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Last post Author Topic: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!  (Read 39884 times)

brotherS

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Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« on: November 01, 2005, 02:16 AM »
Publisher's Description:
Weather Watcher is your personal Windows desktop weather station. Automatically retrieve your local weather from the Internet and store it in your Windows system tray. With one click of your mouse button, the most current weather update is in your view.


It's non-bloated and just got better with version 5.6. You have lots of options (good!) and could customize it to your needs (temperatures in F or C etc., etc.).

http://fileforum.bet..._Watcher/968135049/1



mouser

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2005, 03:02 AM »
Excellent.

An older version of Weather watcher was actually recommended by us in our review of weather tools:
https://www.donation...atherTray/index.html

the new version looks a lot nicer too!!

m_s

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2005, 07:08 AM »
I'm amazed this is free!  Seems great.  I'm slowly working myself out of using Konfabulator, as I find much cooler programs that do the same thing more elegantly and using less memory than the widgets I've used up till now.  (Actually, I'm brewing a thread in praise of WinXP and its vanilla settings - plain old plain old is proving to be more and more useful to me, and I'm finding myself reverting to the built-in settings and abandoning my mods and themes and widgets and docks and just reverting to plain old XP, and realising it's basically a very well designed and considered interface.)But I've wondered off topic, which is: New Weather Watcher - great!  :up:

Carol Haynes

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2005, 07:05 PM »
Wow - that is so cool ...

I have seen others but this definitely rocks ...

It even has my local RAF base (in the UK) which happens to be a Met Office data supplier for the area.

brotherS

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2005, 02:07 AM »
Yeah, I really like it, and it deserves to be known more widely  :Thmbsup:

clif_notes

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2005, 10:03 PM »
Looks like a very cool program. I might give it a try.

Would you like to say any more about Weather Watcher?
http://freewarewiki....i.com/WeatherWatcher


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clif_notes

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2005, 10:21 PM »
Additional note:

I noticed at the author's website it offered two installs. One has budled adware and a few extra features. The other is the freeware version without the adware.

Can you tell me if the version you are using installed anything else besides itself. I kinda got some shivers when I saw there was an adware version with WhenU and SaveNow.

Not only that, but the link for the freeware version wasn't working at the author's site. Hmmm, now I'm getting a real creepy feeling.

Maybe no worries though, I confirmed that the version at FileForum is different than the bundled version at the author's website.

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brotherS

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2005, 11:51 PM »
Additional note:

I noticed at the author's website it offered two installs. One has budled adware and a few extra features. The other is the freeware version without the adware.

Can you tell me if the version you are using installed anything else besides itself. I kinda got some shivers when I saw there was an adware version with WhenU and SaveNow.
Eww, that must be new. I only get the version from http://fileforum.betanews.com/ and never got spyware/adware with it!  :up:

clif_notes

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2005, 12:02 AM »
Hi brotherS,

Did you consider if you wanted to add any more comments to this article?
http://freewarewiki....i.com/WeatherWatcher

It's fine the way it is, but you didn't get a chance to say very much.

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brotherS

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2005, 12:36 AM »
Hi brotherS,

Did you consider if you wanted to add any more comments to this article?
http://freewarewiki....i.com/WeatherWatcher

It's fine the way it is, but you didn't get a chance to say very much.
Have not that much time right now, send me a PM if you don't see changes to it by saturday :)

clif_notes

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2005, 12:07 AM »
I've updated my comments about Weather Watcher to include a question to the readers that I'd like to get an answer to. http://freewarewiki....i.com/WeatherWatcher

Should I recommend a good clean freeware program even if the authors also host or create adware infested programs? Yes No other.

Every software author has the right to ask for compensation. Adware is just another way of asking. If it's done right, most people don't mind. If it's done with deceit and disregard for the end user, people get righteously angry. Sometimes, you find one somewhere in the middle, like this one.

Let's hear what the DonationCoder people think.

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« Last Edit: November 12, 2005, 12:14 AM by clif_notes »

brotherS

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2005, 12:19 AM »
Should I recommend a good clean freeware program even if the authors also host or create adware infested programs? Yes No other.
Yes - but tell that coder that one would simply prefer a "Donate" button in the program (@mouser: idea for you too?).

mouser

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2005, 12:27 AM »
my view:

there is nothing wrong at all with properly labeled adware (that downloads and displays ads in the program) that does not otherwise infect the users system. nothing. it's merely an alternate way to get compensation other than charging people.  it's just important that it be properely labeled.

programs that secretly install adware, or secretly install things like ad toolsbars in browsers, or any installation of spyware stuff that sends info back to to the company or another, should be illegal.


« Last Edit: November 12, 2005, 12:31 AM by mouser »

clif_notes

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #13 on: November 12, 2005, 01:50 AM »
Hi Mouser, well thought and stated. I agree with every point. I posted the same question in a security forum. I wonder if they'll feel the same way.

