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Digsby IM Client Quietly Installs Badware
An anonymous reader writes "IM company Digsby has quietly included malware in an update to their client software that utilizes users' computing power and bandwidth while idle for a quick buck. When questioned, developers at Digsby claim that they have done no wrong and that users should not complain because the client software is 'free.'" The money-making distributed computing software is in addition to six "crapware" apps that users must refuse during installation. The terms of service that no one ever reads does describe the CPU- and bandwidth-robbing moneymaker, and its off switch is located behind the "Support Digsby" menu item.
Again, Ubuntu didn't do anything wrong. They just changed the default "new tab" page from about:blank to the Ubuntu-themed Google search page that's already the default home page. They log usage of their web search service, like everyone else.
Also paying for software doesn't protect you from crapware. Just because they have less incentive to include that stuff doesn't mean they don't.
Did we already forget that Ubuntu also installed such and without consent [slashdot.org] (and Linux Mint) - here you atleast have the change to disallow installing it.
As someone mentioned here, it's not alarming as you make it seem. It's only in the alpha version and not meant for the release version. Granted, I would have liked them to be a bit more forward about it, I'm not terribly upset.
However, open source means that if enough people complain, someone is going to release a fork of it removing those "features", maintain compatibility for patches, and end up with a better product. For example, Chrome had some annoyances, for one its privacy was questionable at best and it had no adblocker, but since Chrome had an open source project (Chromium) developers were able to fork that and make SRWare Iron ( http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php ) which removes these privacy issues and adds in an adblocker. Forks are a natural part of software development and occasionally are forked to prove a point to the often stubborn developers, after the fork gets popular usually the developer relents and adds in or removes the offending code and the fork ceases to exist.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
The power of choice: change IM client. There are tons of free IM client, just change it to something else like Pidgin.
Agreed, Digsby on the other hand is utilizing what should be idle horsepower. While this may seem innocuous since it is not being used by other stuff, it does not come without cost.
I have a computer tuned to speedstep down and use less power when idled. That means I spend less money per month to run that system. Power costs money, so in effect, Digsby is costing you money by doing this. Granted this may only be a fraction of a cent, multiplied by a few people monthly...well I'm sure you all saw the movie.
IT IS A BIG DEAL.
Free or not, hiding (or not mentioning it, or putting it in the .000001 point fine print, or burying it in a 100 page EULA - IOW: obscuring the truth) something that you know people will object to is deceptive, dishonest and wrong. You have to ask yourself, would people not install my "free" software if they knew what it was doing - if the answer is anywhere close to yes, you have a moral obligation to reveal the details.
This is part of the bargain - if you give away something for "free" and advertise it as "free", it needs to be "free" - as in not just that the costs are hidden. Otherwise, it really is a Trojan Horse.
Don't reap the goodwill of the public when you're secretly using them.
DISCLAIMER: This post was not checked for speling and grammar- if you complain- you're a whiner
Perhaps this is a good point in time to switch to Pidgin (multi-platform and my personal choice), Adium (Mac OS X), Empathy (Gnome), Kopete (KDE), or some other, more trustworthy client?
Why not use one of the many free competing IM clients?
My favourite is Miranda (Windows only, free but not open source)) because it's incredibly lightweight, uses the default Windows UI, and has an incredibly active plugin community.
Then there's Pidgin (multiplatform, free open source) which is also an excellent and mature IM which is also very extensible.
No crapware whatsoever on these similar apps. Support the projects that contribute to the initiatives of free software with your downloads and your dollars. Snub the software that steals control of your computer for monetary gain.
My mistake! I'm happy to state that Miranda is both free and open source!
free as in Willy
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
If you've paid for your software, you can usually [expect] that they wont fuck you over with that crap
So why are there ads in some PC games that cost over fifty bucks to buy?
Free Martian Whores!
... if someone were to hack the malware. It would be very bad if they changed it so it downloaded copyrighted stuff, say whole CDs of recent music, to Digsby's machines, and then sent email to RIAA saying it's there. It would be a very, very bad thing indeed if this were then redistributed and thousands of unsuspecting people installed it and remained unsuspecting as the usually do, while it did its job then erased itself, because otherwise it would have been a Simply Awful very, very bad thing.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
Here's your problem:
In other words, they told you about it in documentation you agreed to and said your read but didn't. This sounds kind of familiar. I think it is because of all the people I have heard say "I didn't know that was in the contract. I signed it but didn't read it. You know, just like all those people with the "sub-prime" adjustable rate mortgages that ballooned after 2 years.
It is called due diligence and everyone should practice it, not just lawyers and businesses.
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
I know in computing it's fashionable to make up words, but badware? That's just crap. Besides, there's already a suitable word: malware.
