Lunarsoft

Adobe, Skype and CCleaner top Hall of Shame list

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Recently Ed Bott released his list of Foistware Hall of Shame programs. It’s a bit hard to say what foistware is since there is no official definition for this term. But the basics of it is that it is software installers that also try to install potentially unwanted software onto the users computer. These are things like toolbars, browsers and other things that some users will think they have to install in order to install the application.

Sadly this sort of thing has been allowed to go on for a very long time. In fact, it’s almost impossible to find quality software that does not want to install some kind of unwanted garbage. I’ve noticed that avast unfortunately wants to install Google Chrome and I’ve also heard numerous times that Apple’s iTunes wants to install their Safari browser. In the near future I plan to start a project within the Lunarsoft Wiki that will list off many of these applications that are popular, well known and want to install toolbars and/or browsers. So keep with us to find out more.

So far though, Ed Bott has a pretty good list going of some programs that install extra junkware. Here’s his list:

  • Adobe Flash – Google Toolbar
  • CCleaner – Google Chrome and Google Toolbar
  • Skype – Skype Toolbar, Google Toolbar, plugins and other extras
  • CPUID HWMonitor – Ask Toolbar
  • Core Temp – “Search Enhancement”
  • uTorrent – uTorrent Toolbar powered by Bing
  • Foxit – Foxit Toolbar powered by Ask
  • RealPlayer – Google Toolbar
  • DivX – Norton Security Scan

Be sure to check out Ed Bott’s article, it’s a good read too.

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