07-13-2019, 01:29 PM | #1 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 27
Karma: 7526
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Bristol, UK
Device: Nexus 10 (2 of them), Nexus 5, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, iMac
|
Crapware being associated with caribe downloads
In case you don't know, the 'update calibre' web page is currently offering 'PDF Mac Master', a dubious vehicle for malware, they say. Google 'PDF Mac Master review' to check...
Seems bad company to keep. |
07-13-2019, 01:43 PM | #2 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,071
Karma: 412718
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Valley Forge, PA, USA
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
I've always found the official Calibre site clean and free of such things:
https://calibre-ebook.com/download Where did you see that? |
Advert | |
|
07-13-2019, 02:06 PM | #3 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 6,496
Karma: 84420419
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Tampa Bay, Florida
Device: Kindles
|
I see random ads there.
|
07-13-2019, 02:06 PM | #4 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,613
Karma: 6718479
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Paradise (Key West, FL)
Device: Current:Surface Go & Kindle 3 - Retired: DellV8p, Clie UX50, ...
|
|
07-13-2019, 02:12 PM | #5 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,071
Karma: 412718
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Valley Forge, PA, USA
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
|
Advert | |
|
07-13-2019, 02:16 PM | #6 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 27,547
Karma: 193191846
Join Date: Jan 2010
Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD
|
If you run an adblocker, then sure you probably don't see any ads on calibre's download page.
Otherwise, yes. There are ads displayed on calibre's download page (not that Kovid has any control over which ads get displayed). |
07-13-2019, 03:01 PM | #7 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,071
Karma: 412718
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Valley Forge, PA, USA
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
I did try it without my adblocker:
Quote:
|
|
07-13-2019, 03:26 PM | #8 |
Well trained by Cats
Posts: 29,782
Karma: 54830978
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The Central Coast of California
Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A
|
I see (and ignore) ads on the official download site.
Kovid has complained about inappropriate ads before. I don't think the site ad purveyor can 'escape' if the ad leads directly to malware. There is lots of software sold that does thing poorly or you could do yourself (with a little effort) with existing tools. |
07-13-2019, 03:49 PM | #9 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 27,547
Karma: 193191846
Join Date: Jan 2010
Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD
|
Quote:
But regardless of how it's getting blocked in your browser, my main point is that Kovid (nor anyone who utilizes an ad service like this) can control the ads that get displayed. And no matter how well the ad service in question vets their content, ads for questionable content WILL slip through the cracks from time to time. I find the notion of calibre somehow being associated with the questionable content being displayed by the ad service to be complete nonsense. If that's the case, then every single website that displays ads is associated with "questionable content" at some point or another. Block or ignore the ads, I say. Expecting Kovid to be able to ensure that the ad content that displays on his download page will always meet with everyone's personal notion of "not at all dubious" at all times is silly. Can't be done. And while I reserve the right to block any ad I want, I also have no beef with anyone who wants to create a revenue stream via ad content from an ad service. |
|
07-13-2019, 06:08 PM | #10 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,071
Karma: 412718
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Valley Forge, PA, USA
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
Agree - everyone has to pay the bills
There's a kids cartoon site that I have to keep a close grandfather's eye on since it constantly serves up age 18+ very suggestive ads. I spend a fair amount of time trying to keep my HOSTS file ahead of them since even a good Ad Block Plus can't seem to suppress them all. Many times it seems I can't even block them with my HOSTS |
07-13-2019, 10:47 PM | #11 |
creator of calibre
Posts: 43,844
Karma: 22666666
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Mumbai, India
Device: Various
|
Yeah the ads on the calibre website come from google adsense -- not something I can realistically control.
|
07-14-2019, 04:32 PM | #12 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 27
Karma: 7526
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Bristol, UK
Device: Nexus 10 (2 of them), Nexus 5, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, iMac
|
Thank you for giving us your end of this mode of business, Kovid.
It must stick in your craw a bit to realise that your totally excellent product is tarnished in a users estimation when they find that they've been served a bit of Internet Evil for trusting the integrity of people they might think you approve of. This abrogation of responsibility by Google, et al, for being a major link in the supply chain for hoodlums' dodgy software can't last forever. |
Tags |
calibre malware |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
When/how often to schedule downloads? | guspasho | Recipes | 1 | 06-23-2012 10:20 PM |
News downloads | babbish1 | Recipes | 0 | 03-31-2012 01:37 PM |
how many downloads? | Brad Chambers | Writers' Corner | 24 | 03-08-2011 08:44 AM |
Kindle Downloads | mollie38 | Amazon Kindle | 10 | 02-11-2011 02:31 PM |