Freeware/Crapware
Old freeware download site favorites, such as download.com, cnet downloads, tucows, etc., are now bundling crapware, including superfish style malware. Even others like Source Forge and File Hippo are not as safe as they once were; they don’t wrap their downloads, but they do make it hard to find the right download link.
If what you want is on https://ninite.com/, that is the safest way of getting it.
If you must get it from somewhere else, make sure you don’t install using the defaults, check and only install what you need, not the crapware.
Further, make sure you research it to make sure it is really what you want, and check for/remove malware immediately after the install to make sure.
SOURCES
http://www.howtogeek.com/210265/download.com-and-others-bundle-superfish-style-https-breaking-adware/
https://discuss.howtogeek.com/t/download-sites-distributing-spyware-crapware/12449
http://www.ghacks.net/2015/03/13/report-all-major-download-sites-serve-potentially-unwanted-programs/
Google Search
Google Search now blocks crapware in the search results for downloads.
http://www.howtogeek.com/210568/google-is-now-blocking-crapware-in-search-results-ads-and-chrome/
f.lux
f.lux is an application to change your display to match the lighting by time of day.
https://justgetflux.com/
Web of Trust
https://www.mywot.com/en/aboutus says:
“Web of Trust (WOT) is a website reputation and review service that helps people make informed decisions about whether to trust a website or not. WOT is based on a unique crowdsourcing approach that collects ratings and reviews from a global community of millions of users who rate and comment on websites based on their personal experiences.”
Web of Trust is an add-on for Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Safari browsers.
From the Faq:
https://www.mywot.com/en/faq/add-on
“WOT shows you which websites you can trust based on millions of users’ experiences around the world to help you stay safe when you search, surf, and shop online.”
Wi-Fi Slow Down
According to the HowToGeek blog, using slower wi-fi devices can slow your entire wi-fi network. The post explains why, and what you can do about it.
http://www.howtogeek.com/210062/how-802.11b-devices-slow-down-your-wi-fi-network-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/
Other Items Discussed
VPN
Firefox Add-Ons
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/hello/
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-Us/firefox/addon/ghostery/
On-line Spell Checker
Feedback
Check these out and let me know what you think. Comments always appreciated.
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