But... Why?

Posted Dec 6, 2011 21:30 UTC (Tue) by job (guest, #670)
In reply to: But... Why? by cesarb
Parent article: C|Net Download.Com accused of bundling Nmap with malware

Of course, but I thought the Windows context here was implicit. They are not spoiled with proper package management.

Somehow I doubt it would be worth the trouble to trojanize Linux installers on random web pages...

But... Why?

Posted Dec 6, 2011 22:11 UTC (Tue) by cesarb (subscriber, #6266) [Link] (5 responses)

> Of course, but I thought the Windows context here was implicit. They are not spoiled with proper package management.

Even then, some of the reasons are the same. I could get Eclipse from the official site, and even get a newer version that way, but it is still more convenient for me to get it (and almost everything else) from Fedora (or whichever Linux distribution I am using that day), and it would still be the case even without package management.

The comment below by rgmoore makes the same point I was trying to make, perhaps more eloquently.

For Windows, there is the added benefit that these large download aggregator sites are supposed to scan for malware, so it should be safer for nontechnical users than looking for the original site (yes, I am aware of the irony here). This same rationale applies to downloading Firefox extensions only from Mozilla's addons site, even when they are available elsewhere.

Re: But... Why?

Posted Dec 7, 2011 2:12 UTC (Wed) by ldo (guest, #40946) [Link] (4 responses)

For Windows, there is the added benefit that these large download aggregator sites are supposed to scan for malware, so it should be safer for nontechnical users than looking for the original site (yes, I am aware of the irony here).

The irony is that all these attempts to offer add-on security for Windows only seem to lead to more opportunities for security holes and, as in this case, downright deception by the parties supposedly providing the security.

Tell me there isnt something fundamentally wrong with Windows...

Re: But... Why?

Posted Dec 7, 2011 9:48 UTC (Wed) by trasz (guest, #45786) [Link] (3 responses)

Not with Windows - with the users. It's just that most of them use Windows.

Re: But... Why?

Posted Dec 7, 2011 21:26 UTC (Wed) by ldo (guest, #40946) [Link] (2 responses)

Not with Windows - with the users.

Youre trying to blame Windows users for what CNET is doing?

Re: But... Why?

Posted Dec 8, 2011 13:29 UTC (Thu) by trasz (guest, #45786) [Link] (1 responses)

You're trying to blame Microsoft for what CNET is doing? ;-)

Re: But... Why?

Posted Dec 8, 2011 17:58 UTC (Thu) by clugstj (subscriber, #4020) [Link]

Well, since they are changing your search to use Bing, it's a pretty good bet that Microsoft is paying them to do it.