Stoopid Computer Things!

A few days ago I decided to re-install a piece of software which I had used for (literally) years with no problems .. but had not previously installed on my recently-purchased computer.

Doesn't matter what it was .. I had full confidence.

But the links lead to an unfamiliar link.  Doesn't matter what that was, either.

The point is ... it lead me to a website named something like "download.com" and the sequence of accept/reject questions managed to sneak in a few questions which were formatted in the EXACT same way without making it clear that they were suggesting that I accept software which I had not ever heard of before.

Fool that I was, I accepted a couple of them before I realized what was going on.  And I have had nothing but problems with "pop-ups" and inadvertant sidetracks in the days since I made my unwise decisions.

So, here's a few (hopefully) helpful suggestions for you:

• When you decide to download/install software online .. be really careful that you read EACH page of text,
• If the test seems the same as your original "OKAY" page , it's not something that you entered incorrectly .. it's a subtly different test sequence which commits you to accepting software that you've never heard of before.
• Any software which begins with "SWEET" or "TIDY" .. unless you have already made the fully informed decision to download that software ... should be definitively rejected!
• You may think that anything you  download can be uninstalled using the Microsoft UNINSTALL protocols (for example).  Here's a tip:  it doesn't always completely delete/uninstall the software that you may 'suspect' is causing you problems.
• the stuff you realize .. belatedly .. that is is f*cking up your system?  It is.  And you let it in, because you didn't pay attention to the original questions when you were trying to install a perfectly benign software package.
• STOP!  You're ignoring this!  I am telling you, this sh*t can f*ck you up seriously .. and if you're ignoring it, you're more of a dumb-ass than I was!  (Don't say I didn't warn you!) 
• When you try to uninstall this bogus software .. don't expect the usual Windows (?) software to deal with it.  It's sneakier than that.

WTF?

Okay, all I'm sayng is that .. I consider myself a fairly 'savvy' computer guy, but I discovered (too late) that I had been cleverly lolled into complacency because I became impatient while downloading "trusted" softwar .. and I mindlessly hit  the "accept" button because it looked to me as if the computer was slow in responding, and I was bored.

These folks are smarter than I am.  Maybe they're even smarter than you!

So, just in case: when you EVER accept an online download, do NOT do what I did!

Don't click on "ACCEPT" or even hit ENTER when you are already downloading software.  Download-dot-com may  be a legitimate website; but it only takes ONE  broken link in the admittedly  fault chain of internet access to be "dirtied" to the effect that you are sucked into giving them  information  (or access permissions) which are inappropriate. Happened to me, but I don 't think I sent out TOO much information  before I caught on to them.

No, that's not honest.  I was Totally taken by surprise, and I provided a LOT of private information before I discovered that these guys were ,,,

,,, CROOKED!

It won't help me, but it may help you if you decide to stand up to the  Corporate Greed which has led us to this juncture.

I don't believe. I just type these words;  hopefully next year when I will "BRILLIANTLY" think it out  to its logical conclusion, I can fix it.  In the meantime.. just do the best you can, okay?

  These guys are .....      

ignore all of the above text.  the person you think wrote it was a mindless bot.  we have only your best interests in mind.  we know what you need better than you do.  nothing can possibly go wrong.
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