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Digsby responds to claims of shady money-making tactics
But the company behind Digsby has done a few things to annoy users over the past half year or so. The most noticeable change is the installer. It's not unusual to install an application and see an offer to install a browser toolbar or other third party app. But in order to install Digsby for the first time, you have to click through "offers" to install about half a dozen different applications.
I was willing to put up with that, because it's a non-issue once you've installed the software, and hey, Digsby needs to make money, right? But yesterday, Lifehacker shone the light on a much shadier tactic: Hidden away deep in the licensing agreement is a line letting users know that Digsby will use your spare computer cycles to solve distributed computing problems. We first noted this issue back in November, but since it's making the rounds today (CNET's Download.com lowered the ratings score for Digsby as a response), let's take a closer look.
Distributed computing software allows hundreds or thousands of computers to work together to solve problems like finding cures for cancer or search for intelligent life in the universe. In Digsby's case, some of the problems may involve analyzing the stock market, searching the web, and other activities that can help Digsby make money.
Users can opt out of the distributed computing, but you have to click the Help menu item, find the "Support Digsby" option, and then disable "Help Digsby conduct research." It's not exactly intuitive, and while Digsby wrote a blog post about the topic late last year, it's likely that most users didn't know they were opting into sharing their computer cycles and internet bandwidth by clicking the licensing agreement. That's what happens when you hide something at item 15 in the agreement.
This morning Digsby responded to the Lifehacker post. In a nutshell, Digsby plans to keep the bloated offer screens as part of the installer. The team also promises to issue an updated version of Digsby later today that makes it much easier for users to see the Support Disgby section, by moving it out of the "Help" menu. Digsby will also alert users about the Support module in a pop-up window that won't go away until users have read it. That way new or existing users will be sure to see the information about the distributed computing project and have a chance to opt out.
What do you think? Is this good enough? Or are you done with Digsby? Would you rather have a program that does exactly what you want it to, or a company that provides 100% transparency without prompting? Or do you find Pidgin, Miranda, Trillian, or other instant messenger apps to be a better fit for your needs anyway? Sound off in the comments.
Update: I just received a message from Digsby letting me know that the company was already planning on making changes to improve transparency, but decided to step things up after the Lifehacker article stirred things up.
Comments
30
Subscribe to commentsrokicAug 14th 2009 9:09AM
I use Digsby and don't really mind them using my laptop's idle time. I do mind keeping it buried in a submenu. But, all things considered, I still prefer sharing idle cycles than having ads in the program (e.g. live messenger).
JoshAug 14th 2009 9:40AM
Those are simply enough to remove with the Mess.be patch (MsgPlusLive might do it too, I am not sure)
DanAug 14th 2009 10:49AM
Agreed, the submenu thing is kind of shady. Though I don't really care if Digsby is out to make money through this tactic. It is, after all, a fantastic program. I haven't use Pidgin (not enough plug-ins to support what I'd want) and I've used Trillian (which I was bored of after a week). Digsby seems pretty polished for a freeware program.
And though I can admit that the crapware prompts during the install are annoying, the people who are installing these are those who are either 1. Too dumb to think, "Hey, maybe I DON'T want 50 free MP3s from eMusic," or 2. Have never run through an installer before. Every installer has options (check for updates during program startup, start up with the PC, install various toolbars, etc.). So Digsby takes it to an unhealthy level. Big whoop. :P I don't mind a few extra de-checks.
216Aug 14th 2009 9:20AM
When i first heard about the issue, i was ready to uninstall and go back to Pidgin. BUT after I heard that you can disable it, i'll give them a second chance.
I mean, this is what happens when your deal with "Freeware". These companies still need to make money in one way or another
Level 5Aug 14th 2009 9:40AM
Digsby is great, but for me, Pidgin beats it any day, all day.
AdacloudNov 9th 2009 8:10AM
Digsby and Pidgin are great software, we are here using BigAnt Office Messenger for business communication.
http://www.bigantsoft.com
David ChartierAug 14th 2009 9:45AM
Sorry, but that installer is inexcusable. I agree that Digsby is the best chat client available on Windows, but I'm not reinstalling it until they clean up this crapware. The entire industry is moving *away* from hurling tons of crap affiliations and sneaky installations at users, yet the company chose to march straight into this territory. It's wrong, and it is incredibly user hostile.
I just wiped two Vista Boot Camp installations with the Windows 7 RC, and Digsby is no longer a part of my setup. I would love to use it again some day, but not until the company stop assaulting its users and finds other ways to make money.
