Sci/Tech SourceForge grabs GIMP for Windows’ account, wraps installer in bundle-pushing adware [Updated]

tom_mai78101

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SourceForge, the code repository site owned by Slashdot Media, has apparently seized control of the account hosting GIMP for Windows on the service, according to e-mails and discussions amongst members of the GIMP community—locking out GIMP's lead Windows developer. And now anyone downloading the Windows version of the open source image editing tool from SourceForge gets the software wrapped in an installer replete with advertisements.

Update: In a blog post issued shortly after this story posted, an unidentified member of SourceForge's community team wrote that, in fact, "this project was actually abandoned over 18 months ago, and SourceForge has stepped-in to keep this project current." That runs counter to claims by members of the GIMP development community.

The GIMP project is not officially distributed through SourceForge—approved releases are only posted on the GIMP project's own Web page. But Jernej Simončič, the developer who has been responsible for building Windows versions of GIMP for some time, has maintained an account on SourceForge to act as a distribution mirror. That is, he had until today, when he discovered he was locked out of the Gimp-Win account, and the project's ownership "byline" had been changed to "sf-editor1"—a SourceForge staff account. Additionally, the site now provided Gimp in an executable installer that has in-installer advertising enabled. Ars tested the downloader and found that it offered during the installation to bundle Norton anti-virus and myPCBackup.com remote backup services with GIMP—before downloading the installer authored by Simončič (his name still appears on the installer's splash screen).

 
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Slapshot136

Divide et impera
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I found that you can get around most of the SourceForge crapware by adding ?nowrapper to the end of the .exe download link URL -that said, I do think it's a shady practice that I would prefer to avoid..
 

tom_mai78101

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Shady or no, business is never always good nor bad.
 

Hatebreeder

So many apples
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Shady or no, business is never always good nor bad.

Where is the business? As far as I know, the developer has had his account taken away from him.
Adding in ?nowrapper to the URL is just an adequate response to account theft and bushwhacking idiots.

That being said, just how much money do you make from adware? That shit is so stupid, I just can't imagine it generating money at all.
 

tom_mai78101

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That being said, just how much money do you make from adware? That shit is so stupid, I just can't imagine it generating money at all.

If adware is not generating money, then by economics, it should die very quickly. But the fact that there are adware everywhere speaks differently. It's either a paid incentive to bring down competitors or trafficking visitors to some place, both of which brings in money. That is what business is all about.
 

Accname

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Adware might not bring all that much money by itself, but the cost for adware is barely more then nothing. If it costs you nothing to put it there, then why not do it?
 

tom_mai78101

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Adware might not bring all that much money by itself, but the cost for adware is barely more then nothing. If it costs you nothing to put it there, then why not do it?
Moral obligations comes to mind.
 
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