Watch for the "play on words" links and advertisements
You really need to stop, look and read advertisement link, especially when the word "free" is involved. In most cases when the word "free" is used, you should avoid the link. However, there are many cases that the object truly is free and can be a useful item.
It simply requires a little more time and insight on what you are reading. Let's take in example one of the biggest uses of the "play on words" type of ad. "No credit application turned down" or "All credit applications will be accepted". Typically one might think that this means that your credit application will be approved. No! and time has taught most of us that this is not true. Read the words carefully. Both sentences mean the same thing. They will gladly take your credit application, but being approved is not mentioned.
This holds true in the computer software field as well. Many companies advertise "free download". Okay, fair enough the download is free, but then most every download is free. The question to the answer is, is the software free? or are you going to download a piece of software that can make system changes only to find that the software is a trial version. Before you click on the actual download for your "free download" take a look at the program, its functions and if the program is free, or just the download.
I am not saying there is anything wrong with trail software, in fact it can be good to try before you buy. It just kind of gets my goat to see tricks used to get a person to click on a ad. The honest company will provide you with the fact that the software is a trail version. Furthermore, they will provide you with a uninstall that will bring your computer back to the way it was before the trial software was installed. A good rule of thumb: if the software requires you to restart the computer, than it has made changes to your system files. The best way to protect yourself from problems when removing the trial software is to do make a restore point before you install any software.
