# afreecodec **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 3, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656 "2012-02-03T16:00:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marlinspike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Marlinspike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlinspike)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/1 "2012-02-03T16:00:15Z")
Hi folks, I apologize if this is in the wrong place but has anyone tried using (or at least heard of) this website for free software downloads? Is it safe? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/2 "2012-02-03T16:03:32Z")
What website? This one? We don’t have any downloads. Or did you forget to include a link? And this is more of a IMHO question than a general one. General ones have factual answers; you want opinions. ETA: You must mean **[afreecodec.com](http://afreecodec.com),** partially given in the thread title (without the “.com”, you don’t have a valid address). If so, [McAfee](http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/afreecodec.com/summary/) says it’s OK. I have never used it. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/3 "2012-02-03T16:10:53Z")
I assume that **Marlinspike** is talking about a website name “afreecodec”, since that is the subject line. That said, I’ve never heard of the site so I have no opinion of it except to say that you should be \*very \*wary of free software downloads. You should also be wary of codecs which, from the name, I assume this website offers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/4 "2012-02-03T16:18:21Z")
[This](http://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm) is where I go when I’ve needed codecs. Clean site. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/5 "2012-02-03T16:18:52Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I assume that **Marlinspike** is talking about a website name “afreecodec”, since that is the subject line. Without a domain suffix, he might be talking about [afreecodec.org](http://afreecodec.org), [afreecodec.gov](http://afreecodec.gov), afreecodec.edu, afreecodec.biz, afreecodec.mobile, or afreecodec.info, not to mention afreecodec.xxx. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/6 "2012-02-03T16:47:59Z")
Moved from General Questions to IMHO. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Marlinspike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Marlinspike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlinspike)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/7 "2012-02-03T17:41:06Z")
Sorry folks, I am new to this. Thanks for the replies. Yes, I do mean [afreecodec.com](http://afreecodec.com). They offer programs (like Adobe Pagemaker 7.0.1) for free so I wanted to know if it was safe to download. Musicat: Thanks for checking McAfee for me. davidm: What specifically should I be concerned about? runnerpat: Thanks but I don’t even know what a codec is. I was looking for PageMaker. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/8 "2012-02-03T17:46:41Z")
Well, if they’re offering things like _Adobe Pagemaker_ then you should be concerned about violating copyright law, for one thing. Anyone who is offering copyrighted software for free downloading has, shall we say, questionable ethics. So I would not trust them not to load it up with malware. I wouldn’t even trust that they would use any care to ensure that it’s not unintentionally infected. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/9 "2012-02-03T17:50:12Z")
> [@Marlinspike](#): > > Sorry folks, I am new to this. > > Thanks for the replies. Yes, I do mean [afreecodec.com](http://afreecodec.com). They offer programs (like Adobe Pagemaker 7.0.1) for free so I wanted to know if it was safe to download. > > Musicat: Thanks for checking McAfee for me. > > davidm: What specifically should I be concerned about? > > runnerpat: Thanks but I don’t even know what a codec is. I was looking for PageMaker. [Codec.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec) ETA:beaten to the punch. Why not download PageMaker from Adobe? That way you know it’s safe. If you’re looking for a pirated version, you won’t get help here and the thread will get locked in no time. ---
**Author:** ![Marlinspike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Marlinspike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlinspike)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/10 "2012-02-03T18:10:55Z")
Thanks for the heads up. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/11 "2012-02-03T18:12:44Z")
Just to backtrack a little, I suspect McAfee only checks the safety of the _site,_ not the offered downloads, nor their validity or legality. Heed the warnings others have made in this thread before you regret it. And **Pagemaker** was obsolete 10 years ago. I would be surprised if it is still supported by Adobe. **InDesign** is its successor and **Quark** is its competitor. ---
**Author:** ![Marlinspike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Marlinspike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlinspike)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/12 "2012-02-03T18:16:32Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Just to backtrack a little, I suspect McAfee only checks the safety of the _site,_ not the offered downloads, nor their validity or legality. Heed the warnings others have made in this thread before you regret it. > > And **Pagemaker** was obsolete 10 years ago. I would be surprised if it is still supported by Adobe. **InDesign** is its successor and **Quark** is its competitor. Good point, Musicat. If it is obsolete then why is Adobe charging over $600 for it? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/13 "2012-02-03T18:53:39Z")
> [@Marlinspike](#): > > If it is obsolete then why is Adobe charging over $600 for it? Because [P.T. [del]Bridgeport[/del] Barnum was right?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There's_a_sucker_born_every_minute) ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/14 "2012-02-03T20:04:09Z")
So can I download my illegal movies and music there as well, or is the site just for illegal software downloads? ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/15 "2012-02-04T04:26:58Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > So can I download my illegal movies and music there as well, or is the site just for illegal software downloads? _Taps foot_ That site is worthless, it looks like. Take a closer look at the licences described in the links - mostly shareware, outdated, demo and trial licences. They’re pretty much all about making you think you’ve hit something good, then just linking you to a Adobe trial download. (Which usually works for 30 days and is free at [Adobe.com](http://Adobe.com) anyway.) So in effect, it’s just there to generate pageviews and adviews. Before somebody gets clever and starts going over the line here, I’ll remind you of the terms of the Registration Agreement. We’re getting close to the line here. > [@SDMB registration agreement as of 12/29/2008](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-registration-agreement-as-of-12-29-2008/406370/1): > > You agree not to post material that in our opinion **encourages** activity that is illegal in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![ITDame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@ITDame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITDame)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/16 "2013-03-01T06:04:05Z")
Musicat Would you listen to yourself? The first rule to becoming a member of this site is not to be a jerk. It sounds to me like you are giving this guy, MarlinSpike, kind of a hard time. There are no other website domains for “afreecodec. \*” besides [afreecodec.com](http://afreecodec.com) Cut the guy some slack. He just asked a simple question and you immediately nit picked at him. Geez! I ask you - do you really have that kind of time on your hands? On a different note - I also use the site in question, and have had no problems. However! I will say, that, to be safe, I did create a restore point before downloading anything the first time. It never hurts. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/17 "2013-03-01T06:13:24Z")
Some might think that you joined simply to bump this thread and drive traffic to that site, and some might think that that violates the first rule, among others. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afreecodec/611656/18 "2013-03-01T14:06:16Z")
Closing this thread because it was asked and answered and also to avoid possible future shilling. Also, **ITDame** , please refrain from jr modding.