The rise of user-hostile software
I think the article is pretty kind and benevolent about what the companies do this kind of things. This isn't done simply because they don't care about users or care more about developers, they do it because they want to get more money after buying the product.<p>Some spy their users to sell their information, others ask a lot of personal information to do that. Usually they give you some "poisoned apples" in the shape of software you don't need, and even they are some cheeky who try to sell you other things, in a more polite way[0] or using the "erosion method"[1]. More infuriating are those who doesn't want you to control them and the only thing you can do about this is uninstalling[2].<p>The worse thing about all of this is the difficulty about avoiding this kind of software, like some printer drivers[3].<p>[0] Sometimes, after opening or using the software, they show you some ads of the same company<p>[1] The erosion method is what Avast do in their free software. Lots of pop-ups (yeah, in 2021) from the software asking you to buy some of their product until the users buy it to "shut it up". I don't think this works too much btw.<p>[2] Have you used any PC with a paid McAffee antivirus installed? They don't let you ad some exceptions to analysis because they want it that way. So, if you have some old hardware, with unsigned drivers, you might won't be able to install it because the antivirus says that is malware.<p>[3] When you buy an HP printer you have to install all of their software to have some kind of details, like reporting to you it doesn't have ink and that's why doesn't work, but to have that, you have to install a 500 MB package with a lot of things you don't need, a lot of ads about how HP original ink is the best, an HP Assistant icon in your task bar, and a lot of process, services, and programmed tasks who only make your PC slow. Meanwhile, Canon ones only need a 20 MB~50 MB installer who works fine without all the bloat.