RealPlayer named badware

See? We told you so!

We've been telling our readers for years that RealPlayer (which goes by other names such as "RealOne") is just north of being spyware. It is a bloated, system-clogging bundle of applications that make changes to personal computers that cannot easily be undone. It's nearly impossible to install and takes over file associations which are seldom convenient and not always in the best interest of the user.

Now, finally someone else has finally seen the light. On February 4, 2008, StopBadware.org published the following information and warning about RealPlayer:

"...We find that RealPlayer 10.5 is badware because it fails to accurately and completely disclose the fact that it installs advertising software on the user's computer. We additionally find that RealPlayer 11 is badware because it does not disclose the fact that it installs Rhapsody Player Engine software, and fails to remove this software when RealPlayer is uninstalled.

We currently recommend that users do not install the versions of RealPlayer software that we tested, unless the user is comfortable with the software behaviors we identify or until the application is updated to be consistent with the recommendations contained in this report.

RealPlayer 11 is currently promoted by RealNetworks at www.real.com. RealPlayer 10.5 is distributed through channels such as Mozilla Firefox's 'Missing Plug-in' feature and the BBC Radio website. ..."

We commend StopBadware.org for publishing this warning. We wonder what took them so long.

We've been advising our readers for over three years to get rid of RealPlayer (RealOne) and replace it with RealAlternative - a lightweight, non-intrusive, free program that allows users to Real media formats.

If you're using RealPlayer you should remove it from your computer and replace it with RealAlternative as soon as possible.

We wonder when StopBadware.org will get around to discovering what a piece of work FunWebProducts is. We hope we don't have to wait three more years for StopBadware.org to catch up with us again.

Copyright ©2008 by Cloudeight Internet