Ads Travel Fast

How adware is able to travel so fast across the Web.

For the most part, it seems like everyone who is connected to the Internet has eventually had some form of adware installed on their computer. While this is becoming less of an issue nowadays with the types of security software being developed, it never hurts to know how adware is able to travel.

The primary channels that adware is able to travel through is freeware and shareware. Now, it's not like advertisers just download freeware/shareware and install their adware to it without the author's permission, they do get permission. Of course, developers (for the most part) will not allow advertisers to install adware onto their freeware/shareware without something in return. So, for advertisers to be able to install adware onto freeware/shareware with the developers permission, they end up paying the developer a negotiated amount.

These kinds of negotiations are being made on a daily basis, and it is to be expected that only more forms of freeware and shareware will have adware bundled into them.

If you are curious as to if there is a way to prevent adware from being bundled with freeware or shareware, there is in fact something you can do. On the majority of shareware sites (not as much with freeware), there are usually places where you can donate money to the developer. Providing free downloads for everyone does cost money and time to do, and if no one decides to donate any money for these causes, more of these developers will turn to advertisers and bundle adware with their software.