Photo software "terms and conditions"

WayupthereWayupthere Registered Users Posts: 179 Major grins
edited March 12, 2012 in Digital Darkroom
OK, a little venting is in order so have a seat and strap in. :soapbox:soapbox
So just got new racehorse laptop..my first. :barb Then last night have a little time to load up all the great photo software, and then the trouble starts. :huh
Have you ever actually read the terms and conditions, before you checked the box? :scratch
WHY when you pay for software are you then subjected to the outrageous "terms and conditions"

Adobe can send a tech to your house once every 12 months to look through your computer to see if everything complies with "terms and conditions"
The software will connect to the internet without notifying you to talk with the mothership. Your isp and "interests" will be transmitted and fed to 3rd party's (which they have no control over..their words).
The software will connect to the internet without notifying you and search out other Adobe software in your area and communicate with it..That info is also sent to the mothership and 3rd party's.
3rd party's are allowed to carve out disk space and store info...
On and on and on and on and on..:puke
What the hell is going on here? It was getting late and I was getting madder by the second. I am going to let this soak in for a day but I am not a happy camper.

But I am thinking of dumping everything Adobe..if there are some photographic alternatives :scratch

I have already uninstalled the reader as I could not even view the user guides or any documents HP has as they all open with Adobe's reader. No problem, lots of ways around that.
But the photographic alternatives...not so sure about that..could use a little help with that one please.

If you are going to post that "everything is like that nowadays, just get used to it"..Please list the position that you are in when you just check "accept"
1. On your knees, head back, with lipstick on..
2. On your hands and knees, pants down with lipstick on..
3. Other

But if you also think that this is just a little much then post up and get on your :soapbox
Gary

Comments

  • Dan7312Dan7312 Registered Users Posts: 1,330 Major grins
    edited March 4, 2012
    It's better than software that does this sort of stuff without telling you at all:D

    As far a Adobe coming to your house to check your computers... In the past when I've sold custom software I've developed my laywer had me add a clause to the contract that said I could audit the buyers books to be sure I was getting all my license fees (if they were re-selling it) or go in and check their machines when they were end users. So I don't think that kind of boilerplate clause is all that unusual and as I understand it without that kind of clause it's much harder get the evidence you need to collect from someone who bought a copy but installed on everybodies machine in the shop.

    As far as connecting to the mother ship... that's pretty common, even if just for updates. Also a lot of Adobe products now include online access to various kinds of media you can use. So they they do need something in the license that lets them contact the mother ship to make those things work. Everone else is monetizing user info, why shouldn't Adobeeek7.gif

    There certainly are alternatives to Adobe, but there is so much free and payfor tutorial content out there for things like Photoshop, you might be cutting off your nose to spite your face:D

    But there are a lots of people who do quite nicely without Adobe products. The latest version of Bibble or whatever it is called now is pretty good. And I know people get a lot of milage out of gimp.

    Maybe SmugMug will make a desktop version of Awesome for raw images... then what else would we need??


    Wayupthere wrote: »
    OK, a little venting is in order so have a seat and strap in. :soapbox:soapbox
  • angevin1angevin1 Registered Users Posts: 3,403 Major grins
    edited March 4, 2012
    Wayupthere wrote: »
    OK, a little venting is in order so have a seat and strap in. :soapbox:soapbox
    So just got new racehorse laptop..my first. wings.gif Then last night have a little time to load up all the great photo software, and then the trouble starts. eek7.gif
    Have you ever actually read the terms and conditions, before you checked the box? headscratch.gif
    WHY when you pay for software are you then subjected to the outrageous "terms and conditions"

    Adobe can send a tech to your house once every 12 months to look through your computer to see if everything complies with "terms and conditions"
    The software will connect to the internet without notifying you to talk with the mothership. Your isp and "interests" will be transmitted and fed to 3rd party's (which they have no control over..their words).
    The software will connect to the internet without notifying you and search out other Adobe software in your area and communicate with it..That info is also sent to the mothership and 3rd party's.
    3rd party's are allowed to carve out disk space and store info...
    On and on and on and on and on..:puke
    What the hell is going on here? It was getting late and I was getting madder by the second. I am going to let this soak in for a day but I am not a happy camper.

    But I am thinking of dumping everything Adobe..if there are some photographic alternatives headscratch.gif

    I have already uninstalled the reader as I could not even view the user guides or any documents HP has as they all open with Adobe's reader. No problem, lots of ways around that.
    But the photographic alternatives...not so sure about that..could use a little help with that one please.

