Please Stop The Bundling Madness!

<vent>
Dear Software Publishers,
Can you PLEASE stop the bundling madness?

Today I received a notice that there was a new version of Windows Live Messenger available and did I want to download it? "Great!" I thought, "I’ve been waiting for this latest beta update..."

Clicking through the usual license stuff, I came to this...

"Are you fricking kidding me! Damn it, I hate this bundling crap!" Was the first thing out of my mouth.

Google, Apple, Yahoo and now MS. COME ON guys! Please DO NOT bundle unrelated technology in your products. It adds a slime layer to your downloads, and, I feel, destroys trust.

Yes, I know it’s easy to uncheck, and I know better than to install bundled crap onto my PC. But I wife doesn’t. Nor my daughter. Or my parents.
So they would get ANOTHER piece of software that I would need to make sure is constantly up to date, or have to later remove, yada, yada, yada.

On another note, if installing the bundled package jacked my system, I would hold the bundling company responsible. Yes, MS, I know it’s not your product, but YOU gave it to me. You installed it by default. You bundled it. If I buy a new car and the tires blow, I don’t hold Firestone responsible, I hold the car dealer responsible. If this bundled product stunk, or slowed down my system, or opened it up to future security problems, LM IM would be the product I would first direct my anger at...

Yes, I know the product I am installing is free and that someone has to pay to develop these products. But many (including LM IM) already has advertising built in. Adding the bundling on top of that adds insult to injury.

Worse case, offer two downloads, one with the bundle, one without (both on the same download page, equally placed., Not like the "hunt the quicktime game" we have to play to get the standalone download). Last ditch, at least default the bundle to unchecked/not installed. Make it a conscious decision to install it. Let us opt-in, not force us to opt-out... 

I want the product I downloaded, I do NOT want you pretending to be helpful by offering these bundles.

Please, ladies and gentlemen, raise above it. Stop the bundling madness. Stop it today.

Thank you,
Greg Duncan
</vent>

Wow, can you tell that pissed me off? ;)