What bothers me most is the fog about how the software is spread. Every company that lives of software, as in the end product, not as in the development of it, tries to have a very good understanding of the audience, their requirements and the feedback. None of this seems to be well defined. To summarize I understand it this way: our audience doesn't really care what/when/why/how they install and don't really bother what the result of the installation is or how they can use it. They're also are 100% happy with it and don't report any issues. At the same time they are not that happy to give positive feedback or spread the word.
My opinion is solely based on what I read here. But being in SW development for 20+ years this sounds strange.
I find it all very confusing.
Unfortuntely the people they target are the ones that just click through installers without actually understanding what it is telling them, the people that just want the software they thought they were installing and don't realise the consequences of all the bundled crap they get.
For me it's a predatory business practice little better than all the other spyware and malware that gets bundled except this uses some donations to charity to give it a veneer of respectability.
Using the following excuses shouldn't absolve the company of any responsibility either, it's their software and they pay for the distribution.
"They also said that they do not have the choice of what software they are bundled with."
"Charity Engine reported that they do not have control over how their software is bundled"
The fact their attempts to get people to activly download the software through more regular advertising and social media (which would require at least some engagement from the user) have failed, that 99% of the users come from these "bundles" and their user turnover is 6 months tell me that most people when they become informed of the consequences don't want to be involved.
As I understand it, people are meant to join CE for the randomly paid out money. It's meant to be like a lottery, you either get 1000$ or nothing at all.
However, if people don't even sign up to the website after downloading, how does CE pay them out if they win? Or might they not be in for the reward and not even know about it? Why did they join then?
It seems that all those people are pretty much not knowing what they are downloading and what they are doing it for...
If the installers do not offer signup features then apparently only 1% (those who do not run 7.0.80) are eligible for the rewards.