Free accounting software

[greenmark]

Firstly, if the source code is made public and you have the option of compiling it yourself if you're really paranoid, you can be confident there's no malicious code in there. Nobody in their right mind would make malicious code public and leave themselves open to prosecution.

Secondly, you can get a feel for how trustworthy a software publisher is just by looking at the software, seeing how it works, the effort put in to producing it and the manuals. They are all volunteer contributors in the same way people volunteer help on this forum. You can even converse with the producers of the product.

And yes, if I had a major disaster I can restore my system drive in about 20 minutes, with my data volume remaining in tack. If I lost my system and data I could restore the lot in under an hour.

OK so you haven't vetted the source code yourself and rely on the self-regulation of open source to protet you. Fair enough. I bought BA felling that it was legit. It has proved to be true. But it was a leap in the dark. BA has a vested interest in producing reliable clean software. Open source? Why would you produce useful software for free? That's not a confrontation, just why would you do that? The effort is simply massive. Is this this like a mega-hobby for these folks?

Installing BA certainly wasn't a leap in the dark! There were two reasons to be confident that the software was genuine. One is that there's more money to be made in producing quality software that helps traders trade, then trying to empty somebody's Betfair account, which wouldn't last long. The other is just reading people's comments on the forum. Peter's even posted hundreds of videos so you could decide for yourself how genuine he is.

I guess it is a mega hobby to some, but if you do a search, LinusP said something about how much his trading has improved since he went open source with his Python wrapper, which he obviously put a lot of work into. It does have benefits that doesn't immediately meet the eye.

That's all hype. I took a calculated risk downloading BA. Downloading open source stuff is on the edge and most people have no idea how to protect or recover from malicious software they've downloaded in good faith.
It's not ok to promote this stuff.
I can say after using BA for years that it's fine, but open source stuff, you really do need to know what you are taking on.

[ForFolksSake]

OK so you haven't vetted the source code yourself and rely on the self-regulation of open source to protet you. Fair enough. I bought BA felling that it was legit. It has proved to be true. But it was a leap in the dark. BA has a vested interest in producing reliable clean software. Open source? Why would you produce useful software for free? That's not a confrontation, just why would you do that? The effort is simply massive. Is this this like a mega-hobby for these folks?

Installing BA certainly wasn't a leap in the dark! There were two reasons to be confident that the software was genuine. One is that there's more money to be made in producing quality software that helps traders trade, then trying to empty somebody's Betfair account, which wouldn't last long. The other is just reading people's comments on the forum. Peter's even posted hundreds of videos so you could decide for yourself how genuine he is.

I guess it is a mega hobby to some, but if you do a search, LinusP said something about how much his trading has improved since he went open source with his Python wrapper, which he obviously put a lot of work into. It does have benefits that doesn't immediately meet the eye.

That's all hype. I took a calculated risk downloading BA. Downloading open source stuff is on the edge and most people have no idea how to protect or recover from malicious software they've downloaded in good faith.
It's not ok to promote this stuff.
I can say after using BA for years that it's fine, but open source stuff, you really do need to know what you are taking on.

Sometimes in life you just have to take a risk. Vaccines (covid )etc

[Derek27]

OK so you haven't vetted the source code yourself and rely on the self-regulation of open source to protet you. Fair enough. I bought BA felling that it was legit. It has proved to be true. But it was a leap in the dark. BA has a vested interest in producing reliable clean software. Open source? Why would you produce useful software for free? That's not a confrontation, just why would you do that? The effort is simply massive. Is this this like a mega-hobby for these folks?

Installing BA certainly wasn't a leap in the dark! There were two reasons to be confident that the software was genuine. One is that there's more money to be made in producing quality software that helps traders trade, then trying to empty somebody's Betfair account, which wouldn't last long. The other is just reading people's comments on the forum. Peter's even posted hundreds of videos so you could decide for yourself how genuine he is.

I guess it is a mega hobby to some, but if you do a search, LinusP said something about how much his trading has improved since he went open source with his Python wrapper, which he obviously put a lot of work into. It does have benefits that doesn't immediately meet the eye.

