Really, CNET? At what point did you lose your integrity?

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Thu May 30, 2013 12:25 pm

I remember back maybe 10 - 12 years ago CNET/download.com was a trusted source for malware-free demos, freeware and such.

Went to download SiSoft Sandra, which I haven't used in a long time and:

- they have a download manager app (by looking around, you can usually choose to bounce to the dev's site but in this case they just have a mess of PITA mirror sites unless I missed something)
- the CNET Download Manager, on its own loaded 4 crap apps geared on adware or possibly spyware (I didn't research each title)
- added an IE seach toolbar and changed my home page to Bing or something masked as a plain-google type page that said "Search with Bing"
- added an adware script for some backup software

All of this before it even started to install Sandra. There were only boilerplate licence agreements ("I agree") but not the customary "would you like to add these extra things with the software you wanted to install" step of an install. I wasn't expecting this so I don't know if it will still install the target software if you don't agree with the BS apps' licence agreements.

It was all easy to remove, but I was just surprised at what I found to be a definite downturn from a source I used to hold in fairly hogh regard.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu May 30, 2013 9:00 pm

Hate download manages like that...yuck!

Easto · Post by **Easto** » Thu May 30, 2013 11:44 pm

I too am pretty careful of what I download and where, but I have to agree something is going on. I can't remeber the app, but I downloaded a newer version of something I used years ago and I just got bombarded by addons and crap like you're describing (From Cnet). It sucks. It took me almost 20 minutes trying to undo everything it loaded.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri May 31, 2013 9:29 am

Cnet lost their integrity a long time ago. Crap site, biased reviews.

Easto · Post by **Easto** » Fri May 31, 2013 9:37 am

YARDofSTUF wrote:Cnet lost their integrity a long time ago. Crap site, biased reviews.

Right on. Their reviews read like either the press release the company they're reviewing sent them or the opinion from someone on the street.

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Fri May 31, 2013 9:51 pm

Actually, I agree with y'all, and I would normally not even entertain the idea of a download manager were it not from what I (obviously mistakenly) thought a trustworthy source.

And as far as their product reviews go, I also agree. However, I have never blindly trusted a "business's" ability to be completely objective anyways. All too easy for a bad review equating to no more free samples for review. User forums are a much much better source as long as you take into account some folks hate things because they don't know what they're doing.

Oh, and as my own short review of SiSoft Sandra:

It's designed to provide some useable data, as well as (by default) try and sell/recommend you hardware or software based on the results it yields. Oh, and RealPlayer is part of the installer script, which would be super if I somehow found myself back in ~1999.

RealPlayer? In 2013? Is that even a thing anymore?