Mike's Thoughts

I am very picky about my software. I want it to work right, and to look good. It’s not just a matter of working and getting the job done, but getting the job done in an intuitive way. A prime example of this is my instant messaging client. I don’t use AOL’s client. It’s slow, bloated, and riddled with ads. I’ve tried Pidgin, and, yeah, it works, it’s ok. It doesn’t have a whole lot to it, and it irks me most that it looks like a Linux app. I’m sorry, but big, plush buttons and a child-like interface are not for me. So, what am I to do?

Enter Digsby, an app written by a couple of RIT graduates (woot! RIT! ). Digsby not only supports a plethora of protocols, it also integrates with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and my email accounts. I get a little message whenever one of these sites or protocols updates, including when I get a new email, or when my friend has a new wall post. Best of all, Digsby has a slick interface, and is streamlined, and acts rather quick. Best of all, it’s free… take that Trillian Pro!

Ironic, just ironic

All was well…. until the company started getting greedy. Now, yes, I understand that they are a company that needs to make money, and generating a profit would be nice too. But, the makers of Digsby are choosing the wrong friggin way to do it. Let’s start with the installer. The previous installer, ironically, used a system similar to NullSoft. The front page displayed an icon promising “no spyware, adware, or viruses.” Ok, cool. Well, now, as part of their efforts to make money, the creators have chosen to now utilize “InstallIQ” to manage Digsby’s installation. Now, sure, you can still get the old installer, but only if you click the microscopic link underneath the obnoxiously obvious download button. Now, if you don’t know, InstallIQ is made by none other than freeze.com. Now, any computer user who isn’t a n00b when it comes to security, or even someone who can google, will know that freeze.com generally means you can kiss your computer goodbye. If spyware and viruses are your thing, cool, enjoy. The InstallIQ, along with Digsby’s site, claim that the “optional” components are not required, and are easily uninstalled. Uh, huh. Ok. Lemme esplane somtin to yu. Crapware that is bundled with apps that is made to piss you off doesn’t say, “HEY! Are you sure you want me to install myself and prompt you with ads non stop??”. Um no, it will just install, plain and simple.

Then there is a second revenue model that Digsby is trying. According to a blog post on Digsby’s site, the application will now, without your knowledge or permission (at least by default), utilize your computer’s idle CPU cycles to perform calculations for whatever they want. Supposedly it will only utilize cycles when the computer is idle, and the computational process is a low priority process that will stop if any app needs resources. Ok, there are several problems here. A, you never tell people that you are using their cycles, or that there is a way to turn them off. B, you aren’t telling us what you are using them for. You are essentially renting our computers and turning them into something that could almost be considered a botnet. Sure a botnet is composed of compromised computers controlled with Trojans, but the principle is the same. Now, this idea is similar to Folding@Home. Folding can be installed on PCs, laptops, Macs, and even PS3s. The idea is the same. Help global research by offering up your computer’s processing power. But here’s the difference. Folding is completely public and open. I can join teams to compete and see who can generate the most results, and more importantly, I can see what projects are being conducted, as well as the processing that my computer has done. For all I know, Digsby could be renting my cycles to some fly-by-night company that wants to come up with a new way to crack passwords. Sure, I would doubt that they would stoop that low, but hey, look how low they’ve sunk already.

And, just to rub it in, Digsby, by default, appends a message to the bottom of your profile that lets everyone know that you use Digsby. While this isn’t a big deal and easily changeable, it is just irritating to have an app that thinks they can just do whatever they want with my profile and my computer.

Being from RIT, I see Digsby stickers littered literally ALL over campus. At first, I thought it was cool, but now, I wonder how many people are aware of the crap that Digsby is pulling without their knowledge.

After ridding myself of Digsby on my laptop (and my desktop), I was redirected to Digsby’s site, where I could provide feedback as to why I uninstalled it. I let them know that I will not stand for such sneaky behavior from a company:

When I first starting using Digsby, I like it; in fact, I thought it was awesome! But then things started to change. You began using sneaky techniques to try and make money. First it started with the freeze.com installer. Anybody who knows freeze, or who executes a simple google query will know that freeze is no good, and it spells disaster in every sense of the word. To make matters worse, I happen to come across a blog post that said that you use my computer’s CPU cycles without my permission and without my knowledge by default. Sure, the blog post said how to “opt-out” of the program, but you don’t tell people during the installation either that you are going to use their cycles or how to turn off this feature. I don’t know what you are using them for, and I cannot check their progress, like I can with Folding@Home. With Folding, I can see exactly what my cycles are used for, and I can be proud to support the projects. With Digsby, I have NO idea what’s going on, and for all I know, it could be something malicious, whether or not that was you intent. This has made me lose all faith in Digsby. How am I supposed to trust you application now? How do I know that you won’t try to sneak in some other money making garbage when I upgrade or reinstall? What a shame. I was so optimistic about using your app. I have struggled to find an app with an interface and feature set that Digsby offers, and have not succeeded. I have had to settle for second best. However, I cannot use an app that I cannot trust.

While I’m still not thrilled about using Pidgin, anything is better than Digsby. I will continue the search for a truly great app that marvels Digsby’s capabilities, but until then, Pidgin reins supreme.

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