    If you are going to post that "everything is like that nowadays, just get used to it"..Please list the position that you are in when you just check "accept"
    1. On your knees, head back, with lipstick on..
    2. On your hands and knees, pants down with lipstick on..
    3. Other

    But if you also think that this is just a little much then post up and get on your :soapbox
    Gary

    I don't see this as any more trouble than what your Browser allows via Internet.

    Easy fix ( and the way I avoid it) is not to have the Adobe powered unit connected to the Internet. And of course this makes sense if you value that machine and your stored media.

    As far as Adobe visiting my house. Good luck finding it! AND can you imagine the earful they'd get if they chose to do that randomly?
    tom wise
  • Moving PicturesMoving Pictures Registered Users Posts: 384 Major grins
    edited March 4, 2012
    Gimp.

    No, I'm not being politically incorrect.
    http://www.gimp.org/
    Newspaper photogs specialize in drive-by shootings.
    Forum for Canadian shooters: www.canphoto.net
  • WayupthereWayupthere Registered Users Posts: 179 Major grins
    edited March 4, 2012
    Gimp..I will ck that out, thanks.
    There certainly are alternatives to Adobe, but there is so much free and payfor tutorial content out there for things like Photoshop, you might be cutting off your nose to spite your face
    I have a masters in that. I practice it almost every day.
    Easy fix ( and the way I avoid it) is not to have the Adobe powered unit connected to the Internet. And of course this makes sense if you value that machine and your stored media.
    This is exactly what I do with all of my desktops that have the CadCam software...never ever hooked to the internet. This computer I had thoughts.. of internet for the remote possibility of getting out of the shop long enough to use it..yea right rolleyes1.gif
    Probably cheaper to just by a second laptop for internet only if and when that is a need.

    But people, telling me that "everyone else" is doing it..that is just not going to cut it eek7.gif to be honest its sickening. If enough people sent their software back with a dog dropping in the box and a note that said..hell no.. it would stop. But instead we assume one of the 3 positions I listed above..I also noticed that no one listed their position in their reply..probably a oversight. mwink.gif
    Gary
  • DemianDemian Registered Users Posts: 211 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2012
    Hahahaha, I certainly agree with you, Wayupthere :)


    While I can't really give my opinions on adobe rolleyes1.gif , I'd suggest looking into some firewall software if you're really concerned about privacy. A good firewall will warn you whenever any program attempts to access the internet, and you can choose to temporarily or permanently allow or deny that program access. So, you can install Photoshop and CadCam to a wired machine without ever letting them touch the net (without your permission, anyways).
  • OverfocusedOverfocused Registered Users Posts: 1,068 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2012
    A good firewall with customizable blocks for each running process also helps.

    I've blocked and disabled everything Adobe on my machine except for the FNP licensing service which authenticates the install on launch.

    Now, I have no idea how much info is shared during that launch, but I haven't had an adobe product actively use the internet when I'm not using their software for at least a year now. There are times their updater software got re-enabled after patching or updating stuff, but I just reblock it and its all good afterward. I know because my firewall reports every single .exe or other process trying to access the internet and how much traffic it is consuming.
  • JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2012
    The only thing I've found to date that Adobe communicates with is it's activation servers to make sure your installation is valid. I've since blocked adobe sites with no problem, guess once it communicates with the mothership to check my stuff is valid it doesn't much care anymore. I haven't seen any Adobe product communicate from there on out with any other adobe.com site and I try to keep a very close eye on this because I hate this software BS.
  • OverfocusedOverfocused Registered Users Posts: 1,068 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2012
    The only thing I've found to date that Adobe communicates with is it's activation servers to make sure your installation is valid. I've since blocked adobe sites with no problem, guess once it communicates with the mothership to check my stuff is valid it doesn't much care anymore. I haven't seen any Adobe product communicate from there on out with any other adobe.com site and I try to keep a very close eye on this because I hate this software BS.

    nod.gif
  • WayupthereWayupthere Registered Users Posts: 179 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2012
    I have Kaspersky but have been unable to block adobe transmitting headscratch.gif It could be that I just don't know enough..but I think is because I don't know enough!rolleyes1.gif
    Its one of those things that gets on my nerves sometimes and I just wont let it go rolleyes1.gif
    Pissed me off so much I just sent the new laptop back to HP in exchange for a over the top desktop mwink.gif
    My and mobile internet are just going to have to wait.
    I installed Gostery as a addon to Firefox..what a eyeopener..I quit counting the number of things I have blocked with it.
    Kind of takes some of the fun out of it.
    Thanks for posting up some support..
    Gary
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