Best-ever freeware

Today I saw (another) list of "Best-ever freeware" on digg, wich was aimed at MS Win users. People never seem to get enough!

One of the biggest problems IT Staff find in their jobs is preciselly supporting software that users decided to install because they had read somewere that is was "the best app in the world" or something to that liking.
Even in home environements, people seem to only be satisfied when they have positively crammed their PCs with all the (most times) useless junkware!

That leads us to the biggest problem in the computer world... Ignorance (wich is said not to be an excuse). I personally think that its my obligatoin (and anyone who knows what he's saying ... er... writing...) to help others make better use of their computers and teach them how to avoid turning their computers into zombies or spam boxes used by criminals.

Altough most software that you'll find either in magazine companion CDs or on the web promise to make your life easier and your on-line experience better, try to think about these few simple questions before you download and install any of them:

1- Would you eat food that you didn't know (or at least have a reasonable expectation) that it was safe? So why would you install software that you don't know anything about its makers?
2- Do you have private photos, movies or any other files that you don't want just about anybody to see? If you want to go into filesharing, consider that others will have (at least) the same access to your PC that you'll have to theirs.
3- Cracked software isn't all that different from a stolen car. It just gives you the feeling that you can't get caught. The keyword here is "feeling". When ever you want a particular piece of software that has a price tag, pay for it. If you can't, consider a free (and open source, if possible) alternative.

Security is an achivable goal. And security will make your life easier and your on-line experience better.