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Mandrake Linux 9.2, Adware Version
thedarb writes "Mandrake has decided to sell ads to be seen during installation, web browsing and in screen savers. This all comes in their upcoming 9.2 release. Seven G's and you could put your face in their installer." Update: 09/12 18:07 GMT by M : Mandrake has a page about the ads.
However, I can see the many of Slashdot crowd crying over this intrusion of commercialism, but this seems like a reasonable way to try and recoup the costs of developing and distributing Linux products.
This keeps Linux "Free as in Beer" and "Free as in speech" at the same time. And what is wrong with that?
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
I worry that opensource software will become advertiser supported. I don't think its likely though. It is however an excellent revenue stream. It is advertising that keeps media of virtually all types so inexpensive to consume. The best thing is, the software is opensource. We can just remove the ads.
One of the reasons I use Linux is to avoid ads and spyware.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look elsewhere during installation.
Save your wrists today - switch to Dvorak
- - install: do you install every day?
- - screensaver: install a non-mdk screensaver.
- - browser: reconfigure browser.
You don't even have to bother doing it yourself; just wait for someone to do it all and then rpm -ivh noads-1.0mdk.rpm. Unless it's aReally. How far does this 'avoiding ads' fetish affect your life?
Do you close your eyes and put your fingers in your ears when watching the TV, in case any ads get you?
Do you choose routes which avoid all billboards?
MDK are in financial trouble, and need to raise funds. This seems to be a perfectly sensible way of doing it/
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This sig is inoffensive.
Come on. Advertising during the frigging install is one thing, spyware is a completely different thing. Don't group the two. I use Mandrake, I like it, I wouldn't mind if they got a few extra bucks. The install is pretty boring, so some ads there would not hurt at all. As for spyware and stuff like that: I know quite a few developers at Mandrake, and they would not tolerate that.
As for Slack: that's a pretty barren distro as compared to Mandrake. Clearly, it does not take as much resources to develop it, since it doesn't have its own graphical installer, nice config tools, etc. They are two different products intended for different audiences.
I suspect that 9.2 will be 100% free as well. In such an event, "spyware" is simply *NOT* possible on the distro.
As for the ads .... lets just hope MDK comes to its senses :^)
Sunny Dubey