On Sun, 1 Dec 2013 11:57:34 -0500 "Think" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I downloaded from freeocr.net and also got other software with the OCR > program. It was an accept/decline statement and the first one got past me, > but I saw the others and declined. So when my daughter went to use my > browser to find a recipe for me she said "there's a weird browser on your > computer." This happened with dealslider a week ago when I downloaded a free > font browser. > > Unfortunately, this one issue is one of the biggest issues for people > utilizing free and open source software -- it is not "verified" to not have > malware, etc. attached to it. > > I am in the process of specifying open source software for a non profit > company I am building, and am swimming the waters myself to see what > problems are inherent in open source. It seems that this one is huge and > relatively insurmountable unless someone wants to start a foundation to cull > the software for cleanliness. > > Also, many people such as myself trust CNET. Obviously that trust is > misplaced. So if not CNET, then whom? For openoffice we only recommend www.openoffice.org/download For all other applications I always recommend using the main project site; if I have to recommend a particular site, it is always one I have used myself and know to be clean. > Brenda Hart Neihouse > > -----Original Message----- > >From: Allen Schaaf, CISSP [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 4:09 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: PDF-to-ODT conversion > > Alas, CNET is a nest of vipers. Sorry, I should have mentioned > the best source: http://www.freeocr.net/. > > NEVER TRUST CNET! > > Best, > > Allen > > On 11/30/2013 8:25 AM, Rory O'Farrell wrote: > > On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 11:09:09 -0500 > > "Maurice Howe" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> BEWARE !!! > >> The download of FreeOCR from CNET brought along a huge mess of excess > >> baggage. After 3 attempts at System Restore, running Malware Bytes, > Spybot, > >> RegCure and Stinger got rid of (what I hope is all of) 243 infections. > >> There may be a "clean" version out there but this exercise scared me off. > >> > >> I'll try Dave's Google Drive method. Thanks to all, but I thought this > >> warning was in order. Hope it saves others a lot of grief. > >> > >> Cheers, > >> Maurice Howe > >> I'm retired. Go around me. > > > > The comments on the cnet freeocr page indicate such infestation. > > > > You could try Calibre, downloading only from > > http://calibre-ebook.com/ > > which will convert a PDF into text. Anything I have ever downloaded from > that calibre site has been clean. > > > > As a general rule I suggest only to download from an application's own > site. > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > > > --- > This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus > protection is active. > http://www.avast.com > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > > -- Rory O'Farrell <[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
