Digsby responds to claims of shady money-making tactics
Filed under: Internet, Windows, Social Software
Digsby is probably one of the best instant messaging/social networking applications I’ve ever used. I’ll go ahead and put that bias on my sleeve. Not only does the application let you chat with contacts on AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, and Windows Live and Yahoo! Messengers, but it also acts as an email notifier and provides you with updates (and the ability to update your status) on social networks Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn.
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.
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Digsby responds to claims of shady money-making tactics originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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