The problem they will see, (using my esp), is that WhenU and SaveNow are bad words to them. I'm not familiar with them but I've got the idea that they are not simple programs that display an advertisement in the host program. They both affect how Internet Explorer works in some ways. Doing a search on the internet may not give you an accurate picture of what these two programs currently affect because the adware companies have been changing the way they work recently.

These two adware programs are bundled with the other version of Weather Watcher which neither BrotherS nor myself have tried.

Knowing these additional facts, would you change your opinion?

I'll go further and ask this ...
If the authors of the Weather Watcher had a spyware version hosted right next to the freeware version or a donationware version, would you still recommend it? By spyware, I do mean applications that report back to the mothership and sometimes open the doors to other hidden installs.

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mouser

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #14 on: November 12, 2005, 02:30 AM »
yeah then it gets trickier...

let's start by saying something, i've used weather watcher for a couple years now, and i have the new version installed now.  no sign of anything bad from it.

but i do see a WhenU/SaveNow version of Weather Watcher on the website, and as you say this is not simply displaying adware in the application, but rather it does stuff to your internet explorer or otherwise lives on your system and pops up ads.

although this is not spyware i view such extreme adware as unacceptable, and i would never install such a program that included it on my computer.

however i cant help but be sympathetic to an author who it seems to me is just trying to get a little money back from software that he has always made available (and continues to make available without ads) free.

where i would fault the author of weather watcher is not more clearly on the website explaining the consequeunces of installing the adware version.

all things considered, i would not hold back a recommendation of weather watcher because of this, but i would make VERY clear to people that they should NOT install the adware version.

if it was just ads inside the app i would have different advice, i'd say install the ad version if you dont mind ads and want to support developer.  in this case if you want to support developer, he has a donation button - send him a donation and include a note encouraging him to stop using such adware.

he's probably going to get plenty of hate mail from people who accidentally install the adware version and are quite upset so go easy on him :)

mouser

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #15 on: November 12, 2005, 02:40 AM »
another thing we as a community have to come to terms with is this:
i'll bet you anything he would rather not put this adware into his program.

this is just a guess, but i'll bet you he'd be much happier just getting an occasional donation.
but the sad reality is with few exceptions, people just do not donate.  we're trying to make a little bit of headway on that front here, with some success.

try to put yourself in the shoes of an author who wants to write freeware but can't afford to pay the rent, and is trying to find an alternative.  not an alternative way to get rich - but an alternative way just to pay bills.  there are so many authors out there who would gladly work their hearts out (including me) if they could get enough donations just to live above the poverty line.  right now that's just about impossible to do through donations.  even this site which i think works relatively well could not come close to getting enough revenue to pay even a single person minimum wage.  note even HALF minimum wage.  think about that for a moment..

here's what i'm going to do now, and i suggest if there are people who've used weather watcher for over a year do the same.  i'm going to go to the singer creation's site (http://www.singerscr...tions.com/Donate.asp) , and i'm going to make a small donation of $5, and tell him thank you for the adfree version.  and i'm going to also point him to this thread - maybe he wants to make a comment.

mouser

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #16 on: November 12, 2005, 02:46 AM »
Weather Watcher forum thread on the adware issue, good reading:
http://www.singerscr...pic.asp?TOPIC_ID=962

(note there are 5 pages in that thread, change pages on lower left).
« Last Edit: November 12, 2005, 02:48 AM by mouser »

clif_notes

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #17 on: November 12, 2005, 03:06 AM »
Thanks for the answers Mouser. I asked an even harder question in the security forum.  :D

Try this one on for size. You really don't have to answer, but I wanted to make a point there so that they might accept my view a bit easier. I'd recommend the freeware as you said, with a warning.

Dr. Zxx is evil. In fact, he's an evil genius. While working in his hidden laboratory for 20 years he has killed dozens of test subjects and subjected many to treatments that would be considered torture by any standard. The test subjects were human.

Dr. Zxx has come out of hiding and has revealed to the world his new wonder drug. It can cure cancer. Any cancer. It's cheap, easy to make and he's not taking a patent on it. In fact he wants the world to use it.

The evil doctor has also revealed his methods of discovery and the world is shocked and rocked. What should they do with the new wonder drug?

Ban it because of the evil method of it's discovery?
Use it to save millions of lives?
Bury their head in the sand and forget the question?

It's up to you ...
-clif

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mouser

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #18 on: November 12, 2005, 03:22 AM »
definitely a hard question, and relevant in the current day with all the talk of torture.

i guess for me, the most important thing is the principle of discouraging such practices.

if that means destroying the cure, so be it.  if it means otherwise punishing the doctor to the extend that no one would dare do what he did again, but still using the cure, that would work too.

these kinds of things happen a lot, and the most commmon solution taken in real life seems to me to be the worst - we bury the truth about how the material was gotten, cover it up, create a false history and pretend nothing wrong was ever done.

