Softpedia

Infobox Website
name = Softpedia



caption = Screenshot of Softpedia.com
url = [http://www.softpedia.com/ www.softpedia.com]
commercial =
type = Software Index
language = English & Romanian
registration =
owner = Catalin Garmacea & Bogdan Gheorghe
author =
launch date = November 2001Fact|date=April 2007
current status =
revenue =
slogan =
alexa = [http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details/softpedia.com ~264]

Softpedia is a site that indexes information and provides downloads for many games, drivers, mobile phones, and software for the Windows, Macintosh, and Linux platforms, as well as PDAs and other devices. The site also indexes major technology, science, health, and entertainment news both from ticker servers and from in-house sources. As of April 2007, it is one of the top 500 websites according to Alexa traffic rankings. [cite web |url=http://www.alexa.com/data/details/?url=www.softpedia.com |title=SoftPedia.com |accessdate=2007-04-24 |year=2007 |work=Alexa] The site was originally known as Softnews.ro, but was changed to Softpedia near the end of 2003.Fact|date=April 2007

Software categories are arranged hierarchically and are modeled after Windows filesystem paths, such as "C: Mobile Phone Tools Sony Ericsson." Users can sort by criteria such as the date of the last update, the number of downloads, or the rating. There are three viewing modes, normal, freeware, or shareware, which allows users to screen out certain types of software. [cite book |last=Kraynak |first=Joe |title=Que's Official Internet Yellow Pages, 2006 Edition |date=2005-08-29 |publisher=Que Publishing |location= |isbn=0-7897-3408-7 |pages=202]

Malware testing

Softpedia claims to thoroughly test each software product and game they list and to check each one for evidence of viruses, malware, adware or spyware using a variety of well known antivirus and antispyware products.Fact|date=April 2007 Programs which Softpedia finds to be free of viruses, malware, adware, and spyware are given its "100% Clean" award; programs which are also freeware are given Softpedia's "100% Free" award.Fact|date=April 2007

Google Search marks Softpedia as a harmful website

On 18 September 2007, some search results in Google search engine pointing to Softpedia.com were tagged with a "This site may harm your computer." message. The notation was removed by 20 September 2007, but no information concerning the situation was listed at Stopbadware.org. Softpedia blamed the notation on the actions of a third-party advertising provider. [ [http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ad-Exploit-Currently-In-Progress-Google-Takes-Attitude-65782.shtml] Softpedia responds to Google/Stopbadware.org malware claims]

tatistics

As of September 11, 2008:
*Number of applications indexed: 485,115
*Total number of downloads: 688,221,823

References