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The software awards scam

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app103:
3. Softpedia.com

- definitely worth it being listed on this website. they review very useful software free of cost but I'm not sure how big is their queue of software to be reviewed and I also don't know how big is their team to handle them. You don't want your version 1.01 to be reviewed when you're ready to launch version 6.0 :)
- they award many software with these awards : http://www.softpedia.com/awards/ (they also used to have 100% Safe and Secure Award by Softpedia which is not listed on this page)
- developers can also advertise their product(s) : http://www.softpedia.com/advertise/
-adi_barb (January 17, 2011, 01:13 AM)
--- End quote ---

Softpedia engages in content and bandwidth theft and will list your software with botched descriptions, without your knowledge or consent. This is especially true with applications in which the developer has not made or submitted a PAD file. I have had to contact them numerous times to have stuff of mine removed from their site (stuff I would never submit to any download site). They do remove it, but a few months later they put it right back with an equally bad description.

While they usually make their own screenshots, there are occasions where they will steal images right off the developer's site, mostly with non-gui apps they are not sure how to make screenshots of. Sometimes the images they steal are not the best representation of the application and make no sense when taken out of context. (they stole a screenshot off my site of the Windows shortcut properties box from instructions for how to set command line parameters for a shortcut and set that as my application's screenshot.)

Unless you have shareware or some way to force users to visit your site after they download an application, there is no benefit to having your freeware/donationware listed on any of the download sites.

In fact, it can backfire on you and cause trust issues with your users when they google your app's name and get hit with a million sites to download your app from, and most of them getting bad ratings from security software because they are also hosting listings of spyware and malware. Less savvy users are inclined to believe all the software on the site is bad and that your app is also bad.

They also steal your traffic, making money off your users with the ads on their site. If you have ads on your site and this is the only money you are making from your software, you won't be making the money...the download site will.  They never send visitors to your site...they hotlink your downloads instead. You work hard, you pay for the hosting and bandwidth of your site and its files, and they reap the benefits of it, not you.

I don't have PAD files for my software any more, and this is precisely the reasons why. I have also contemplated aggressively going after download sites that hotlink my files without my consent.

I don't mind bloggers writing real reviews of my software and linking to my site's pages. I mind leeches that steal from me and think I exist solely to line their pockets with cash.

Bamse:
And they will take advantage of practically hidden use of affiliate deals via Buy buttons. I am sure most sites will have a note about their share of the cake, hosting/pimping in exchange for $$$, but rarely transparent and clear to users with plastic cards ready. Sites are shady as any other site not being upfront about such arrangements. Nothing wrong about affiliate deals, sharing is caring after all ;)

I don't think Softpedia is any worse than others though. I find them all crappy but especially dislike those who pretend to do "handpicking based on real testing" and/or focusing on "safety" with icons and all. That is BS.

Sites like Bitsdujour also have loads of crap but user should know what the deal is. They are in bed with products for better and worse, whole site is focused on that. You know what you get, you are in a shop. Much less clear when racing around on Softpedia, Cnet etc.

mahesh2k:
Nothing wrong about affiliate deals, sharing is caring after all
--- End quote ---
With more customers opting for free software, adware and hidden affiliate deals is the only way developer can sometimes pay bandwidth bills. But atleast developers should not opt for the way softpedia is doing, they're simply stealing the software to host on their servers by giving awards.

Renegade:
A lot of this sounds to me like people getting all upset about heroin addicts and attributing all the problems to them, but ignoring the heroin dealers and kingpins.

This is the kinds of stuff that I mean:

The software awards scam

CNET and SourceForge are just as guilty.

There is an ad that's been apparently pulled, but it was ONLY a big download graphic exactly like a download button with NOTHING else. It was green -- maybe some people saw it. It was blatantly trying to mislead people. It had NO other purpose.

There is a massive lack of integrity/honesty on the Internet. It's pervasive, and overwhelming. And much of the problem I would directly attribute to advertising in one way or another. It is advertising that enables splogs and crap. Advertising motivates content theft and the like. Arbitrage happens ALL the time, and Google is complicit in it, e.g. Ebay, Amazon, etc. I've never liked ads on my own sites, though I do advertise.

I don't take as critical a stance as many here towards download sites. They serve me well, so I have no problems with them. I make more money because of them. Not complaining. PAD -- love it. Great stuff. But, I know what they are and what their purpose is. I've no illusions about what they are or do.

app103:

I don't take as critical a stance as many here towards download sites. They serve me well, so I have no problems with them. I make more money because of them. Not complaining. PAD -- love it. Great stuff. But, I know what they are and what their purpose is. I've no illusions about what they are or do.


-Renegade (January 18, 2011, 07:13 AM)
--- End quote ---

I am sure the applications you have PAD files for that are making you money as the result of being made available through the download sites is shareware and not freeware.

My software site is such low traffic, I can't even give away advertising slots for free, yet the download sites are getting a lot more traffic for my software than I do, when you count the total number of downloads they are getting from hotlinking my files. I am sure their ad slots don't have a "advertise here for $0" like mine do.

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