Is annoying users a good design principle?

[dumpsterdan]

So, when you go to use the product, you are directed to an "update" which is an add for a product.

When you finally get to the right page, download the product and install, the installer:

a.  launches the default browser

b. loads an inane page "thank you for installing..." and more adverts.

 

Is this intended to create a positive affect toward the company?  Isn't this a "hard sell"?  It makes me sad to see a company with a good product who makes a freeware/no cost version available establish such a negative appearance.

 

Making use of your product a painful experience is no way to encourage users to invest in an enhanced version.  It demeans the product, and makes the company appear duplicitous.   Why be so self-defeating?

 

 

 

[hazelnut]

The option in the installer can be unticked. At the end of the install untick the 'view release notes' box then it won't go online.

 

The google software option which is offered, pays for you to have the free version available to you.

 

After all, even software makers and their families have to eat

[mta]

Hi Dan and welcome to the forum,

 

for me, I click the Check for updates link in the bottom right corner of CC.

that launches the default browser(FF in my case) and takes me to the upgrade page, at the bottom I click No Thanks and that takes me to the Downloads page.

at the bottom of that is the Builds link as I want the Portable build but I could just of easily have hit the green Download button (which for some reason takes you to FileHippo)

 

so I would go back to the Builds page in that case and made sure I get the appropriate build from the official developer site.

 

all harmless enough except for the multitude of mouse clicks.

 

as with almost all free software, it's kept free by the developers doing 'deals' with other companies.

in CC's case, those deals show themselves in the form of Google Chrome offerings, easily avoided if the check boxes are unticked during installation or by using the Slim or Portable builds.

 

can you really blame any company that offers a free product alongside their non-free product to not flog that Pro product every chance they get.

AVG Free edition being a classic case in point.

[ccleaner121]

Simple solution, if I have understood you aright. You can bypass the more tedious options. I agree that when you keep seeing the same offers, you kinda feel you've made your decision on previous visits, but to be fair, I like to give the software creators some opportunity to canvas me. However, as an old hand, with that done, you can save time very simply. You just make a bookmark link to the CCleaner download page on, for example, the Filehippo site at http://filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/ ... and go there directly each time you need to update. You can even drag that link to your desktop if you wish.

[hazelnut]

Or the best download site of all for CCleaner

 

https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds