Incredimail or incredicrap?

June 15, 2006 4:29 PM

Is incredimail really just incredicrap?

A lot of friends have told me that they dl incedimail, and it basically futzed up their respective pc systems. Has anyone else experienced this, or heard about this program? I dl it, and so far have experienced no repercussions. Its just SO much fun...

posted by peglam to Computers & Internet (15 answers total)

I loathe receiving emails with backgrounds and html emails in general, so Incredimail is something that I cannot support. I don't know if it includes spyware but all the people I know who use it are people with large amounts of spyware on their systems.

If I remember, it's also very hard to get emails from Incredimail to another email program if you ever want to switch. My vote is Incredicrap, but I don't have too many more facts to back that up.
posted by ontic at 4:38 PM on June 15, 2006

Looking at the reviews on CNet is not encouraging...
posted by kingjoeshmoe at 4:44 PM on June 15, 2006

How in the world do you find this crapware "SO much fun"? Sorry, it's crap. Email should be plain text. End of story.
posted by evariste at 4:45 PM on June 15, 2006

http://fileforum.betanews.com/review/968954106/1/view?sortby=rating
posted by evariste at 4:48 PM on June 15, 2006

I've just spent around 3 hours removing incredimail from a friend's computer (feisty little program!) so if you have it already, it's not going anywhere.

I agree with evariste to the extent that email should be as simple as possible, however, I've at times wanted to jazz things up: hence using services like evite, etc.

Why not just use gmail? I can send an invite, if you wish. (Note: can you sign up for gmail now? or is it still invite only?)
posted by marxfriedrice at 4:50 PM on June 15, 2006

My sister got obsessed with incredimail a couple of years ago - and her PC is still fucked from it. I still haven't been able to repair her system, and I've reccomended she get her hands on a (*cough* legitimate) copy of Windows to reinstall so she can have a properly functioning computer again. I've also convinved her to switch to Thunderbird.

The spyware/adware situation with incredimail may have improved now, but at that time it was dreadful. And tigers don't change their spots. Plus, I don't see the point of it - all modern email clients allow rich text, graphics, background etc. Go with what you know.
posted by Jimbob at 5:35 PM on June 15, 2006

How did it fuck up computers?
posted by jerseygirl at 5:41 PM on June 15, 2006

Sorry, it's crap. Email should be plain text.

(derail ahead)

Everybody who doesn't know better isn't sick of it immediately embraces HTML and embedded media in everything they do. I can almost hear the collective sigh, "Finally!" as people figure out how to add music to their MySpace accounts and make all e-mail Comic Sans. I'd imagine people like me who reluctantly wade through code on a regular basis, or have dial-up accounts, taking a few moments to unconsciously mouth a few swear words in the seconds before all the HTML in an e-mail is finished rendering and we see the foreshadowing blank page.
posted by evil holiday magic at 5:42 PM on June 15, 2006

How did it fuck up computers?

Well, in the past it installed rubbish like Webhancer. As I alluded to, they appear to have cleaned it up a bit now, but I still don't trust it.
posted by Jimbob at 6:03 PM on June 15, 2006

I wouldn't go so far as to say that e-mail should always be plain text...there is some usefulness in judicious use of color and formatting but agreed that most people don't have the necessary restraint. I curse aloud everytime I get a message from someone who sets their work e-mail font to Comic Sans.
posted by mmascolino at 7:47 PM on June 15, 2006

Yes.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:41 PM on June 15, 2006

Response by poster: How in the world do you find this crapware "SO much fun"? Sorry, it's crap. Email should be plain text. End of story.



Well, that's a matter of opinion. End of story.
posted by peglam at 3:49 AM on June 16, 2006

I have had Incredimail for years, and it hasn't messed up anything. I often don't use any backgrounds or animations, but my kids do, and they like it. It's been pretty harmless to me as the "administrator" and fun for them.
posted by genefinder at 6:17 AM on June 16, 2006

As a tech support guy I have encountered incredimail only three times in hundreds of computers, and there is a 100% correlation with spyware/viruses and other security problems.

That is to say, I have never seen a machine with incredimail that did not also have spyware, etc. Between that fact and the difficulty one has in removing it, I categorize that program as malware. I hope you enjoy your pretty emails, though!
posted by BigLankyBastard at 6:25 AM on June 16, 2006

Response by poster: Everybody who doesn't know better isn't sick of it immediately embraces HTML and embedded media in everything they do. I can almost hear the collective sigh, "Finally!" as people figure out how to add music to their MySpace accounts and make all e-mail Comic Sans. I'd imagine people like me who reluctantly wade through code on a regular basis, or have dial-up accounts, taking a few moments to unconsciously mouth a few swear words in the seconds before all the HTML in an e-mail is finished rendering and we see the foreshadowing blank page.


Thanks. I don't wade through code. I use my computer for personal purposes, it is not a co-partner in my career. So, HTML , and fancy programs serve to impress rather than irritate me. I don't operate under a realm of technolgical pretension or professional familiarity that belies my eagerness to enjoy all of the software available to me. So, incredimail FOR ME is fun. I guess it tickles my fancy and humors my ignorance....
posted by peglam at 6:35 AM on June 17, 2006