Software bloat

As bloatware (English to bloat " bloat " ), rarely as Blähware or FATware, software is called, which is overloaded with functions and applications of very different fields of work without sharing bundles (see: jack of all trades ). For the user, the program makes this " Featuritis " messy, unmaintainable for developers. Therefore bloatware tends to work relatively error-prone, and to be relatively complex and detailed immature. From some users, for example, Nero 8, Norton Internet Security, Acronis True Image and SeaMonkey expected for this category.

A second use is the term bloatware in the designation of unnecessary pre-installed software on computers or smart phones that are purchased together with an operating system. In this case bloatware may include stripped down versions or demo versions of commercial software packages or links to advertising pages or forums. Often this kind Preinstallations go with it a number in the system Start load gimmicks that adversely affect the start and the functionality of the computer.

Reasons for the emergence of Bloatware

Bloatware usually arises for marketing reasons or user preferences. The software development is often characterized by a process known in English as creeping featuritis ( engl. to creep " creep, creep" ) is signified by little new additional functions are always available to keep the degree of popularity or distribution or increase. As a side effect increase the demands on the hardware, the operation becomes more complicated and the probability that errors occur, grows. Nevertheless, not every ( commercial ) program that has many features or gradually gets affected by creeping featuritis.

Particularly vulnerable to such a development is commercial software, which is on the one hand and over again must give effective advertising reasons to sell a new version on the other hand with respect to the delivery date is often tight deadlines, so that each new function can not be adequately tested.

Avoidance strategies

A possibility to prevent the creeping swelling a program is to provide a functional plug-in interface. This makes it possible to outsource functionality in plug- ins that are fitted only by the users who actually use the functions. Thus, the actual program is kept slim. A good example of this approach is the Eclipse platform.