That's all hype. I took a calculated risk downloading BA. Downloading open source stuff is on the edge and most people have no idea how to protect or recover from malicious software they've downloaded in good faith.
It's not ok to promote this stuff.
I can say after using BA for years that it's fine, but open source stuff, you really do need to know what you are taking on.

That is absolute bollocks greenmark. Just because software is open source doesn't mean it's unsafe. On the contrary, the vendor has exposed it for anyone to check. If you think you shouldn't promote it then you shouldn't promote any software, not even Microsoft Excel!

Many Windows users use BitLocker. Microsoft claim that the FBI tried to persuade them to implement a backdoor that they could use to bypass security if they needed to decrypt a hard drive. Microsoft say they refused, but you have to trust them on that.

[greenmark]

Installing BA certainly wasn't a leap in the dark! There were two reasons to be confident that the software was genuine. One is that there's more money to be made in producing quality software that helps traders trade, then trying to empty somebody's Betfair account, which wouldn't last long. The other is just reading people's comments on the forum. Peter's even posted hundreds of videos so you could decide for yourself how genuine he is.

I guess it is a mega hobby to some, but if you do a search, LinusP said something about how much his trading has improved since he went open source with his Python wrapper, which he obviously put a lot of work into. It does have benefits that doesn't immediately meet the eye.

That's all hype. I took a calculated risk downloading BA. Downloading open source stuff is on the edge and most people have no idea how to protect or recover from malicious software they've downloaded in good faith.
It's not ok to promote this stuff.
I can say after using BA for years that it's fine, but open source stuff, you really do need to know what you are taking on.

That is absolute bollocks greenmark. Just because software is open source doesn't mean it's unsafe. On the contrary, the vendor has exposed it for anyone to check. If you think you shouldn't promote it then you shouldn't promote any software, not even Microsoft Excel!

Many Windows users use BitLocker. Microsoft claim that the FBI tried to persuade them to implement a backdoor that they could use to bypass security if they needed to decrypt a hard drive. Microsoft say they refused, but you have to trust them on that.

I''m shocked by your reaction. ANY software you invite onto your computer is a potential risk. Both you and I come from an IT background and know that is the truth. Leave someone with the required knowledge alone with your computer and you are compromised. Downloading is even easier for a dodgy person to dump malicious stuff onto your system. It's like opening the door and saying "Come in, make yourself at home". I can't believe you are contesting this at all!!!

[Derek27]

That's all hype. I took a calculated risk downloading BA. Downloading open source stuff is on the edge and most people have no idea how to protect or recover from malicious software they've downloaded in good faith.
It's not ok to promote this stuff.
I can say after using BA for years that it's fine, but open source stuff, you really do need to know what you are taking on.

That is absolute bollocks greenmark. Just because software is open source doesn't mean it's unsafe. On the contrary, the vendor has exposed it for anyone to check. If you think you shouldn't promote it then you shouldn't promote any software, not even Microsoft Excel!

Many Windows users use BitLocker. Microsoft claim that the FBI tried to persuade them to implement a backdoor that they could use to bypass security if they needed to decrypt a hard drive. Microsoft say they refused, but you have to trust them on that.

I''m shocked by your reaction. ANY software you invite onto your computer is a potential risk. Both you and I come from an IT background and know that is the truth. Leave someone with the required knowledge alone with your computer and you are compromised. Downloading is even easier for a dodgy person to dump malicious stuff onto your system. It's like opening the door and saying "Come in, make yourself at home". I can't believe you are contesting this at all!!!

Letting a stranger into your home is a risk. We're all capable of making judgements and assessing the risk. When you look at the forum that supports a particular piece of software, see how many people are using it and what they have to say about it, you can make a judgement that it's safe. Or at least I can. I'm surprised somebody with an IT background would panic at the very idea of downloading software. Everything's downloaded these days - nobody purchases CDs!

