The Paranoid Survive
Does anyone remember the Trojans? I implore you, stop implicitly trusting software development corporations. Believe nothing you see on TV, radio, in print or otherwise without verifying it is accurate. You aren't paranoid enough and
they are out to get you any way they can.
Be very skeptical of third party endorsements of software. If A says that B's software is great then don't believe A no matter how reputable A might be. For example, Windows software is almost always distributed in proprietary form. Thus A has no way to know what B's software really does without lengthy lab tests.
Always obtain software directly from the author or using a method the author endorses. Obtaining software from unofficial sources may expose your computer to all manner of serious threats. For example, downloading software from so-called "
warez" websites is extremely dangerous and will almost certainly end with your computer being attacked. To say nothing of the wrath you may draw from the author and their army of
flying monkeys lawyers.
Peer Pressure
A friend of yours says to you, "Hey, I installed this really cool program and it doesn't cost anything! Go try it!" What is your normal response to that statement?
- Reply, "Hey that is neat!" and blindly install it.
- Reply, "I'll look into it." and glance through the end user license agreement then install it.
- Reply, "I'll look into it." and search Google for more information and install it only if it doesn't immediately look harmful.
- Look at the features, search Google, read the end user license agreement and privacy policy thoroughly and then only install if it has acceptable terms and is immediately useful.
- Reply, "No thanks." and don't install it.
- Hide under the desk in fear.
If you are someone who ever does 1 or 2 then you need to just stop the insanity. 3 is very risky because the program may be very new. 4 is perhaps reasonable. 5 is probably the best option for any program you see described as cool, neat, or new. 6 is what people do with their Windows computers after they've installed a "cool, it doesn't cost anything" program.
What's the Real Cost?
All software costs someone something.
You really need to make yourself aware of how the software you use is being developed and who's paying for that software development. End user licenses, privacy policies, and other agreements should explain any questionable policies at least in passing. Beware of words like "bug" or "track" or "personal data" when reading these agreements. If they have to tell you they aren't sending "personal data" then they may be stretching the definition of "personal data." For example, many privacy policies will boast how they don't send "personally identifiable data." However, that is subject to their interpretation of the word "identifiable."
Some Specific Examples
What types of software am I talking about? Well, anything you don't need. A few examples of programs whose end user license agreement and privacy policy agreements you should read very thoroughly several times are WeatherBug, iDownload iSearch, Smiley Central, Stop Sign, Bonzi Buddy, Date Manager, Gator, WebSearch Toolbar, anything that claims you can win something, any program that promises to give you coupons, or anything calling itself a toolbar. Maybe the agreements for those programs are acceptable to you and maybe they are not. I certainly would never agree to their terms of use. In fact, I don't agree to the terms of use for most software.
Read all Agreements
Before you install anything on your computer I would urge you to thoroughly read the license agreements and privacy policies. Then search Google to see if you can learn about anything they might leave out or make unclear in their agreements. What you find about some programs or the companies which produce those programs may make you hide under the bed.
Beware of End User Agreements
I would suggest that you remain suspicious of any program (or website) which has an end user license agreement. End user licenses restrict how you are permitted to
use a particular program; particularly "retail" programs you have purchased but nearly all proprietary programs have end user agreements. The extent and scope of those agreements may shock and surprise you. Obviously, most proprietary software is going to have an end user license agreement because they want to control how you use that software. Read any agreements as if your livelihood depends on it. Because it probably does. Failing to follow end user license restrictions, especially if you are a business, is very likely to land the SIIA or
Business Software Alliance (aka
The Software Police), software company lawyers, the FBI and/or some not-so-friendly federal marshals at your door.
Just Say No
Finally, don't be afraid to click "no" or "I don't agree" when a program (or website) asks you to accept their terms. I generally refuse to use accept any end user license agreement and I thoroughly scrutinize privacy policies. As such, I'm unable to use Microsoft Windows or most of the proprietary software that goes along with it. There are plenty of
Free Software and
Open Source Software (aka
FOSS) alternatives which do not place any restrictions on their usage. You can use FOSS applications any way you choose and you can freely give a complete copy, including any modifications, to anyone who wants.
Labels: linux, windows
