Free Software: Why Does it Exist? - Comments Page 1

I read recently that Avast is collecting and selling your user data. Maybe that is their motivation?

The question is how (or why) to start a business that can sell the scripts/functions/programs I have and get paid. Put them out as begware?
Before I was hired by a loan company, my boss-to-be ran my mortgage page.

According to Digital Trends.com:

"how to do stop Avast from collection your data on a PC:

Step 1: Open the Avast anti-virus software from the Windows Start menu.

Step 2: Click on the Menu button on the upper right-hand side.

Step 3: Select Settings. Under the General tab, choose “Personal Privacy.”

Step 4: If you don’t want Avast to share your browsing data with Jumpshot or marketing companies, be sure to uncheck the box that reads “Allow usage data to be shared with 3rd parties for analysis of trends, business, and marketing.” For the privacy-conscious user, you may want to uncheck the other two options as well."

One additional reason you neglected is data harvesting such as was being done by Avast.

I have used Open Source Software since about 1992. In my experience, this software model has provided 'free' software that works well, is stable, and does not infringe on my privacy. The reason for this is that many people look at the source code to find issues such as bugs, or nefarious intent. Because the software is Open Sourced, the author implicitly invites as much scrutiny as possible to help in making the application work correctly.

I also use MS Windows 10, and several 'free' versions of commercial software. The only downside to this category of freeware is that most is supported my in-app advertising, with which I have no problem. Your opinion may differ.

My2Cents,

Ernie

REMOVE Advanced SystemCare from your list of 7 best!!! I have downloaded it following your recommendation - and now I am stuck with the Bing browser (ugh!) and probably lots of other garbage, although I took care when downloading that stuff. Bob, you disapoint me...

Another incentive is student project. When creating free software, the mind is not distracted by the money aspects of it.

"how to do stop Avast from collection your data on a PC:"
Uninstall it! The only way to let these companies know we won't tolerate data theft is to not use their products.

Another great free piece of kit is Paragon Partition Manager. Better than EaseUS Todo.

Also GIMP for photo editing and Shot Cut for movie editing.

I too read about Avast selling data. I used Avast for quite a long time, but just recently switched to AVG. Avast wanted to know why I dropped them. I simply told them that they could no longer be trusted.

Many of the more important 'free-libre" packages are supported by major computer companies for their own internal use. Google provides many full time programmers to Linux for example, as they use 1000s of Linux servers to run their own data centers. (and Linux is the base of the Android smart phone operating system.)
Having a base of reliable software is quite important to many hardware vendors, particularly in the Big Computer space.
Real Free software will not have a Higher level Paid version.

MikieB: You should know that AVG is now the same company as Avast. Avast bought AVG in 2016 for $1.3B. In 2017 they bought Piraform, the authors of Ccleaner.

I have made use of freeware and shareware for many years now.
I appreciate it and in the early days I would sometimes be so glad to solve a particular problem that I would send in a "donation." Perhaps it was my imagination, but it seemed that nearly every time I did so the program would sooner or later either crash my system or the developer would go on to another project and never complete the upgrades to the program I bought in hopes to encourage them to develop the idea further.
One that comes to mind was a pretty good music library program (I forget the name) that helped catalog one's collection by supplying pages to enter data and even tying into the CDDB so one could put a CD in the player and have the forms filled in automatically. I was able to print out a list and take it with me to used music stores to preclude buying the same album again. It has been several years and I don't remember the exact features promised, but as I said he went on to other projects and left my hopes unfulfilled. Now I have so many CDs the project would probably take me years to complete.
Bottom line, I no longer contribute unless it is to get rid of ads on a program I particularly like with no good substitute that doesn't inundate one with ads.

I've used Open Office for years with no problems. A nice alternative to MS Office.

I have been using free software (and shareware) for years. I spend my time at the computer playing with graphics, and Fast Stone Image Viewer is one of the programs I use most -- every day. I send a voluntary contribution from time to time. And this program is not just a "viewer." There are several features that allow you to change or add something to your image. I also use IrfanView often. I don't use many of its editing features, but when it comes to printing one of my graphic images, IrfanView is VERY easy to set up and use. Then there's the Thunderbird email program. A+ to this one too.

Why is "Ask Bob" free?

PS: I am not complaining:-)

I have used Advanced System Care on several computers, downloaded, installed, uninstalled as needed. I have never ended up with Bing on anything. Mike, you have something else going on.

I run Malwarebytes as you recommend. It will not allow me to install Advanced System Care.

I haven't checked lately, but the last time I did Microsoft Software could not do "Real Time" Software. But Linux could. All the "Real Time" stuff we did to work on Laser Fusion Research COULD NOT BE RUN ON Microsoft Windoze of any type.

What I remember about AVAST was that it was a co-operative of UniX Programmers that were part of The USENIX anti-Virus BOF. (i.e. Birds of a Feather Group) That was when I was installing it on a network of Sun Microsystem Workstations. They expanded when PCs started to get attacked.

https://investors.avast.com/our-story/history/