Haven't you installed utilities such as WinZip, anti-virus software, ad-blockers, etc? How do you know they're safe?

[ForFolksSake]

By being cautious and following these steps, you can significantly reduce the risks associated with downloading and installing software on your PC.

1. Download from Trusted Sources: Only download software from official websites, reputable app stores, or trusted vendors.

2. Check Reviews and Ratings: Look at user reviews and ratings to gauge the reliability and safety of the software.

3. Use Antivirus Software: Keep your antivirus software updated and use it to scan all downloads before installation.

4. Keep Software Updated: Regularly update your operating system and all installed software to patch security vulnerabilities.

5. Read Permissions and EULAs: Pay attention to the permissions requested by the software and read the End User License Agreement (EULA) to understand what you are agreeing to.

6.Backup Important Data: Regularly backup your important data in case something goes wrong with an installation.

[greenmark]

That is absolute bollocks greenmark. Just because software is open source doesn't mean it's unsafe. On the contrary, the vendor has exposed it for anyone to check. If you think you shouldn't promote it then you shouldn't promote any software, not even Microsoft Excel!

Many Windows users use BitLocker. Microsoft claim that the FBI tried to persuade them to implement a backdoor that they could use to bypass security if they needed to decrypt a hard drive. Microsoft say they refused, but you have to trust them on that.

I''m shocked by your reaction. ANY software you invite onto your computer is a potential risk. Both you and I come from an IT background and know that is the truth. Leave someone with the required knowledge alone with your computer and you are compromised. Downloading is even easier for a dodgy person to dump malicious stuff onto your system. It's like opening the door and saying "Come in, make yourself at home". I can't believe you are contesting this at all!!!

Letting a stranger into your home is a risk. We're all capable of making judgements and assessing the risk. When you look at the forum that supports a particular piece of software, see how many people are using it and what they have to say about it, you can make a judgement that it's safe. Or at least I can. I'm surprised somebody with an IT background would panic at the very idea of downloading software. Everything's downloaded these days - nobody purchases CDs!

Haven't you installed utilities such as WinZip, anti-virus software, ad-blockers, etc? How do you know they're safe?

Exactly. It's a judgement.

[Derek27]

I''m shocked by your reaction. ANY software you invite onto your computer is a potential risk. Both you and I come from an IT background and know that is the truth. Leave someone with the required knowledge alone with your computer and you are compromised. Downloading is even easier for a dodgy person to dump malicious stuff onto your system. It's like opening the door and saying "Come in, make yourself at home". I can't believe you are contesting this at all!!!

Letting a stranger into your home is a risk. We're all capable of making judgements and assessing the risk. When you look at the forum that supports a particular piece of software, see how many people are using it and what they have to say about it, you can make a judgement that it's safe. Or at least I can. I'm surprised somebody with an IT background would panic at the very idea of downloading software. Everything's downloaded these days - nobody purchases CDs!

Haven't you installed utilities such as WinZip, anti-virus software, ad-blockers, etc? How do you know they're safe?

Exactly. It's a judgement.

It's a judgement today but yesterday it was madness, or a no-no.

You are joking, surely. Download any software and you are taking a leap in the dark. Once their software is on your computer you are at their mercy. The trick is to only choose reliable sources.

[greenmark]

Letting a stranger into your home is a risk. We're all capable of making judgements and assessing the risk. When you look at the forum that supports a particular piece of software, see how many people are using it and what they have to say about it, you can make a judgement that it's safe. Or at least I can. I'm surprised somebody with an IT background would panic at the very idea of downloading software. Everything's downloaded these days - nobody purchases CDs!

Haven't you installed utilities such as WinZip, anti-virus software, ad-blockers, etc? How do you know they're safe?

Exactly. It's a judgement.

It's a judgement today but yesterday it was madness, or a no-no.

You are joking, surely. Download any software and you are taking a leap in the dark. Once their software is on your computer you are at their mercy. The trick is to only choose reliable sources.

A judgement Derek. Not a no-no. You more than most shoud be encouraging people to apply caveat emptor.