No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
It's not free if it costs you electricity to run the CPU at full power 24/7. All modern processors have idle states in which they reduce energy consumption. These are not just "wasted cycles" that could be put to some use anyway.
A large amount of people also have metered bandwidth connections which might get impacted by this.
users should not complain because the client software is 'free.'
A malware spreader saying this is like a person who knowingly spreads HIV saying his victims shouldn't complain because they got sex for free. I was going to say "rapist" but digsby doesn't install via drive-by download.
Unfortunately, paying for software protects you from "that crap" to roughly the same degree that paying for cable protects you from ads, or paying for DVDs protects you from involuntary trailers...
The FTC gets around to doing something about it when a Senator falls victim to it.
Since the state and federal computers are fairly tightly controlled, and most of their "computing" is done by interns, don't expect much to happen for a while. Unless a lot of people make a lot of noise.
Cynical yes, but not exactly a rare circumstance.
Platform advocacy is like choosing a favorite severely developmentally disabled child.
Bullshit, they'd cost the same as they ever did except they figured out they could add ads for just about nothing and increase their profit margins even more.
If you really believe that in-game advertisements subsidize the cost of games then you really are ignorant.
"linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
Aren't there about for zillion great free IM applications out there already? Why would someone use this one? What is the specific draw?
I used it to combine my Yahoo IM and Twitter feeds (yes, I follow certain people/things in Twitter). Also, it notified me about emails. Alas, I speak of it in the past tense. It was a nice program, but I was always a little leery about whether Digsby was doing something I didn't like. I noticed on IE, which I rarely use, that the search said "Google Search powered by Digsby." I knew that meant I missed a checkbox during the annoying install process.
I uninstalled using Revo. The Digsby uninstaller left a bunch of crap leftover. I've tried different IM clients and I still end up back at Yahoo's default IM with its flaws. For Twitter feeds, I have moved to Thwirl which uses Adobe AIR. I'm not sure if AIR has any negative issues yet. For email notifications, I've fallen back to Gmail Manager as a Firefox add-on.
I'm one of those who likes to try the next popular shiny object, e.g. Digsby, but I often fall back to some old reliable source.
users should not complain because the client software is 'free.'
Oh, I'd love to kick that guy in the nads and when he says "Dude! What up?" I'll say "Shut up! It was free!" and then he'd be all weepy like and I'd be all laughin' up in his face. Yeah, good times.
From steve: digsby developer
@All: This issue will be addressed first thing in the morning. As for performance, the functionality has actually been off this entire time. It is in the TOS because it was planned for the future and Digsby has not been using your CPU/Bandwidth when idle so if you have had performance issues it is not Digsby related.
This started up back in December of last year according to the forum posts. To top it off, Steve the administrator, shut off the research module since then. Why the stir now? Plura is the one that needs to be hammered that provided the software for this.
First rule of holes; When in one, stop digging.
Unless you've done the market research, studied the budgets of the developers, guaged the economy, researched the public willingness to buy games that have ads, and considered inflation and any number of other factors, your opinion is worth about as much as anyone else's. Acting like it's so blatantly obvious that your opinion is better than his doesn't put you in a very good light.
Whale
> Power costs money
Knowledge is power.
I KNOW how you can save money...
For me it's about a $30-$40/month bump when I run BOINC. Granted it is on multiple computers but that also includes the extra air conditioning to keep the place cool. At least during the winter they all act like heaters - something I would be doing anyway.
Except it wasn't transparent until they got called on it. It's #15 in the TOS. The way to opt-out was to go to "Help" then click on "Support Digsby" then find it in the list of 12 or so options.
If this had been an "opt-in" via check-box, similar to the crapware with the installer, I wouldn't be searching for a new multi-client IM program now.
Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
I'm not sure what the issue is. When I opened Digsby today, it updated and with in a few mins it displayed a message directing me to a FAQ. It clearly tells you how to disable the feature if you don't want it.
How many people do you know that actually ready the TOS before they purchase the product?
How many products do you know, that have a TOS you can read before purchasing?
They were caught doing this before, so much that users made a big stink on their forums and they had to respond with a public statement. Apparently they havent learned their lesson.
Then again its probably the only way they can stay in business so they'll do whatever it takes to make some money.
Either way... I dont care. I dont use the software. I did install it recently while looking for an alternative to pidgin.... I now regret that greatly.
Knowledge = Power
Time = Money
Substitute into the equation "Power = Work/Time":
Knowledge = Work/Money
Rearrange:
Money = Work/Knowledge
Therefore as
Knowledge --> 0
Money --> Infinite
Regardless of the amount of work done
I am not stubborn. I am right!