back to article SourceForge responds to GIMP grump with crowdsourcing caper

A week after the developers of popular graphics-wrangling app the GIMP bailed from SourceForge rather than endure the many odd ads it encourages, the site has responded with a scheme that makes its users the arbiters of acceptable ads. The new policy emerged in a blog post announcing a new email address the site will use to …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Sir Barry

    This is a good start, I'm pleased to see Sourceforge responding in a fairly positive manner.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Unfortunately, the damage is done - SourceForge seem to have gone and pissed an awful lot of goodwill up against the wall.

      I, for one, won't be using it again.

      1. Captain Scarlet Silver badge
        FAIL

        So they can't look at them themselves?

        Seems like just adding more red tape to keep them up longer

  2. silent_count
    Thumb Up

    Well then

    People who run a popular service make unpopular changes and, upon complaints from users, actually make changes to address the complaints. Who'd have thought this was even possible?

    Are you paying attention Microsoft? Mr Shuttleworth?

    1. Robert Grant

      Re: Well then

      TBF, Microsoft are constantly changing their minds due to feedback. The problem is they make such stupid decisions in the first place.

      1. FrankAlphaXII

        Re: Well then

        At least Microsoft is profitable, so what's Canonical's excuse? And its not like the old lie that a Linux company can't be profitable either, look at Red Hat.

  3. Dodel

    Good on 'em, it seems more and more apps are coming bundled with toolbars and such nasties, I can't help wonder that half (Ok maybe not half), of the security issues users suffer are down to these toolbars.

    Users blindly clicking through, next, next, next ... and given the ones where you have to tick the box to confirm you do NOT wish to install said tooldbars.

    Now if only the likes of M$, take note.....

    1. sabroni Silver badge
      Meh

      re: Now if only the likes of M$, take note..

      Why talk about a problem with $ourceForge (see what I did there?) when you can just make irrelevant points about your favourite baddy?

    2. Amorous Cowherder
      Alert

      Don't they? Run a FOSS software install on Windows and it's like a English Language and Lateral thinking test!

      "Do you agree, by the nature of not ticking boxes, below to agree, to not comply with the agreement that we can install toolbar and/or/if collect your details, not to in anyway supercede previous agreements, that may or may not allow installation and collection of data within reaches of local law? Tick box y/n"

      Ermmmmm...y..e...s? WRONG! Now we'll share all your usage data and your machine will be riddled with CPU hogging addons!

  4. paulc

    Developers specifying installers?

    Come on now, there's no way the GIMP developers would have specified a bundle installer delivery method when they already had proper installers for The GIMP up there on Sourceforge... some one from Sourceforge itself made that decision to repackage it

    1. galoppini

      Re: Developers specifying installers?

      Some developers misunderstood the program fearing that SourceForge was bundling open source projects without authors’ consent, which is absolutely NOT the case. Currently in the Pilot phase, we only have 3 projects participating in the DevShare program all of which explicitly opted-in. GIMP has never opted-in and it has not been bundled. Hope this clarifies your doubts. [full disclosure - I do work at SourceForge]

  5. Greg D
    Thumb Up

    at least...

    it's not as bad as the CNET/download.com installers. Serious malware right there.

  6. Robert Grant

    Crowdsourcing common sense?

    Come on Sourceforge. Just go and download a file and see all of the misleading adverts. It's really easy; you don't need us.

    1. jonathanb Silver badge

      Re: Crowdsourcing common sense?

      You need to disable adblock first. Even Internet Explorer has adblock available for it these days.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Facepalm

        Re: Crowdsourcing common sense?

        Why in gods name would I want to do that?

    2. galoppini

      Re: Crowdsourcing common sense?

      Unfortunately isn't that easy. For example speaking of Google the adsense page says that, in order to block

      ads you have to

      Enter the [exact!]display URL shown on the ad or the destination

      URL to block new and existing ads.

      The problem is that you do not know in advance what kind of ads would be displayed, and having over 300.000 projects we might hardly be able to remove all of them if we do not get help from the community.

      [full disclosure - I do work at SourceForge]

  7. Immenseness

    Cynical

    Maybe I am over thinking but it strikes me that a nice list of users who have emailed the site in response to an advert (look - proof that our adverts are read) would be very handy to convince potential advertisers to part with their cash.

  8. Tom Wood
    Linux

    Installers, schmallers

    yum or apt-get FTW

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Installers, schmallers

      What's wrong with `make install clean`? Splitter…

      Mine's the one with a picture of a daemon in trainers on the back.

  9. Tony Mudd

    Could someone have a word with Oracle about stuff being included with Java ?

    1. Lost in Cyberspace

      Re:

      And with Adobe about flash.

    2. robin48gx

      Yes Oracle that bloody annoying ASK search bar.

      I thought you were reputable sensible database company, not some dodgy web outfit foisting stuff on us.... lost alot of credibility from me with that annoying/difficult to remove ASK toolbar, its made me very suspicious of anything "oracle".

  10. James Boag

    Re:

    And Intel and AMD for the crap ware that comes with their prebuilt systems too please

    1. Bert 1
      FAIL

      Re: Re:

      And AVG Nation tool bar.

      WTF were they thinking?

  11. chris lively

    Glad to hear they are responding to feedback. I went to sourceforge a couple days ago to grab something and couldn't figure out where the actual download link was. Ended up just searching for a different package to solve the problem I had. I'm sure I'll check in on them in a few months.

  12. bigtimehustler

    As soon as I go to a site where the download link is so well hidden its clear they are trying to trick you into clicking ads or downloading an installer you don't need. I leave and download what I want elsewhere.

  13. Inachu

    sales pitch for metrics on downloads.

    Sales pitch for metics on downlods and who downloads them and when how and why.

    This is for the web master and not some sleaze bag who wants to install permanent files onto users pc that phone home every time users either use the program or turn on their pc.

  14. tempemeaty

    "...unwanted-add-on-laden installer SourceForge..."

    THIS is one of the late new practices for Windows based installers that has now forced me to SLAMMED THE LID SHUT Windows and end all further use of it where I can. The paradigms for that OS have become so damn unacceptably corrupt with these types of practices in to many organizations now. I also should mention another download dot com hit me with that kind of crap and I wanted to reach through the internet and strangle that organization in total(it included hidden installs of crapware with no opt out). It's now not even safe to install trial software for evaluation because of this practice.

  15. Sad developer

    SourceFuxxx have gone and hung themselves. I support free ware, we host a video 101 series about Git :http://ava.co.uk/git There are no additional downloads. No redirecting my home page to some appalling search engine and my default search engine to same. This was all done before I continued with the install from SourceFuxxx ..... I accept ads in their place but not without my permission and certainly not modifying my machine. Its now on the band list of sites and I'm emailing every freeware provider I use to lobby for alternatives.

  16. tracyanne

    Interesting

    Naturally, as I don't use either Windows or Mac, this issue doesn't affect me. Not the ads, nor the toolbars, nor the security issues. All of the software published on Sourceforge comes to me via my Linux Mint App Store, otherwise known as the Software Centre.

This topic is closed for new posts.