Jim CloudmanAug 15th 2009 9:01AM
I'm not so sure Digsby even is the best Windows client, even overlooking these problems. Digsby has issues with its UI (the chat screens are nice, but the rest of the UI looked like it was built ten years ago), and I personally stopped using the program two years ago over a weird Yahoo bug - hope the privacy statements then weren't as shady as they are now...
Of course, Pidgin's UI would have looked obsolete on Windows 95. However, I'd watch Trillian Astra pretty closely. It seems to have all the functionality an IM client could possibly have (granted, you can say that about Digsby & Pidgin too), plus a UI that looks much more modern - a tad too modern, but there's no gray panels to be seen so it's an improvement. And, unlike Digsby, they monetize their software by offering a Pro version instead of invading your privacy.
Of course, I agree with everything else you've said. Just throwing this out there in case anyone's worried about losing anything by dumping Digsby. You won't be.
robotrockAug 14th 2009 9:47AM
This is fine for your average geek but the crapware and auto-on distributed computing option are there to fool the average user.
I know it's easy to say "tough luck they should know what they're getting into" but we as the geeks should be on the lookout for those who aren't in the know...it's us who has to go in and clean up the 8 million IE toolbars and get rid of the spyware and nagware and bloatware and everything else.
Digsby sucks for this...
TimAug 14th 2009 9:48AM
I prefer Trillian to Digsby anyday. The multiple add-on software to say "no" to everytime I install coupled with the fact that while I was using it the Digsby servers would go down often, keeping me from signing into anything always bothered me.
Bryan PriceAug 14th 2009 10:17AM
I'm already running BOINC. So I'm already running at 100% CPU anyways, but I think I'd really like to have a choice. And evidently it only runs when the screen saver is running, since when I snooze BOINC, I'm running full idle. But this also might fix the problem of my system stalling getting into screen saver, and out of screen saver. I'm glad to be able to disable it. Because otherwise, it'd be hitting the recycle bin.
MikealAug 14th 2009 10:40AM
This stuff is annoying but not a deal breaker. There are people who install everything, because they don't know any better but most people searching for a multifunction IM client would probably understand the installer. I would be willing to pay for a Digsby version without the crap installer/idle processing.
Richard LawlerAug 14th 2009 10:40AM
That's odd, because I must have seen it and opted out during the install, since it was disabled on my computer and I didn't do the most thorough job of reading the installer, but I do check anything where I have an option. The lifehacker post made it seem like it was just enabled unless you went in later and disabled it which wasn't the case.
EddieAug 16th 2009 3:58PM
It was enabled by default and you had to dig through the help menu to disable it.
CharaxAug 14th 2009 10:59AM
http://lifehacker.com/5336382/digsby-joins-the-dark-side-uses-your-pc-to-make-money#c14769538
If that can be verified, that's a much bigger problem than either the crapware or the distributed computing
Stephen GalbinceaAug 14th 2009 11:12AM
To get Digsby without the crapware prompts use this link:
http://update.digsby.com/install/digsby_setup.exe
Much nicer installer. ;-)
fiendsanAug 14th 2009 12:40PM
hummm like everyone says... the installer+crapware is not user-friendly at all, just that, made me stay away from digsby, sure you can opt-out but that's not the point, most people just click next next next.
i'm not even going to address the distributed computing and all that shaddyness or the creator apologies, ohh they were going to do that anyways... rightttt... last time i checked all their money making schemes are based on people being unaware...
ohhh and brad is right last year you guys were already pointing out these "niceties" from digsby, lifehacker just put it over the edge, good for them and good for downloadsquad por pointing this shit out ^_^
DemoAug 14th 2009 12:40PM
As long as the program remains free and I can disable the distributed computing, I don't mind clicking through all the crap during the install. The program is phenomenal and really worth the extra 30 seconds of saying "no" to all the offers.
SRKAug 14th 2009 12:43PM
Digsby moved (or copied to be exact) the "Help Digsby Conduct Research" option to Tools>Preference (shortcut Ctrl+P).
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/826/digsbyn.jpg
And thanks for the link Stephen Galbincea. I deleted that version unknowingly when the new digsby came out.
ChristianAug 14th 2009 12:45PM
I've liked Digsby for its multiple chat client offers and the fact that I can see my emails right away without opening them completely (it shows the subject and a very few short words of the subject) and let me delete them one at a time, just mark them as read, or even mark them as spam. I also like that it has twitter. One thing I really do like is that I can combine/merge all of my "friend A"'s username so I can chat with him/her without having to switch windows/chat client; that really helps me organize my list of friends.
Do other programs out there do the something similar regarding organizing contacts?