SoftPedia was once a great place to go for bug-free freeware. The other day I (TC) was working on someone’s computer wearing my Cloudeight Direct hat, when I determined that the customer could benefit from a freeware program. I wasn’t sure of the developer’s Web site URL so I google the name of the program and ended up on SoftPedia. I’ve never had any problem with SoftPedia, until now. Once I landed on the page for the program download I was besieged with huge download buttons — and I was in a hurry because the customer had to leave and I wanted to finish the repair session and finalize the job (which turned out well, I’m happy to say).
It didn’t turn out well for SoftPedia — at least. I won’t be going back there for any downloads. I’m not a fan of chicanery or trickery and it’s obvious that SoftPedia placed those download buttons to intentionally trick visitors into downloading something other than what they came for. All I could think of was software bundling and now Web site bundling?
I have nothing against SoftPedia putting ads on their pages — they have a staff to pay and Web hosting expenses to pay — and they, like any other legitimate business have a right to make a profit from their endeavors.
In the picture above you can see two big blue buttons — and under one in light gray text it says “Advertisement”.
But trying to entice visitors to click the wrong download link is wrong and it’s wrong for a number of reasons. It’s not fair to the company who is paying for the ad. If people don’t want the software they download from those buttons then they have to uninstall it when they realize they’ve been tricked. It’s unnecessary hassle and it doesn’t look good for the company who paid for the ad. It’s not right to trick people into downloading something they didn’t intend to download — even if the software is legitimate. My computer, your computer, and my customer’s are not SoftPedia’s computers and it’s wrong to fool people into putting something on their computer they don’t want and probably don’t need.
I know what the SoftPedia will say — they’ll say those download buttons say “advertisement” near them. Well that may be true — but the text is in light gray on white and it’s that color for reason.
And we’re not saying SoftPedia is the only one — but they just happened to be the one I stumbled upon that day. Making money by trying to get people to click the wrong link is bad business and it isn’t right.
Several times I have backed away from a download due to the inability to decide which is the right button to press. I appreciate your indicators when dowloading from a site you have recommended.
Thanks,
Barb.
Yea I was downloading a picture editing program. And ended up with gimp and a couple of other things I had not ask for. Thank goodness for revo uninstaller. And your right it’s not fair to the people who want the software to have to go uninstall their mess.
I was looking for a software download the other day, and my search took me to a softpedia site. The buttons were confusing and made the site look like a scam to me so I backed up and gave up. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who was put off by their big download buttons.
I have been concerned about using Java but have recently downloaded the newest version which is supposedly fixed. I want to remove the old version but when I go to my control panel remove isn’t there to choose. I am urrnetly using Windows XP. I enjoy playing Scrabble which requires Java to run. Is there another way to delete the older version of Ja va from my PC?
I believe the old versions Java are automatically deleted when the program updates.
Once again we owe you guys a steak dinner for revealing the issue of misleading download buttons on so many Websites these days as trickery. That’s exactly what it is. It’s a real pain in the butt for novice computer users, for which I think those Websites are trying to trick into downloading something they wouldn’t want. I’ve been online when the Internet was called the Information Highway, and I had a modem that I had to set the telephone into – backwards. But sometimes even us old fogies nearly bite the bait. Thanks! Job well done! 🙂
Just another one like Cnet.
Thank you TC & EB. I visited SoftPedia recently, and too seen what they had done. I decided to not download until now, that is after you shared your insight on what to watch for; advertisement!
Nancy, although your post is not even remotely close to TC & EB’s insight for us about downloading from SoftPedia, here is a link that will assist you (if you don’t screw it up)!
http://www.java.com/en/download/uninstall.jsp
Thank you for your integrity TC & EB! Unfortunately, your honesty is becoming extinct at an exponential rate. I hope all your fans will spread the word about your expert frank and unbiased computer and internet advice.
Thank you for this and the many other warnings you give us. Do you ever feel like “a voice crying in the wilderness”?
Sorry guys, but those are Google Adsense Ads and are a plague on all download sites!
It’s “funny” how you don’t know this thing!
As a publisher using Adsense, you cannot aprove ads!
They are served on IP, behavior, content based etc
I really cannot believe that someone can fall for those type of ads. (and are clearly marked as Ads!)
We don’t place Google Adsense ads in positions on our pages that occlude the real download link. The fact that you don’t know this shows me you don’t know our site. We don’t ever place Adsense ads in places where download links could become confused with them. If you can show me one single example on any of our 20,000+ pages where we have multiple download buttons mixed in with the real download button, I’ll publicly apologize to you. I’m very confident you wont find any. Also, Adsense ads very very rarely have big green or blue download buttons – most are text links or flash video ads which no one, using a modicum of common sense could possibly say makes us just like SoftPedia. Show me one page of our site that looks even remotely as confusing from which to download as SoftPedia. You can’t.
Why is there an advert right at the end of this article, with a big green button, very near where you quite often have a download link in articles?
Not trickery – just misleading, as it looks at first as though this is the button to use to download the suggested programme etc !!!
Maybe you need to move this advert to a less obvious place so that unsuspecting folk don’t end up at the wrong site?
From, Cheryl, in New Zealand
We don’t mind criticism, but only fair and constructive criticism. The article you cite is not a software download page; there is nothing on that page we’re recommending you download – or as you say “suggested programme”. Also, the ads on that page change frequently and while we try to filter ads from known badware companies like FunWebProducts, but like all filtering, it’s not 100% perfect. We do not control the ads that appear on that page. We never put download buttons on pages to confuse the reader.
Softpedia intentionally places download buttons in areas where the real download button should be and this is an overt attempt to trick the reader and it also deceives the advertiser who is paying for clicks which were deceitfully created. There is no question in our minds that Softpedia intentionally places download buttons which lead to software other than the software they’re featuring on a given page. These buttons are not placed randomly by an ad network but by Softpedia with the sole intent to intice the reader to click. Each click generates revenue.
When someone looks hard for something to criticize, they’ll find it. But unfounded criticism isn’t constructive and doesn’t help anyone. Again, if you have constructive criticism to offer, we’re more than receptive to it.
Thanks for this post, still helpful!