Bloatware: Difference between revisions
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There are several definitions, and even within those defs it's still open to subjectivity: | There are several definitions, and even within those defs it's still open to subjectivity: | ||
*[[wikipedia:Software_bloat#Bloatware|Pre-installed software]] that's not required by | *[[wikipedia:Software_bloat#Bloatware|Pre-installed software]] that's not required by a system to work | ||
*Redundant or duplicate | *Redundant or duplicate features included on a device | ||
*[[wikipedia:Potentially_unwanted_program|Undesirable programs]] that were [https://www.deceptive.design/types/sneaking never requested by the user] | *[[wikipedia:Potentially_unwanted_program|Undesirable programs]] that were [https://www.deceptive.design/types/sneaking never requested by the user] | ||
*Software that has [[wikipedia:Software_bloat|become bloated over time]] | *Software that has [[wikipedia:Software_bloat|become bloated over time]] | ||
Often, bloat is a symptom of [[enshittification]] | |||
==Why it is a problem== | |||
Most bloatware tends to be pre-installed because the device manufacturer (OEM) has a contract or partnership with another corporation who's interested in "getting exposure" (actually, to advertise itself and collect user data).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glossary#OEM |url=https://github.com/Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-android-debloater-next-generation/wiki/Glossary#oem |url-status=live |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=Universal Android Debloater next-generation wiki}}</ref> | |||
Bloat, in any of its forms, raises privacy and security concerns<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hubert |first=Bert |date=2024-02-08 |title=Why Bloat Is Still Software’s Biggest Vulnerability |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/lean-software-development |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=IEEE Spectrum}}</ref>. As a rule of thumb, every added line of code makes a program exponentially harder to prove for correctness{{Citation needed}} (ignoring the nuance that some code can aid [[wikipedia:Static_program_analysis|static analysis]] or even completely enforce [[wikipedia:Invariant_(mathematics)|invariants]]), making it impractical (hopeless) to verify that a program is not malicious (such as [[spyware]]) or has an exploitable [[wikipedia:Software_vulnerabilities|vulnerability]]. The problem is exacerbated if the app is not [[wikipedia:Open-source_software|open-source]] (or at least, [[wikipedia:Source-available_software|source-available]]), since [[wikipedia:Reverse_engineering|reverse engineering]] is hard and (in many cases) illegal, forcing the user to be at the mercy of the developers and distributors of the app. | |||
Bloat is known for causing sub-par [[wikipedia:User_experience|user-experience]]: | |||
*Slowness makes users want to exit the website<ref>https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Performance</ref> or uninstall the program | |||
*High memory use prevents users from multitasking; and even if they can multitask, the system will be considerably slow<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrashing_(computer_science)</ref> | |||
*High power usage increases energy bills and reduces battery lifespan | |||
*Overly relying on network connections (such as internet) prevents users from accessing data that could've been cached locally<ref>{{Cite web |year=2019 |title=Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud |url=https://www.inkandswitch.com/essay/local-first |url-status=live |website=Ink & Switch}}</ref>, and can increase cellular-data billing | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
[https:// | |||
*[https://idlewords.com/talks/website_obesity.htm "Web Obesity Crisis"] | |||
*[https://tonsky.me/blog/js-bloat Javascript bloat in 2024] | |||
*[https://tonsky.me/blog/disenchantment "Software disenchantment"] | |||
==References== | |||
<references /> | |||
[[Category:Common terms]] | [[Category:Common terms]] | ||