb. This indicates that you are NOT downloading a program, but rather a small file that needs to be opened and which then connects to the internet and downloads who knows what onto your computer.
I found the option to register and become a member of Download.com. With a user name and password you can get a second, separate 'Direct Download' link to properly download the full program
But who really knows if you are downloading a spyware free version

Download.com has been corrupted, and until this whole fiasco is reversed, it has permanently ruined its reputation, and I will avoid downloading from the site.
At this point I trust Softpedia, Fileforum, MajorGeeks, Snapfiles, Filehippo, but who knows when/if these sites too will be corrupted.

Funny, seems like the point of wrapping it is to make money.

With the large amount of downloads the site has each month it sounds like it's going to tender or lease out a space in the installer and give the option to install a companies software. With hundreds of thousands of downloads every week you can very quickly expose your product to a vast amount of users quickly - hell, even if the user opts out of installing it, it's still been advertised to that user. Not a bad way to get your product exposed.

It could have a negative effect though as most users I think tend to loathe add on software in install wrappers because they have had a bad wrap in the past with people getting spyware,adware,viruses you name it from them.

Personally I will be using a different site in the future, I just can't be bothered with going through the wrappers prompts - I much prefer a straight link to the file.

I've noticed it for a while, luckily I installed the program in a sandbox.
Firefox users are a bit lucky because there's a Greecemonkey add on available with a script to get the actual installer(forget its name) for use on CNET. I've not tried it though.

Good to see TSA being pro active in this regard.

If enough of us avoid CNET like the plague, they will have to adopt more honest business practices.

Yep. I don't like this at all and will hunt for things I need at different sites.

It is very irritating when the product's own page routes you to cnet/download.com for download.

Bad trend. And big kudos to you for taking steps to replace your Download.com links with those to an alternative source.

I am glad I stopped using Cnet a long time ago

CNET has been my most trusted source for software. The majority of the software on my PC cam through their sight. The installer is an annoyance and it includes other software to download that you can opt out. CNET did warn some time ago that software developers would add other software with theirs (tool bars and such). This is the now the trend and I assume CNET is just following along;I wish they wouldn't,adding an alternative download make things look suspicious. However,like I said before,you are given the option to opt out of the additional download.