Ghacks looks at software giveaway sites

[mouser]

Ghacks has an interesting roundup of software free giveaway sites today, with a concise comparison chart:
http://www.ghacks.net/2016/07/27/free-software-giveaway-sites-overview/

[anandcoral]

I have bookmarked it 

It would be good if we can automate search on all these links for deal of the day and present one page with it. DC snack, anyone ?

Regards,

Anand

[MilesAhead]

I have bookmarked it 

It would be good if we can automate search on all these links for deal of the day and present one page with it. DC snack, anyone ?

Regards,

Anand

Short of that there is a pretty good round-up updated several times a week on Giveaway Radar

One thing I like about it, if the "giveaway" on a particular site is set up so that it requires posting in a forum for a limited number of licenses or some other tactic that excludes non-regulars, Giveaway Radar notes it in large red letters.  That saves me from looking through the BS only to find all 50 slots were filled 15 seconds after the software giveaway was announced, as often happens on these "contests."

[anandcoral]

Short of that there is a pretty good round-up updated several times a week on Giveaway Radar

Wow MilesAhead, bookmarked it too  Also the Android page 

Now if I can get time enough each day to look through the pages 

Regards,

Anand

[MilesAhead]

Now if I can get time enough each day to look through the pages

I know there's quite a bit to read.  I wish too there was written some hints about which giveaway sites have better licensing set up with the software publishers.  For example I got Wise Care 365 Pro on one site.  A one year license.  But 2 months before the license was to expire I got a nag screen every time I ran it.  I took it off and got the same program from another giveaway site.  No nag screen.  I guess that's what user discussion is for.  Those on the supply side are not likely to note such differences. 

[CWuestefeld]

This doesn't mention the reason that I quit looking at GAoTD - it wouldn't work on 64-bit Windows.

[wraith808]

Short of that there is a pretty good round-up updated several times a week on Giveaway Radar

The only thing about Giveaway Radar, is that it qualifies each day with useful giveaways, without quantifying how it does so.  For example, on BDJ, there are 6 entries.  However, Giveaway Radar says No useful Bits today, too bad !

[MilesAhead]

This doesn't mention the reason that I quit looking at GAoTD - it wouldn't work on 64-bit Windows.

You mean a particular program or a whole lot of them?  I have only installed maybe a dozen from GOTD so I didn't really notice.  Most that I installed I ended up removing after a day or so.

[MilesAhead]

For example, on BDJ, there are 6 entries.  However, Giveaway Radar says No useful Bits today, too bad !

In all that text at the top it says something about the fact that they don't claim to check all the sites all the time.  I have the giveaway sites I follow in a bookmark folder along with Radar.  After I read the Radar page then I go glance at all them them in turn.  I don't do computer games so that side of it I just skip.

[wraith808]

For example, on BDJ, there are 6 entries.  However, Giveaway Radar says No useful Bits today, too bad !

In all that text at the top it says something about the fact that they don't claim to check all the sites all the time.  I have the giveaway sites I follow in a bookmark folder along with Radar.  After I read the Radar page then I go glance at all them them in turn.  I don't do computer games so that side of it I just skip.

So not knowing their criteria, it makes it difficult to see if you need to visit the sites in question.  That's my concern.  Why use an aggregation site if it doesn't aggregate?

[IainB]

So not knowing their criteria, it makes it difficult to see if you need to visit the sites in question.  That's my concern.  Why use an aggregation site if it doesn't aggregate?
___________________________

Yes, eggsaggerly.
Thankyou for making that point.

From: http://www.openculture.com/2016/04/carl-sagan-presents-his-baloney-detection-kit-8-tools-for-skeptical-thinking.html
PDF: http://www.inf.fu-berlin.de/lehre/pmo/eng/Sagan-Baloney.pdf - "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection".

In one chapter of his book, “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” Sagan laid out his method, proposing what he called “A Baloney Detection Kit,” a set of intellectual tools that scientists use to separate wishful thinking from genuine probability. Sagan presents the contents of his kit as “tools for skeptical thinking,” which he defines as “the means to construct, and to understand, a reasoned argument and—especially important—to recognize a fallacious or fraudulent argument.” You can see his list of all eight tools, slightly abridged, below. These are all in Sagan’s words:

    Wherever possible there must be independent confirmation of the “facts.”
    Encourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view.
    Arguments from authority carry little weight — “authorities” have made mistakes in the past. They will do so again in the future. Perhaps a better way to say it is that in science there are no authorities; at most, there are experts.
    Spin more than one hypothesis. If there’s something to be explained, think of all the different ways in which it could be explained. Then think of tests by which you might systematically disprove each of the alternatives.
    Try not to get overly attached to a hypothesis just because it’s yours. It’s only a way station in the pursuit of knowledge. Ask yourself why you like the idea. Compare it fairly with the alternatives. See if you can find reasons for rejecting it. If you don’t, others will.
    If whatever it is you’re explaining has some measure, some numerical quantity attached to it, you’ll be much better able to discriminate among competing hypotheses. What is vague and qualitative is open to many explanations.
    If there’s a chain of argument, every link in the chain must work (including the premise) — not just most of them.
    Occam’s Razor. This convenient rule-of-thumb urges us when faced with two hypotheses that explain the data equally well to choose the simpler. Always ask whether the hypothesis can be, at least in principle, falsified…. You must be able to check assertions out. Inveterate skeptics must be given the chance to follow your reasoning, to duplicate your experiments and see if they get the same result.

Or, as per the motto of the Royal Society, London (which words they apparently no longer observe):

"Nullius in verba/verbo." Literally, "Take nobody's word for it; see for yourself"

[MilesAhead]

So not knowing their criteria, it makes it difficult to see if you need to visit the sites in question.  That's my concern.  Why use an aggregation site if it doesn't aggregate?

I dunno' why that happens.  Same thing today.  It shows a date for BDJ of today with no bits.  But I go to the site and they claim there are free downloads every day.  Oh well, it seems useful to me.  Especially since at times the same program is offered on more than one giveaway site but the license or version may vary.  It would be cool if they specified both.  But it at least gives some overview.

If they charged me for reading it needless to say I would remove the bookmark. 

[exjoburger]

I tend to look at Giveaway Radar first as an overview. Even though it is not always accurate about freebies on BitsDuJour. Previously I used to wait for BitsDuJour's daily email which was sometimes  delayed. The daily email gives the discounted or free prices at a glance. I'm not advertising it, as it could be considered spam by some .

Giveaway of the Day has definitely gone downhill - with some of the Giveaways being 3 to 6 month licenses only - after that "license" period the software expires. I prefer the old "no support, no expiry" freebies.