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10-01-09, 09:55 AM   #12
nightcracker
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Originally Posted by Lykofos View Post
OK some kind of automatic BAT file is nice to help newbie install a UI, however the major download sites have had problems with executable files installing keyloggers on user's PCs. Curse/WoWInterface/WoWUI.Incgamers normally do not allow executable files to uploaded to their sites except in certain rare cases and not for UIs. The major download sites did allow UIs with self extracting installers in the past, however hackers managed to slip keyloggers in the few allowed self extracting UIs without the knowledge of the UI's author. Users who downloaded those UIs did not know those UIs had been tampered with nor was there any way for a casual user to know. Thankfully, our site admins found the "funny business" quite rapidly and shut it down.

Normally if the major UI sites allow a exe/bat type of upload, its for some kind of a utility and in every case (at least with WoWInterface), the site in question requires the source code to be available and the admins will usually take the executable apart to check for any nastyness. Even then most user on WoWI are very leery of any kind of WoW related executable file. They know the folks behind the keyloggers are extremely persistent and probably know someone who has been hacked.

In addition, .zip/.rar are multi-platform. Executables (except for things like Java based applications) are not. Remember that not everyone plays WoW using a Microsoft OS of some kind. Blizzard officially supports Mac OS X in addition to Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Plus WoW is Linux friendly via Wine. While exes can be run via Wine, it just easier for most people these days to do the unzip/move file/rename file route. Plus its more secure that way.
Yeah, they most likely won't allow it on WoWI, but thankfully I trust my own creations on my own webserver. I will put a link on my page to the installform, and if they choose for it, they can use it. I will not be forcing any people to use software I made for their comfort, so if they want to take the hard and safe way, they are free to go.
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