The news is out, and so is adware.

You've probably heard by now that Download.com no longer lists programs that contain adware. We had been debating this move internally for a while. Once we made the decision, it took about a month to enact it properly. There are a couple of caveats. Download.com is not deciding what is and what is not adware. We are using a variety of antispyware tools to scan new programs for adware. If Spyware Doctor or Spy Sweeper says that it's adware, then we won't list it. This practice is similar to how we try to keep viruses off of Download.com. We told the publishers that had adware products on our site about our new policy a bit earlier, to give them time to change their software. Some of them told their adware suppliers, and subsequently we got a few angry letters. From some of these missives, it was clear there was some confusion about who runs and owns Download.com. I think that confusion has now been cleared up. You will see programs that in the past have included adware, such as Morpheus and iMesh, still on Download.com. Those publishers made changes, and we ran scans with our antispyware tools. The programs showed up clean, so they remain listed. From the audience e-mail we've been getting, it seems this change is widely approved.