[Derek27]

Exactly. It's a judgement.

It's a judgement today but yesterday it was madness, or a no-no.

You are joking, surely. Download any software and you are taking a leap in the dark. Once their software is on your computer you are at their mercy. The trick is to only choose reliable sources.

A judgement Derek. Not a no-no. You more than most shoud be encouraging people to apply caveat emptor.

I don't see anyone on here issuing a warning to newbies to be careful about installing BA on their devices, in case it's malicious!

You can judge BA to be safe and recommend it; I can judge this accounting software to be safe and recommend it, after I already downloaded and started learning to use it.

[greenmark]

It's a judgement today but yesterday it was madness, or a no-no.

A judgement Derek. Not a no-no. You more than most shoud be encouraging people to apply caveat emptor.

I don't see anyone on here issuing a warning to newbies to be careful about installing BA on their devices, in case it's malicious!

You can judge BA to be safe and recommend it; I can judge this accounting software to be safe and recommend it, after I already downloaded and started learning to use it.

But didn't vet the source code of a free application. One question. Why would anyone invest that time without some kind of pay-off?

[Derek27]

A judgement Derek. Not a no-no. You more than most shoud be encouraging people to apply caveat emptor.

I don't see anyone on here issuing a warning to newbies to be careful about installing BA on their devices, in case it's malicious!

You can judge BA to be safe and recommend it; I can judge this accounting software to be safe and recommend it, after I already downloaded and started learning to use it.

But didn't vet the source code of a free application. One question. Why would anyone invest that time without some kind of pay-off?

You've already asked that question, they're probably hobbyists. Haven't you ever invested a lot of time into writing software without any intention of selling it?

I've been using home computer emulators for 20 years odd. Most of them are free but it's not the sort of thing you could make much money selling.

Ever heard of FreeDos? It was, as it's name implies, a version of MS-DOS with total compatibility. The project was written entirely by volunteer contributors. There were hundreds of them, some may have just played a small part, others took it more seriously.

WinBuilder is another free project that allows you to create Windows PE boot disks. It started off as a basic PE installation for installing and trouble-shooting Windows, ended up as a fully-fledged operation system with all the applications you need installed. There's no money involved, you can't purchase it, anyone, even I, can contribute a script and you can easily read through any script that you download if you don't trust it.

You're very untrusting greenmark, the world is not as nasty as you think.

I certainly won't go live with this software without making a donation to the project for their hard work.

[greenmark]

I don't see anyone on here issuing a warning to newbies to be careful about installing BA on their devices, in case it's malicious!

You can judge BA to be safe and recommend it; I can judge this accounting software to be safe and recommend it, after I already downloaded and started learning to use it.

But didn't vet the source code of a free application. One question. Why would anyone invest that time without some kind of pay-off?

You've already asked that question, they're probably hobbyists. Haven't you ever invested a lot of time into writing software without any intention of selling it?

I've been using home computer emulators for 20 years odd. Most of them are free but it's not the sort of thing you could make much money selling.

Ever heard of FreeDos? It was, as it's name implies, a version of MS-DOS with total compatibility. The project was written entirely by volunteer contributors. There were hundreds of them, some may have just played a small part, others took it more seriously.

WinBuilder is another free project that allows you to create Windows PE boot disks. It started off as a basic PE installation for installing and trouble-shooting Windows, ended up as a fully-fledged operation system with all the applications you need installed. There's no money involved, you can't purchase it, anyone, even I, can contribute a script and you can easily read through any script that you download if you don't trust it.

You're very untrusting greenmark, the world is not as nasty as you think.

I certainly won't go live with this software without making a donation to the project for their hard work.

I am ridiculously trusting, gullible and naive.
I agree that open source is good. Problem is the corporate skanks are watching too.

[Kai]

Are we really arguing over free stuff

If/when in doubt just scan the file or url

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/url

https://nordvpn.com/link-checker/

[Derek27]

There you are greenmark. About 50 security vendors found it safe.

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