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #19 on: November 13, 2005, 03:15 PM »
           
There is also Weather Pulse as an alternative.   When I compared Weather Pulse (WP) against the previous version of Weather Watcher (WW),  the two seemed very similar to me.   I chose WP because I preferred some small detail of its presentation.   When I chose WP I don't think I was aware of malware issues with WW.   Does anyone know of malware issues with WP?
       
Pricelessware,  which I think highly of,  lists Weather Watcher but not Weather Pulse (http://www.pricelessware.org/).
     
     

Mike Singer

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #20 on: November 13, 2005, 03:47 PM »
I just wanted to drop by and help clear up some of the confusion.

The 5.6.* version of Weather Watcher is offered in two setups.  The "Full Setup" is the setup that I have always offered.  It includes all of the files that came with all of the previous versions of Weather Watcher.  The "Bundle Setup" includes everything that the "Full Setup" includes, plus some extra skins and WhenU SaveNow.  See http://www.GetWeatherWatcher.com for a complete list of what each setup includes.  What you see there is what you get -- no tricks, nothing else hidden, etc.

The WhenU SaveNow product that comes with the bundle Weather Watcher setup is not spyware, malware, or any of the other things that people are slapping on it based on the reputation of the WhenU of the past.  Yes, WhenU has had problems in the past, but they have gone a long way since then.

We could all sit around and assume things about the bundled setup all day, but it's always much better to work with the facts  :)  If you wish to learn more about the bundled setup, then please see the following link from my support forum:

http://www.singerscr...pic.asp?TOPIC_ID=962

You'll in fact see that the WhenU SaveNow bundle is not spyware, it's not malware, it does not harm your computer in any way, it does not do anything behind your back, it does not try to trick you into anything, it does not nag you... need I go on?  8)

Creating, distributing, and supporting freeware is not an easy thing to do.  It is true that everyone gets to use Weather Watcher and everything that comes with it for free, but it does cost a lot of money to keep such a project going.  If I had to guess, I'd say that I recover about %1 of the money spent.  WhenU SaveNow is just a channel I am utilizing to help recover a little more of my expenses.

While I have done my best to educate people by giving them the facts, there are always going to be people who won't believe me, people who believe everything they read on the Internet, people who believe all bundled software is evil, people who don't understand the need to recover free software costs, people who don't understand the time it takes to keep a program like Weather Watcher going... oh, I could go on all day  ;D

mouser

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #21 on: November 13, 2005, 04:59 PM »
Thanks for taking the time to post mike - it's appreciated.

As I was saying, I think you are just trying to find a way to get a little money back from your software to help offset all of the time spent, while still being able to keep it available for free - an approach we can obviously identify with here on this site, since we are interested in the same thing.

I appreciate that people can be overly reactive about programs that show ads.  As we've discussed on this forum, people tend to mix in their minds spyware and adware, and think of any ad showing ap as evil spyware/malware, which it isn't.

It can be hard to tell the difference though, especially when something gets installed which doesn't just show ads in its own window but rather messes with other software on your system..

Personally I wouldn't bundle software like WhenU SaveNow - I know that it would upset people and confuse them - though i agree with you that its not going to harm their system.  But having said that we should appreciate that you are making a full version without any such adware available and easy to access on your site, so that anyone taking the time to visit the site and read can get a version without any advertising at all - and that should be commended.

Anyway, again I'm a weather watcher fan - i would heartily recommend it (and in fact we did recommend it in our review of such programs) as long as you keep a non adware version available - i would just caution people to visit the site and make sure they download the right version for them.  And if you like the program make a small donation.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2005, 05:02 PM by mouser »

clif_notes

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #22 on: November 14, 2005, 12:20 AM »
Hi all.

Thanks to Mouser and Mr. Singer. I'm happy to see good discussions of issues like this. I love controversy. It makes people think.

WhenU is still a bad word with my friends in the security forums. There's not much hope they'll accept any changes to their opinions soon. To be honest, I think WhenU is getting exactly what they deserve based on past actions. Just like Karma.

I've got no opinion or knowledge about SaveNow.

I still can't recommend anyone use either one, even if they play nice.

I'm wondering if either of the adware programs is targeted by my two favorite scanners, AdAware and Spybot S&D? I never worry about defining whether or not a program is bad. I let those two scanners decide for me.

Opera used to be adware. Neither of those two scanners ever complained about it, nor should they have. I used it for years with no problems.



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brotherS

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #23 on: November 14, 2005, 12:23 AM »
I just wanted to drop by and help clear up some of the confusion.
Hi Mike, thanks for that and welcome. :)

I'm curious: did you just 'accidently' find this discussion or did you use Google (Alerts)?

mouser

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Re: Weather Watcher 5.6 - now better than ever!
« Reply #24 on: November 14, 2005, 12:57 AM »
i mailed mike with my donation and asked him if he wouldn't mind taking a look at the thread and adding any comments if he had any.  i think it's always helpful to hear from authors if they want to take the time to add some comments. it also tells you alot about the authors if they take the time to make a comment.