I want to extend this to the online world.
Freeware is being greatly diluted to many by the gross misleading of a huge number of online resources.
Consequently untold numbers of computer users are misinformed about what REAL freeware REALLY is.
I submit that users should email webmasters as to the veracity of the "freeware" they list.
IF a site does a program/application as freeware and it is not, immediately email the webmaster of said site and notify them of such.
For if a site believes it is acceptable to does this knowingly, then they are NOT a resource for freeware and merely are seeking to cash in on freeware by garnering visitors via the hook of purporting to be a freeware site.
One evening recently I visit 12 alleged "freeware" sites and found that out of the 12 randomly chosen "freeware" sites - 8 listed adware or spyware.
NINE listed time limited "free downloads".
Now I do acknowledge that a site may run into listing a freeware proggie that has switched to being non-freeware.
But when a site has something that is NOT freeware on their main page - what conclusion am I or any one else to draw??
My personal opinion(s) advisements are as follows :
IF a site implies it is a freeware resource, it should state clearly what it (the site) defines freeware to be.
A freeware site should test freeware prior to listing, endorsing or reviewing - that is only honest, as well as fair and ethical.
A true freeware site should work to raise the level of awareness about freeware to users and should consider it's (the site/resource) recognition/ranking as secondary.
A concomonent to the previous is that it would be nice if "freeware" sites (the non-commercial "freeware" sites that is...but then again isn't a 'commercial' freeware site akin to selling a gift to the recipient of a gift?) acted as a community and not in clanish fashion.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
File freeware
Change Extension (ver. 1.0)
Author : Pierre-Marie Devigne
Very easy to use app to change the extension on selected files.
A handy dandy shell extension.
Filesize : 295 Kb
Rating : 3
Homepage - Download
Author : Pierre-Marie Devigne
Very easy to use app to change the extension on selected files.
A handy dandy shell extension.
Filesize : 295 Kb
Rating : 3
Homepage - Download
Harddisk Search & Stats (ver. 2.1)
Author : Freebyte
Useful text-Search Engine for your harddisk.
Allows you to search large numbers of text/ascii-based files simultaneously.
Free for commercial and non-commercial use.
Filesize : 557 Kb
Rating : 4
Homepage - Download
Internet Related freeware
Thunderbird (ver. 0.9)
Author : The Mozilla Organization
Thunderbird is an email client that will beef up your security pertaining to your email.
It is customizable.
It boasts a wide range of spam fighting options.
Filesize : 5.8 Mb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
Author : The Mozilla Organization
Thunderbird is an email client that will beef up your security pertaining to your email.
It is customizable.
It boasts a wide range of spam fighting options.
Filesize : 5.8 Mb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
AM-DeadLink (ver. 2.03)
Author : Martin Aignesberger
Favorites/Bookmarks, we all have loads of them and after awhile they can be filled with dead or redirected links. You 'could' manually check them, OR use AM Deadlink - it will scan/check them for you and even download/update the FavIcons of all your Favorites from the Browsers Internet Explorer and Opera.
Filesize : 800 Kb
Rating : 4
Homepage - Download
Mozilla (ver. 1.73)
Author : The Mozilla Organization
Powerful browser with a built in mail client, newsgroup client, IRC chat client, and HTML editing can be done using Mozilla!
Filesize : 11 Mb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
Firefox (ver. 1.0pr)
Author : The Mozilla Organization
The last year has shown the extreme vulnerabilities in IE*. Enter Firefox from Mozilla.
This is one 'must have' browser, as it will add a higher level of security to your browsing not to mention loads of features and great customizationing.
The growing number of "extensions" for Firefox even more broadens the functionality of it.
(*Firefox imports your Favorites, settings and other information)
Filesize : 4.5 Mb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
BlogExpress (ver. 1.56.2)
Author : UsableLabs.com
This is "THE" news feeder read/blog reader to get.
It supports all RSS versions and ATOM.
So get with the program and embrace all those rss and xml feeds with this one program that you will be glad you did.
I still am at a loss as to why anyone pays for some of the many 'shareware' programs of this gendre??
Filesize : 557 Kb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
Monday, October 11, 2004
About this site
The reason for creating and having a site varies from one person to the next.
My sole purpose is to list freeware that I have found or been informed about, and that I find useful for my needs.
I seek not to list ALL freeware as that is merely a pandering to the lowest common denominator of having the BIGGEST listings.
I prefer to know of what I list and endorse.
So there are bigger (and less personal) "freeware" sites out ther but I just do what I do as I see fit to do.
For the record, if a site doesn't at least run a program through the riggers, how can you know it is actually freeware????
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Freeware is defined by me/this site, as free software that is just that - FREE to use with no restrictions, contains no malware (no adware, no spyware, etc.) of any kind and requires no payment or registration that seeks to extract private informations for the use of marketing.
