I do not believe the download portals should eliminate these types of downloads from their listings altogether, for two main reasons: Of course, quite a few freeware developers do still bundle potentially unwanted extras within their own installers but, provided the bundling is totally transparent with clear options to decline, I do not have a problem with that. Many of you will recall the period when bundling advertising modules with downloads was all the fad– remember OpenCandy? Fortunately, due to extensive adverse publicity and a massive user backlash, that stream of bundling has now slowed to a mere trickle. On these types of occasions, an alternative download source can come in very handy. Also, there may be times when the user is required to input personal details in order to access the download link. As far as I am concerned, they are the very worst of the bunch. That said, there are occasions when a direct download is not available because of an exclusivity deal with one of the download portals– more often than not with who I would never download anything from. The safest way to download freeware is directly from the developer’s website but, even then, users should carefully monitor the installation process. Some are safer than others, but all involve a certain element of risk. First off, there is no such thing as a 100% safe download site.

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