That may be a rather narrow realm for listings, but I feel it is totally WRONG to just list software and pass it off as "freeware" and further insult the great freeware developers by perpetuating the blatant lie that continues online by many purported "freeware" sites who work only to have the biggest set of listing and whose site generally does contain 'less' than true freeware. For developers to labor and create freeware only to have their creations lumped in with programs that are encumbered with limitaions, demands for money (which is NOT wrong as long as said authors clarify that their works are not frereware but are shareware or trials or time limited demos or such).
It should also be made clear that end users deserve better treatment than to be misled by what is not truly freeware.
On a personal note - I look to a day when the online experience is less wrought with the need to be leery or cautious regarding "freeware". Perhaps a time will arrive where webmasters will display a respect for end users by being 'honest' and detailing if their site(s) are merely libraries/resources for downloadable software and not totally just freeware. If a webmaster merely culls alleged "freeware" and lists it without any verification as to the authenticity of said "freeware" as being that, they should run such a disclaimer prominiently throughout their site(s).
For just posting alleged freeware to post for the sake of being the most "up to date" and enlarge their listings is underahnded, deceitful and conveys a rather disingeniousness as well as contemptable arrogance.
My sole purpose is to list freeware that I have found or been informed about, and that I find useful for my needs.
I seek not to list ALL freeware as that is merely a pandering to the lowest common denominator of having the BIGGEST listings.
I prefer to know of what I list and endorse.
So there are bigger (and less personal) "freeware" sites out ther but I just do what I do as I see fit to do.
For the record, if a site doesn't at least run a program through the riggers, how can you know it is actually freeware????
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Freeware is defined by me/this site, as free software that is just that - FREE to use with no restrictions, contains no malware (no adware, no spyware, etc.) of any kind and requires no payment or registration that seeks to extract private informations for the use of marketing.
That may be a rather narrow realm for listings, but I feel it is totally WRONG to just list software and pass it off as "freeware" and further insult the great freeware developers by perpetuating the blatant lie that continues online by many purported "freeware" sites who work only to have the biggest set of listing and whose site generally does contain 'less' than true freeware. For developers to labor and create freeware only to have their creations lumped in with programs that are encumbered with limitaions, demands for money (which is NOT wrong as long as said authors clarify that their works are not frereware but are shareware or trials or time limited demos or such).
It should also be made clear that end users deserve better treatment than to be misled by what is not truly freeware.
On a personal note - I look to a day when the online experience is less wrought with the need to be leery or cautious regarding "freeware". Perhaps a time will arrive where webmasters will display a respect for end users by being 'honest' and detailing if their site(s) are merely libraries/resources for downloadable software and not totally just freeware. If a webmaster merely culls alleged "freeware" and lists it without any verification as to the authenticity of said "freeware" as being that, they should run such a disclaimer prominiently throughout their site(s).
For just posting alleged freeware to post for the sake of being the most "up to date" and enlarge their listings is underahnded, deceitful and conveys a rather disingeniousness as well as contemptable arrogance.
Web building tools
RSS Builder (ver. 1.2)
Author : W. Bokkers
The web is ever evolving and to stay up to the minute informed means accessing info as it becomes "new".
RSS is such a method.
Until now it was for some a daunting task to create such a feed - NO LONGER with RSS Builder.
It is very user friendly.
Filesize : 417 Kb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
Author : W. Bokkers
The web is ever evolving and to stay up to the minute informed means accessing info as it becomes "new".
RSS is such a method.
Until now it was for some a daunting task to create such a feed - NO LONGER with RSS Builder.
It is very user friendly.
Filesize : 417 Kb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
XENU (ver. 1.2f)
Author : Tilman Hausherr
Do you know what turns me off about a web site? bad/broken links! I hate that!
XENU Link Sleuth will help eliminate that happening with your site. It checks for links validity.
A nice simple interface. A must have for any webmaster.
Filesize : 506 Kb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
Matizha Sublime (ver. 3.2)
Author : Matizha Inc.
Excellent HTML editor (my main point for being such a lover of this program is the DHTML scripting included with it, as it was how I created the former navigation I used on my original version of "Freeware Outpost").
Filesize : 1.76 Mb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
Startup tools
Startup-Mechanic (ver. 1.3.11.04)
Author : Opensoft Corporation
What runs on start up can not only slow your system, BUT...it can also contain known data mining, advertising, and tracking components (which can jeopardize your privacy).
Startup Mechanic deftly scans your system and details just what is loaded on start up.
Filesize : 696 Kb
Rating : 4
Homepage - Download
Author : Opensoft Corporation
What runs on start up can not only slow your system, BUT...it can also contain known data mining, advertising, and tracking components (which can jeopardize your privacy).
Startup Mechanic deftly scans your system and details just what is loaded on start up.
Filesize : 696 Kb
Rating : 4
Homepage - Download
Startup Monitor(ver. 1.02)
Author : Mike Lin
From the program's author, "StartupMonitor is a small utility that runs transparently (it doesn't even use a tray icon) and notifies you when any program registers itself to run at system startup".
Filesize : 60 Kb
Rating : 5
Homepage - Download
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